Past Participle Clauses

Written in 1997, the novel became an instant classic.

Notice

  • Written in 1997, the novel became an instant classic.
  • Exhausted by the journey, they fell asleep immediately.
  • Surrounded by fans, the singer smiled and waved.
  • Confused by the instructions, many users gave up.

Rule

A past participle clause (verb + -ed / irregular past participle) has a passive meaning — the subject receives the action rather than doing it. It replaces a relative clause like ‘which was written’ or ‘who was confused’.

Practice

  1. Combine: ‘The bridge was built in 1930. It is still in use today.’
    Answer: Built in 1930, the bridge is still in use today.
  2. Combine: ‘The players were tired from the match. They went straight to the hotel.’
    Answer: Tired from the match, the players went straight to the hotel.
  3. Rewrite using a participle clause: ‘The report, which was written in a hurry, contained several errors.’
    Answer: Written in a hurry, the report contained several errors.
  4. Identify: is ‘Confused by the map, we took a wrong turn’ active or passive in meaning?
    Answer: Passive — we were confused (received the action).

Connect

Practise spotting errors with past participle clauses.

Try Error Correction →

CEFR: Reading — understand concise, well-connected written descriptions.

Azizul Hakim
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