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Persian Learner Posted 9 years ago
Grammar

Participial phrases

Hi.

Can any participial phrase act as an adverb at all?

Being very tired, he left the work unfinished.

What's the function of the underlined part? An adjective or adverb?

Does it mean that he left the work unfinished because he was very tired, or that he who was very tired left the work unfinished?
  

Top answer

Persian Learner Can any participial phrase act as an adverb at all? No. ) Since he was very tired, he left the work unfinished.

— AlpheccaStars

  • Persian Learner Can any participial phrase act as an adverb at all?
  • No.
  • ) Since he was very tired, he left the work unfinished.
  • He was very tired and left the work unfinished.
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7 Answers
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Persian LearnerCan any participial phrase act as an adverb at all?
No. It describes the condition of the subject (he.)

Since he was very tired, he left the work unfinished.
He was very tired and left the work unfinished.
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Persian LearnerSo, is it adjectival?
Adjectives describe nouns or pronouns. "He" is a pronoun.
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AlpheccaStarsSince he was very tired
But this part is adverbial, isn't it?

I can't clearly understand how participial phrases which are supposed to act as adjectives can do the job of adverbials.
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AlpheccaStarsIt describes the condition of the subject (he.)
If it describes a condition, it has to be adverbial; it doesn't directly modify the subject (he.)
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Persian LearnerWhat's the function of the underlined part? An adjective or adverb?
I always say it's neither. It's a second predicate for the subject.

He left work ... is the first predicate.
He was tired ... is the second predicate.

The second predicate is phrased as a non-finite clause.

It is left up to the reade
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Persian LearnerCan any participial phrase act as an adverb at all?
A participle clause almost always does IF you insist on classifying it as adverbial or adjectival.

When it acts as an adjective, it is also called a reduced relative clause.

The woman acting for the boss this morning is Mrs. Susan Blakers
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