participial prepositions

7 Common Mistakes with Participial Prepositions

by
participial prepositions
Participal Prepositions

PARTICIPIAL PREPOSITIONS in English Grammar

5 Essential Participial Prepositions You Need to Know

A participial preposition is a preposition that takes its origin from the participial form of a verb.

Examples:

considering, during, concerning, provided, following, including, excluding, assuming, regarding, given, notwithstanding, etc.

The participial prepositions are of two categories :

(1) PRESENT PARTICIPIAL PREPOSITIONS & (2) PAST PARTICIPIAL PREPOSITIONS.

The general grammatical features of a participial preposition are given below :

■ It is used to express relationships in time, manner, or condition.

■ It is usually formed from the participle of a verb.

■ Although a participle, it acts a preposition, and never as an adjective.

■ Like all other prepositions, it takes a noun word/noun phrase/ noun clause as its object.

Eg.

● They have many pets including dogs.

(The object of a participial preposition is a NOUN WORD “dog”)

● I asked him a question concerning his first experience on a foreign tour.

(The object of participial preposition is a NOUN PHRASE “his first experience of a foreign tour”)

● Provided they arrive on time, we can start the meeting promptly.

(Object of participial preposition is a NOUN CLAUSE “they arrive on time”)

■ It shows a verb form ending with “–ing” or “– en” or “— ed”.

■ In certain cases, it can also be used as a POSTPOSITION. ( eg. notwithstanding )

■ A participial prepositional phrase will end with a comma if a sentence starts with this phrase.

Eg. Considering his age, he still looks young.

On the other hand, the participial phrase will not take any comma if a sentence ends with the phrase.

Eg. He still looks young considering his age.
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

10 Powerful Ways to Use Participial Prepositions

GRAMMATICAL MEANINGS OF “PRESENT PARTICIPIAL PREPOSITIONS” WITH EXAMPLES :

(1) CONSIDERING — indicates that something will be taken into account

Eg.

● Considering his age, he still manages to keep up with the younger players.

● Considering the quality of the food, the price is not high.

(2) REGARDING — indicates that something is related to another thing

Eg.

● Regarding the weather, it seems like rain is expected later.

● I asked him a question regarding his harsh comments.

● She said nothing regarding your request.

(3) CONCERNING — indicates to inform about something

Eg.

● I spoke to him concerning his behaviour.

● Concerning her studies, she always stays focused.

(4) FOLLOWING —- indicates an order of events/ actions

Eg.

● Following her advice, I decided to pursue a career in medicine.

● Following their agreements, they decided to raise the salary.

(5) INCLUDING — indicates that something is a part of a larger group

Eg.

● They have many pets including three cats.

● All living creatures including humans will perish if global warming is not solved.

(6) EXCLUDING — indicates that something is not a part of a larger group

Eg.

● The trip costs a thousand dollars excluding airfare.

● Almost everyone excluding the children was asked to leave the park.

(7) ASSUMING — indicates that something is accepted as true without any proof

Eg.

● Assuming that he is still alive, how old would he be now?

● Assuming the weather is fine, we can go to travel this evening.

(8) DURING — indicates when something happens

Eg.

● He helped me during my bad days.

● She works during the day and studies at night.

(9) NOTWITHSTANDING —- indicates despite something

Eg.

● The bad weather notwithstanding, the event was a great success.

(notwithstanding = participial postposition)

● Notwithstanding her pitfalls, I love her.

(Notwithstanding = participial preposition)
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

GRAMMATICAL MEANINGS OF “PAST PARTICIPIAL PREPOSITIONS” WITH EXAMPLES :

(1) GIVEN —- indicates that a particular situation is taken into account

Eg.

● Given her age, she is a fantastic yoga expert.

● Now calculate the mathematical value of “X”, given X is not equal to zero.

● Given the circumstances, we had no choice but to cancel the event.

● I was happy given the fact that I got great marks.

(2) PROVIDED — indicates that something will be taken into account in a particular condition

Eg.

● Provided they arrive on time, we can start the meeting promptly.

● The value of A will match with that of B provided both A and B are odd numbers.

…….Somranjan Pal

🅵🅰🆀

Q.1: What is a participial preposition?

Ans: A participial preposition is a type of preposition derived from the participial form of a verb. It is used to express relationships in time, manner, or condition, but it functions solely as a preposition rather than as an adjective. Examples include words like “considering,” “during,” and “provided.”

Q.2: How are participial prepositions categorized?

Ans: Participial prepositions fall into two main categories: Present Participial Prepositions and Past Participial Prepositions. Present participial prepositions are formed from the present participle of a verb (e.g., “considering,” “following”), while past participial prepositions come from the past participle (e.g., “given,” “provided”).

Q.3: Can participial prepositions take objects?

Ans: Yes, participial prepositions require an object, which can be a noun, a noun phrase, or a noun clause. For example Noun: “They have pets including dogs.”Noun Phrase: “I asked about his first day at work.”Noun Clause: “Provided they arrive on time, we can begin the meeting.”

Q.4: Do participial prepositional phrases follow specific punctuation rules?

Ans: Yes, when a sentence begins with a participial prepositional phrase, it is followed by a comma. For instance, “Considering his age, he still looks young.” However, if the phrase appears at the end, it doesn’t require a comma: “He still looks young considering his age.”

Q.5: What are some examples of commonly used participial prepositions?

Ans: Some frequently used participial prepositions and their meanings include:
Considering: Taking into account (e.g., “Considering the weather, we stayed indoors.”)
Regarding: Relating to something (e.g., “Regarding the project, all tasks are on schedule.”)
During: Denoting a period (e.g., “She studies during the night.”)
Following: Showing sequence (e.g., “Following her instructions, I completed the task.”)

READ MORE

MANY MODERN LINGUISTS HAVE CHANGED THE TRADITIONAL CONCEPT OF A SIMPLE SENTENCE

READ MORE

10 Easy Ways to Use Attributive Nouns in English Grammar

READ MORE

A COMPLETE CLASSIFICATION OF THE NON-FINITE SUBORDINATE CLAUSES IN ENGLISH GRAMMAR

READ MORE

3 Common Mistakes to Avoid When Using Inverted Syntax

READ MORE

Master Cleft Sentences: A Simple Guide to Improve Your English Grammar

Leave a Comment