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Quizzes > Literature & Language > English & Grammar

Can You Spot the Correctly Placed Participial Phrase?

Jump into this participial and absolute phrases quiz and prove your skills!

Difficulty: Moderate
2-5mins
Learning OutcomesCheat Sheet
Paper art illustration of grammar quiz with floating participial phrases and absolute phrases on dark blue background

Sharpen your grammar in this free 3.01 quiz participial and absolute phrases challenge! Discover which sentence contains a participial phrase that is placed correctly and test your knack for identifying absolute constructions. Browse our participial phrase examples for context and explore real-world absolute phrase examples to master distinctions you'll see on every writing assignment. Plus, this participial and absolute phrases quiz helps reinforce your sense of sentence flow and precision. Whether you're a student prepping for exams or a word enthusiast seeking clarity, dive in now and put your skills to the test - click to begin your grammar journey today!

Which sentence contains a participial phrase?
The dog barked loudly at the mailman.
The cake smelled delicious.
Running through the park, the children laughed with joy.
She reads every night before bed.
"Running through the park" is a present participial phrase modifying "the children." It begins with the present participle "running" and adds descriptive detail. Participial phrases act like adjectives and often come before or after the nouns they modify. Purdue OWL on Participles
Which sentence contains a participial phrase?
Her smile was bright and welcoming.
They went to the concert last night.
Built in 1910, the mansion needs extensive repairs.
He often jogs before breakfast.
"Built in 1910" is a past participial phrase modifying "the mansion." It begins with the past participle "built" and provides extra information. Participial phrases can be present or past and function as adjectives. Grammarly on Participial Phrases
Which sentence contains a participial phrase?
He closed the door quietly.
The team celebrated their victory.
I will call you tomorrow.
Excited by the news, Maria ran to tell her friends.
"Excited by the news" is a participial phrase starting with the past participle "excited." It modifies "Maria" by explaining her emotional state. Such phrases add vivid detail to a sentence. ChompChomp on Participial Phrases
Which sentence contains a participial phrase?
The sky turned pink at sunset.
Our neighbors moved last week.
Laughing loudly, the baby waved her hands.
They have completed the assignment.
"Laughing loudly" is a present participial phrase modifying "the baby." It begins with the present participle "laughing" and describes an action happening concurrently with the main clause. Purdue OWL Participles
Which sentence contains a participial phrase?
We will arrive soon.
My brother plays guitar.
Shaken by the earthquake, the building cracked.
The cat slept on the windowsill.
"Shaken by the earthquake" is a participial phrase using the past participle "shaken." It modifies "the building" by explaining why it cracked. This phrase acts adjectivally. Grammar Monster: Participial Phrases
Which sentence contains a participial phrase?
The lecture was fascinating.
They sold their house for a profit.
Studying late into the night, Jenna achieved great results.
He eats breakfast quickly.
"Studying late into the night" is a present participial phrase modifying "Jenna." It shows what Jenna was doing when she achieved the results. Participial phrases give background or concurrent information. UNC Writing Center
Which sentence contains a participial phrase?
Our family visited the museum last weekend.
She will attend the meeting tomorrow.
He swims every morning.
Delivered yesterday, the package was already opened.
"Delivered yesterday" is a past participial phrase modifying "the package." It explains the timing of the delivery. Past participial phrases often begin with a verb ending in -ed or an irregular past participle. EnglishClub on Participial Phrases
Which sentence contains a participial phrase?
The concert started at eight o'clock.
They own a small cottage.
He enjoys reading novels.
Walking along the beach, I found a beautiful shell.
"Walking along the beach" is a present participial phrase modifying "I." It describes an action concurrent with the main verb "found." Present participial phrases begin with an -ing form. UNC Writing Center
Which sentence contains a past participial phrase?
She dances gracefully across the stage.
Books published this year have topped best-seller lists.
The painting hanging in the gallery is priceless.
Exhausted from the hike, they collapsed on the couch.
"Books published this year" contains the past participial phrase "published this year," which modifies "books." It begins with the past participle "published" and adds detail about timing. Purdue OWL on Participles
Which sentence contains a reduced relative clause in the form of a participial phrase?
Students selected for the team must attend practice.
The students who were selected received awards.
Our classroom is on the second floor.
He will join the club next week.
"Students selected for the team" is a reduced relative clause functioning as a participial phrase. It modifies "students" by using the past participle "selected" instead of a full relative clause. Grammarly on Reduced Relative Clauses
Which sentence contains a participial phrase acting as an adjective at the end of the sentence?
She sat in the chair, waiting for the phone to ring.
He completed his homework quickly.
The novel, written in 1920, remains popular.
The children played outside all day.
"Waiting for the phone to ring" is a present participial phrase at the end of the sentence modifying "she." It gives additional information about what she was doing. Purdue OWL Participles
Which sentence contains a participial phrase that could be misidentified as an absolute phrase?
His energy spent, he decided to rest.
The cake melting in the heat looked sad.
Cars parked illegally will be towed.
She watched the sunset in silence.
"His energy spent" is a participial phrase where "spent" is a past participle modifying "his energy." Although it resembles an absolute phrase, it functions adjectivally within the clause. Grammar Monster on Participial Phrases
Which sentence contains a participial phrase modifying a noun in the middle of the sentence?
The sun shone brightly.
She will visit next month.
They bought tickets online.
The team, inspired by their coach, played better.
"Inspired by their coach" is a participial phrase modifying "the team," placed in the middle of the sentence and set off by commas. It begins with the past participle "inspired." Purdue OWL on Participles
Which sentence contains a present participial phrase functioning as an adverbial phrase?
Singing softly, she lulled the baby to sleep.
They enjoyed the evening.
She sang a lullaby.
The baby slept in the cradle.
"Singing softly" is a present participial phrase that functions adverbially, describing how she lulled the baby to sleep. While participial phrases usually act as adjectives, they can also provide context as adverbial modifiers. Purdue OWL Participles
Which sentence contains a past participial phrase modifying the subject after the verb?
He waited patiently.
They enjoyed the meal.
The award presented to her was unexpected.
The guests, invited at the last minute, arrived early.
"Invited at the last minute" is a past participial phrase modifying "guests." It follows the subject and is offset by commas, providing additional detail about how the guests were invited. UNC Writing Center
Which sentence contains a participial phrase rather than an absolute phrase?
The weather being perfect, we went hiking.
Boasting new features, the phone sold quickly.
His homework finished, he went to bed.
The project complete, we celebrated.
"Boasting new features" is a participial phrase modifying "the phone." It starts with the present participle "boasting" and acts adjectivally. The other options are absolute constructions, not participial phrases. Grammar Monster on Absolute Phrases
Which sentence contains a participial phrase modifying an implied subject rather than a noun?
Having been warned, he proceeded anyway.
He was warned about the cliffs.
Warned of the dangers, the hikers turned back.
The warnings were clear.
"Having been warned" is a perfect participial phrase implying the subject "he." It provides background information on his condition before proceeding. Such perfect participial phrases show an action completed prior to the main clause. Purdue OWL Participles
Which sentence contains a double participial phrase?
The artist, inspired by nature and trained abroad, developed a unique style.
She completed her training overseas.
Walking in the garden, she spotted flowers.
Inspired and abroad, the artist painted landscapes.
"Inspired by nature and trained abroad" is a double participial phrase modifying "the artist." It uses two past participles linked by "and" to give layered descriptions. Grammarly on Participial Phrases
Which sentence contains a participial phrase that could be mistaken for a restrictive clause?
They decided to rest earlier.
The students who are studying will meet tonight.
The students studying for the exam will meet tonight.
The exam was challenging.
"Studying for the exam" is a participial phrase used as a reduced relative clause modifying "students." Unlike a full restrictive clause, it drops "who are." Reduced relative clauses function like participial phrases. Purdue OWL
Which sentence contains a participial phrase with a modal verb?
They could easily finish in time.
He should complete the report.
Allowed to enter the room, they removed their shoes.
She might consider taking a break.
"Allowed to enter the room" is a participial phrase beginning with the past participle "allowed" and implying permission. It modifies "they." Although it references a modal concept, the phrase itself is participial. Grammarly on Participial Phrases
Which sentence contains a participial phrase that modifies an entire clause?
He was tired after work.
Having finished his work, he left the office early.
He finished his work before leaving.
He left the office early after finishing work.
"Having finished his work" is a perfect participial phrase modifying the entire main clause "he left the office early." It provides a cause or condition for the action. Purdue OWL
Which sentence contains a past participial phrase functioning as an adjective within a complex sentence?
They filed the report immediately.
He directed the meeting.
The documents, signed by the director, were filed yesterday.
She signed the documents yesterday.
"Signed by the director" is a past participial phrase modifying "the documents" within a complex sentence. It adds information about who signed them. EnglishClub Participial Phrases
Which sentence contains a participial phrase nested within another clause?
The man, having been told of the delay, sent a message explaining the issue.
The man sent a message after the delay.
Told of the delay, the man sent a message.
Having told the delay, the man sent a message.
"Having been told of the delay" is a perfect participial phrase nested in a larger clause. It provides background before the main action and uses a double auxiliary structure. Purdue OWL
Which sentence contains a mixed-participial phrase combining present and past participles?
He chased the suspect yelling commands.
Shouting in anger and exhausted from the chase, the detective paused.
The detective paused after the chase.
Angry and exhausted, the detective shouted.
"Shouting in anger and exhausted from the chase" combines a present participle ("shouting") and a past participle ("exhausted") in one phrase. It modifies "the detective" and adds complex detail. Grammar Monster
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Study Outcomes

  1. Identify Correctly Placed Participial Phrases -

    Pinpoint sentences that contain participial phrases and understand their role in enriching sentence structure.

  2. Distinguish Between Participial and Absolute Phrases -

    Learn to differentiate participial phrases from absolute constructions and recognize when each type applies.

  3. Evaluate Sentence Placement Accuracy -

    Assess whether participial phrases are placed correctly to maintain clarity and avoid dangling modifiers.

  4. Apply Placement Rules in Practice -

    Reconstruct or create sentences using participial phrases placed correctly to reinforce grammar rules.

  5. Gauge Your Grammar Proficiency -

    Use the 3.01 quiz: participial and absolute phrases to test your understanding and identify areas for improvement.

  6. Boost Confidence in Writing -

    Build assurance in crafting grammatically correct sentences with participial and absolute phrases in your writing tasks.

Cheat Sheet

  1. Definition of Participial Phrases -

    According to Purdue OWL, participial phrases begin with a present or past participle and function as adjectives modifying a noun or pronoun. For example, "Glowing with pride, the student accepted her award" illustrates how the phrase adds descriptive detail.

  2. Proper Placement Rules -

    Cambridge Grammar of the English Language advises placing participial phrases immediately before or after the noun they modify to avoid ambiguity. When you tackle the 3.01 quiz: participial and absolute phrases, ask yourself which sentence contains a participial phrase that is placed correctly by checking this proximity rule.

  3. Distinguishing Absolute Phrases -

    Grammar Girl defines absolute phrases as a noun plus a participle (and optional modifiers) that modify the entire clause rather than a single word. In a participial and absolute phrases quiz, recognize "Weather permitting, we'll go for a hike" as an absolute, not a participial phrase.

  4. Avoiding Dangling Participles -

    The University of Chicago Manual of Style warns that dangling participles occur when the subject being modified is missing or unclear. To identify which sentence contains a participial phrase that is placed correctly, ensure the participle clearly refers to the nearest noun or recast the sentence to add the proper subject.

  5. Practice Identification Techniques -

    The Princeton Writing Center recommends underlining potential participial phrases and confirming they directly modify a nearby noun. In the 3.01 quiz participial and absolute phrases, practice by labeling each phrase and testing whether it makes sense in context.

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