One subject, two actions
In the pattern covered in this section, an -ing clause is a short part of a sentence without its own subject or finite verb. Its understood subject is the subject of the main clause. We will look separately at clauses placed after nouns: these describe the noun, which need not be the subject of the sentence.
Two sentences about one person, such as ‘Katya stood on the pier. Katya watched the ferry’, can therefore be combined: the first action becomes a participle clause, and the second remains the main verb. The participle clause can come at the beginning or end of the sentence.
The subject rule is particularly important: if the subject of the main clause cannot logically perform the action in the participle clause, the result is a dangling participle.
Standing on the pier, Katya watched the ferry leave.
Standing on the pier, Katya watched the ferry leave.
Katya both stands and watches: the subject of the main clause performs the action in the participle clause.
Entering the museum, we switched off our phones.
Entering the museum, we switched off our phones.
The subject we belongs to the main clause and also performs the action expressed by Entering.
Lena sat by the window, sketching the street.
Lena sat by the window, sketching the street.
The final clause adds a second action by the same person, happening at the same time as the first.
Form: V-ing and Not + V-ing
The clause uses the -ing form of the verb: walking, making, running, lying. A final silent -e is usually dropped (make → making); in one-syllable verbs with a single vowel letter before the final consonant, double that consonant, except w, x and y (run → running, but fix → fixing). Final -ie changes to -y: lie → lying.
A negative clause begins with not: Not feeling well, … There is no auxiliary do here: neither ‘Don’t feeling’ nor ‘No feeling’ is correct. Stative verbs such as know, feel, want and be sound natural in this construction when they express a reason.
The participle clause has no tense of its own. The main verb shows whether the time is past, present or future.
(Not) V-ing …, + subject + main verb
- subject / S —
- The grammatical subject: who or what the clause is about; the verb agrees with it. In The book was written, the book is the subject, although someone else does the action.
- verb / V —
- A word for an action or state, such as work or be. The pattern determines its form.
- V-ing / -ing —
- The verb form ending in -ing: working, going. Its role depends on the construction.
Making a list, Sofia remembered the milk.
Making a list, Sofia remembered the milk.
Make → making: the silent -e is dropped.
Not feeling well, Max stayed at home.
Not feeling well, Max stayed at home.
Not comes before the -ing form; the reason and its consequence concern the same person.
Wanting to save time, Rita took a taxi.
Wanting to save time, Rita took a taxi.
The stative verb want naturally expresses the reason for the action.
Meaning: simultaneous actions, sequence and reason
The participle clause itself does not specify exactly how the two actions are connected. Context and the meanings of the verbs make the relationship clear. If the actions continue together, it expresses simultaneity. If one action leads almost immediately to another, it expresses sequence. If the first explains the second, it expresses a reason.
With feelings and states, such as feeling, knowing and being, a reason is most often intended: Feeling cold → putting on a jacket as a result. With ongoing actions, simultaneity is common: Cycling home → listening to a podcast at the same time.
If the meaning is unclear, a full clause or a conjunction can make it explicit. A participle clause works well when the relationship is clear from context.
Opening her bag, Zoe found her passport.
Opening her bag, Zoe found her passport.
The two actions follow one another, and Zoe performs both.
Feeling cold, Arthur put on his jacket.
Feeling cold, Arthur put on his jacket.
The stative verb feel gives the reason.
Cycling home, Jonas listened to a podcast.
Cycling home, Jonas listened to a podcast.
The actions happen simultaneously: he cycles and listens.
Position and punctuation
Separate an introductory participle clause from the main clause with a comma. This is a typical written pattern, especially in narrative and description.
A participle clause at the end usually adds a second action by the same person and is also separated by a comma: Nadia chose a salad, reading the menu carefully.
A clause after a noun can specify which people we mean: the passengers sitting at the back. No commas are needed in this defining function. Extra information about an already identified person can be set off with commas: Lena, sitting by the window, waved means that Lena, who was sitting by the window, waved.
Reading the menu carefully, Nadia chose a salad.
Reading the menu carefully, Nadia chose a salad.
The participle clause comes first, followed by a comma and then the subject Nadia.
Nadia chose a salad, reading the menu carefully.
Nadia chose a salad, reading the menu carefully.
The participle clause comes at the end, with a comma before it.
The passengers sitting at the back were asleep.
The passengers sitting at the back were asleep.
The -ing clause follows the noun without a comma and specifies which passengers are meant.
-ing in place of who/which after a noun
After a noun, -ing can replace an active relative clause: who/which + is/are/was/were + V-ing → V-ing. A habitual situation or continuing state is also possible: people living near the airport means people who live near the airport. This is not a mechanical replacement for every Present Simple verb: the meaning must be preserved.
This reduced form is appropriate when the action is ongoing or repeated, or when it describes a continuing state. A completed, one-off past event cannot be reduced in this way: The man who stole the bike ran away cannot be replaced by The man stealing the bike ran away without changing the meaning.
Passive meanings, as in the book written by… and the cars parked outside, use -ed clauses, which are a separate topic.
Passengers travelling to Kyiv should use platform two.
Passengers travelling to Kyiv should use platform two.
Travelling replaces who are travelling.
People living near the airport hear planes every day.
People living near the airport hear planes every day.
Living replaces who live and expresses a continuing state.
The man who stole the bike ran away.
The man who stole the bike ran away.
A completed, one-off event cannot be reduced to -ing: keep who + Past Simple here.
Dangling participles and two ways to correct them
A mismatch occurs when the subject of the main clause is not the understood subject of the participle clause: in Frying onions, the kitchen smelled wonderful, the kitchen appears to be frying the onions. The reader expects the subject that follows to name the person doing the frying.
The first solution is to change the main clause so that its subject is the actual person performing the action: Frying onions, Mira opened the window. The second is to replace the participle clause with a full clause that has its own subject: While Mira was frying onions, the kitchen filled with smoke.
Some fixed expressions function as sentence comments, such as Generally speaking and Judging by…. They do not require a shared subject; do not treat them as errors.
Frying onions, Mira opened the window.
Frying onions, Mira opened the window.
The subject Mira is the person frying the onions, so the participle clause is logically attached.
While Mira was frying onions, the kitchen filled with smoke.
While Mira was frying onions, the kitchen filled with smoke.
The full clause names the person performing the action, so the main clause can have a different subject.
Judging by the clouds, it will rain soon.
Judging by the clouds, it will rain soon.
This is a fixed expression: the subject it does not perform the action of judging, and that is acceptable.
An -ing clause or a full clause: choices and limits
A participle clause is useful when the subject is shared and the connection between the actions is obvious. A full clause is appropriate when the subjects differ, when the relationship needs to be specified precisely, for example with because or although, or in conversational language.
The conjunctions while, before and after can remain before -ing: While waiting for the lift, Eva answered two emails. This makes the relationship between the actions more explicit while retaining the shared subject.
Introductory -ing clauses are typical of writing, narrative and description; in conversation, and, while or because with a full clause is more common. Clauses after nouns, such as the woman standing there, are also common in speech.
Clauses with having + V3, expressing an action completed before the main action, and -ed clauses, such as the letter sent yesterday and Tired after the trip, are covered by separate rules and are not studied here.
Before leaving, Tom switched off the lights.
Before leaving, Tom switched off the lights.
Before remains before -ing, and Tom is the shared subject of both actions.
While waiting for the lift, Eva answered two emails.
While waiting for the lift, Eva answered two emails.
While makes simultaneity explicit without changing the subject.
Since Olga was in a hurry, she skipped breakfast.
Since Olga was in a hurry, she skipped breakfast.
A full clause with since is also appropriate and is more common in conversation.
Common mistakes
Incorrect:Walk along the pier, Ira took a photo.
Correct:Walking along the pier, Ira took a photo.
The participle clause needs an -ing form, not the base form of the verb.
Incorrect:Opening the window, the room became fresh quickly.
Correct:Opening the window, Dasha let some fresh air in.
The room did not open the window: the subject of the main clause must perform the action in the participle clause.
Incorrect:Not remember the code, Sasha asked the receptionist.
Correct:Not remembering the code, Sasha asked the receptionist.
After not, the participle clause needs an -ing form, not the base form.
Incorrect:The students who studying in the library are quiet.
Correct:The students studying in the library are quiet.
Use either the full form who are studying or the reduced form studying; who cannot be followed by an -ing form on its own.
Incorrect:Listened to music, Pasha washed the dishes.
Correct:Listening to music, Pasha washed the dishes.
Pasha’s active, simultaneous action is expressed with -ing, not an -ed form.