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B2 Grammar • 12 Mins Documentary & Nature Focus

Participle Clauses (-ing, -ed and having + past participle)

Learn how to connect actions, show time order, and explain reasons clearly using shortened action phrases.

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How to use this lesson

👨‍🏫 For Teachers

Set a 12-minute timer for self-paced or pair work in class. Use the automatic answer checks at the end to review common mistakes together.

🎓 For Learners

Read the four pattern rules carefully and examine the highlighted example sentences first. Then try the 12 practice tasks in order, using the one-word hints when needed.

Quick Pattern Model

"Having finished the script, the editor sent it to the narrator."

💡 Why this works: The first action ended completely before the main action started, and the editor did both actions!

Grammar Rules & Sentence Patterns

4 Core Rules

Two Actions At The Same Time

Use an -ing action word at the start when two actions happen at the same time. The same person or thing must do both actions.

🔹 "Waiting beside the river, the crew heard a loud splash."

🔹 "Reviewing the raw footage, the narrator noticed a rare bird in the trees."

Finished Action Earlier

Use having + finished action word when one action ended before the main action started. This clearly shows which action happened first or gives the reason why.

🔹 "Having spent a year in the forest, the team knew every path."

🔹 "Having completed the editing, the director prepared the documentary for release."

Receiving An Action / Feeling

Use a done action word (-ed form) when the subject received an action or felt something. This usually explains the cause or reason for the main action.

🔹 "Frightened by the noise, the birds flew away."

🔹 "Protected by natural camouflage, the tiger stayed hidden in the wilderness."

Matching The Action Doer

The person or thing right after the comma must be the one doing the first action. Putting a different subject after the comma creates a wrong sentence.

❌ Wrong: Driving home, a fox ran across the road.
Why this fails: The fox was not driving the car!

✅ Correct: "Driving home late, I saw a fox cross the road."

✅ Correct topic: "Recording the live commentary, the presenter described the animal migration to every viewer."

✍️ Practice Tasks (12 Questions)

Self-Graded

Task Type 1

Choose the correct sentence

1. Select the sentence with the correct action doer matching after the comma. (shorten)

____ a. Filming in the snowy mountains, the crew was surprised by a sudden blizzard. ____ b. Filming in the snowy mountains, a sudden blizzard surprised the crew. ____ c. Filmed in the snowy mountains, a sudden blizzard surprised the crew.

2. Select the sentence that clearly shows an action completed before the main action. (shorten)

____ a. Editing the raw footage, the team had added the background music. ____ b. Having edited the raw footage, the team added the background music. ____ c. Edited the raw footage, the team adding the background music.

3. Select the sentence that uses a feeling/passive action to explain a reason. (shorten)

____ a. Captivating by the natural camouflage, the viewer watched the screen closely. ____ b. Having captivated by the natural camouflage, the viewer watched the screen. ____ c. Captivated by the natural camouflage, the viewer watched the screen closely.

Task Type 2

Rewrite each pair of sentences as one sentence

4. Rewrite using an -ing clause: "She read the script and she explained the migration route." (shorten)

____ the script, the narrator explained the migration route.

5. Rewrite using having + past participle: "The team finished the editing process, so they submitted the documentary." (shorten)

____ the editing process, the team submitted the documentary.

6. Rewrite using a past participle (-ed form): "The director was impressed by the wilderness footage, so he kept it in the film." (shorten)

____ by the wilderness footage, the director kept it in the film.

Task Type 3

Fill gaps with the correct verb form

7. Complete the sentence with the correct form of watch. (shorten)

____ (watch) the animal migration from above, the crew captured breathtaking views.

8. Complete the sentence with the correct form of record. (shorten)

____ (record) the audio commentary earlier, the speaker rested his voice.

9. Complete the sentence with the correct form of fascinate. (shorten)

____ (fascinate) by the animal's camouflage, every viewer remained silent.

Task Type 4

Correct the error in a short message to a friend

10. Your friend texted: "Walking into the editing room, the computer screen was dark." Fix the sentence. (shorten)

____ a. Walking into the editing room, I noticed that the computer screen was dark. ____ b. Walking into the editing room, the screen stayed completely dark. ____ c. Walked into the editing room, the computer screen was dark.

11. Your friend texted: "Finished the script, the narrator started recording." Type the missing two words to show the earlier action. (shorten)

____ the script, the narrator started recording.

12. Your friend texted: "Excite by the wilderness footage, we shared the clip online." Type the correct single word for Excite. (shorten)

____ by the wilderness footage, we shared the clip online.

🎉 Great job completing Module 1!

Remember: Always double-check that the person or thing after the comma is the one actually performing the opening action!

Grammar: Participle Clauses in Documentaries

Participle Clauses (-ing, -ed and having + past participle)

How to use this lesson

👨‍🏫 For Teachers

🎓 For Learners

Grammar Rules & Sentence Patterns

Two Actions At The Same Time

Finished Action Earlier

Receiving An Action / Feeling

Matching The Action Doer

✍️ Practice Tasks (12 Questions)

Choose the correct sentence

Rewrite each pair of sentences as one sentence

Fill gaps with the correct verb form

Correct the error in a short message to a friend

🎉 Great job completing Module 1!

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