ciple used in this way is called a dangling or hanging participle. It is correct to say:

Climbing to the top of the hill, we saw a beautiful lake.

or

When we climbed to the top of the hill, we saw a beautiful lake.

Express correctly the thought contained in each of the following sentences. If you retain the participial phrase, be sure that your sentence contains the noun or pronoun that the participle should modify.

These sentences are all incorrect:

1. Digging down five feet, gold was found at the foot of the tree.

2. Strolling through the woods, the birds delighted us with their singing.

3. Having decided to remain in the city all night, the train departed without us.

4. Talking very rapidly, we could not understand what the speaker said.

5. The hall, on entering the house, was so dark that we could not see our way.

6. Believing he was guilty, the boy was punished by the teacher.

7. Sitting by the window, the doorbell rang.

8. Standing suddenly 'before us, we were startled by his appearance.

9. Determined to do my best, the difficulty was soon

overcome.

Finish the following sentences in such a way that the participles will modify nouns or pronouns. Be sure not to let one of them be a dangling participle.

1. Running down the street,

2. Having heard the boy's story,

3. Locking the door,

4. Finding the task too difficult,

5. Having told the class to close their books,

6. Arriving late at the station,

121. STUDYING THE GERUND OR PARTICIPIAL NOUN

1. Fishing and swimming occupied most of his time during vacation.

2. He enjoyed listening to his favorite songs on the Victrola. 3. Tom realized the importance of returning promptly. 4. Presiding over the Senate is the chief duty of the VicePresident.

5. Rip Van Winkle's principal occupation, attending to other people's affairs, kept him busy most of the time.

Look at the words ending in ing. Tell the use of each in the sentence. As what part of speech are the ing words used? From what part of speech are they derived?

A gerund is derived
In looking for a

The words are called gerunds. from a verb, but is used as a noun. gerund, ask yourself the questions: 1. Is it derived from a verb? 2. Does it end in ing?

3. Is it used as a noun?

A gerund may take an object; as, Catching fish is good sport.

In the following sentences, name the gerunds and tell how each is used. If the gerund takes an object, name the word used as the object.

1. The whistling of the winds through the rigging sounded like funeral wailings.

2. The creaking of the masts, the straining and groaning of bulkheads, as the ship labored in the weltering sea, were frightful.

3. The art of good reading can be cultivated by careful training.

4. 'Tis but the flapping of the sail.

5. Using the dictionary helped him greatly in getting the meaning of new words.

6. I know of no way of judging the future except by the past.

7. Bubbles we buy with a whole soul's tasking;

'Tis heaven alone that is given away,

'Tis only God may be had for the asking.

A gerund is the form of the verb which ends in ing and is used as a noun.

A phrase introduced by a gerund is called a gerund phrase. Point out the gerunds and gerund phrases in

the following sentences:

1. Reading a good newspaper daily is educative.

2. Singing is a healthful exercise.

3. Drinking milk is a good habit for children to form. 4. Seeing is believing.

5. Halting over his words is his greatest fault as a speaker. 6. He holds the world record for making home runs.

I

USING THE PRONOUN WITH THE GERUND

1. There is no use of my waiting.

2. Was there a chance of his stopping the car?

3. The blizzard prevented its succeeding.

4. In spite of their mistaking the way, they arrived in time. 5. The idea of your coming on Christmas pleases me.

6. I do not like her running so far.

In the sentences above, what part of speech are the

What words do they modify?

What part of speech modifies a noun?

Since the words in the lists modify gerunds (nouns), they must play the part of adjectives.

Only the possessive form of the noun or pronoun ever has an adjective sense.

When a noun or pronoun is used with the gerund, it plays the part of an adjective.

A noun or pronoun used with the gerund must always be in the possessive case.

Example: I do not like Will's staying out so late.

II

FINDING PARTICIPLES AND GERUNDS

Name the participles and the gerunds in the following

sentences:

Ask yourself the following questions:

1. Is it derived from a verb?

2. Is it used as an adjective?

If it answers both of these questions, what is it? If it answers the first question but not the second, ask yourself:

3. Is it used as a noun?

1. The tortoise, toiling slowly but surely, passed the hare. 2. Unwarmed by any sunset light,

The gray dark darkened into night.

3. The bravest are the tenderest,

The loving are the daring.

4. He had the art of winning with his humor.

5. Toiling, rejoicing, sorrowing, onward through life he goes.

6. His schoolhouse was a low building, rudely constructed of logs; the windows partly glazed and partly patched with leaves of old copy-books.

7. He heard the crowing of the cock

And the barking of the farmer's dog.

8. The people crowded about him, saying a few last words. Alden lingered a little,

9.

Musing alone on the shore, and watching the wash of the billows.

10. And all this changing tint,

This whispering stir and hint
Of bud and bloom and wing,

Is the coming of the spring.

122. HOW GLOOSCAP FOUND THE SUMMER In the long ago, when the Indians lived in the early red light of the morning, Glooscap, the Great Chief, went very far to the north, where all was ice.

At last he came to a wigwam, and there he found the great giant, Winter. Glooscap entered the wigwam and sat down. Then Winter gave him a pipe; he smoked, and the giant told him tales of the olden times.

The charm of the Frost was upon the Great Chief and while the giant Winter talked, the Great Chief nodded and then fell asleep. He slept for six months. Then the charm left him, and he awoke and went upon his journey. He hastened toward the south, and at every step it grew warmer, and by and by the flowers sprang up and talked to him.

At last the Great Chief came to where all the little folk were dancing in the forest. Their queen was Summer, the most beautiful of all women. The Great Chief seized her, and by a clever trick he kept her. For he cut a moose hide