-ing and -ed Clauses (a woman talking…, the boy injured…)
Using participle clauses to describe people and things without a full relative clause
What Are Participle Clauses?
A clause is a piece of a sentence. Instead of using a full relative clause with who or which, you can shorten it with an -ing or -ed form. This is common in written English and in formal business communication.
| Full relative clause | Shortened participle clause |
|---|---|
| The manager who is handling the complaint… | The manager handling the complaint… |
| The report that was submitted last week… | The report submitted last week… |
-ing Clauses (Active Meaning)
Use an -ing clause to say what someone or something is doing (or was doing) at a particular time. The -ing clause replaces a relative clause with an active verb.
- Do you know the woman presenting the quarterly results? (= the woman who is presenting)
- The team working on the merger needs more time. (= the team that is working)
- I got a call from a client complaining about late delivery. (= a client who was complaining)
You can also use an -ing clause for something that happens all the time, not just at one moment.
- The road connecting the two offices is always jammed at 8 a.m. (= the road that connects)
- We need a system handling at least 10,000 requests per second. (= a system that handles)
- Is there a train leaving before 7 a.m.? (= a train that leaves)
-ed Clauses (Passive Meaning)
An -ed clause has a passive meaning. The past participle replaces a relative clause with a passive verb.
- The goods damaged during shipping have been replaced. (= goods that were damaged)
- Most of the candidates invited to the interview showed up on time. (= candidates who were invited)
- The budget approved by the board includes a training allowance. (= the budget that was approved)
Many past participles are irregular — they do not end in -ed.
| Regular (-ed) | Irregular |
|---|---|
| damaged, invited, approved | stolen, built, written, made, sent |
- The software built by our in-house team runs faster than the old one. (= software that was built)
- The figures sent to the client contained an error. (= figures that were sent)
there is / there was + Participle Clause
You can use there is / there was (etc.) with both -ing and -ed clauses.
- There’s a courier waiting for you at reception. (-ing, active)
- Is there anybody working late tonight? (-ing, active)
- There were several items listed incorrectly on the invoice. (-ed, passive)
The word left is often used this way, meaning “remaining” or “still available.”
- We’ve used almost all the budget. There’s very little left. (= still remaining)
- There are only two seats left on the morning flight.
How to Choose: -ing or -ed?
The choice depends on whether the noun does the action or receives the action.
| The noun… | Use | Example |
|---|---|---|
| does the action | -ing clause | The employee handling the case… (the employee handles) |
| receives the action | -ed clause | The case handled by our team… (the case was handled) |
Quick Self-Check
The consultant _____ our department has 20 years of experience.
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Most of the products _____ in this factory are exported to Asia.
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There were several employees _____ for the elevator when the fire alarm went off.
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The email _____ to all staff contained incorrect dates.
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We have used nearly all the paper. There are only a few sheets _____.
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