A participial phrase almost always begins with a verb form ending in -ed, -en, or -ing.
The participial phrase is used as an adjective.
One way to use a participial phrase in a sentence is to place it at the beginning of the sentence and use it to describe the noun serving as the subject.
Look at this example of a participial phrase used at the beginning of the sentence:
Exhausted and defeated, Emily collapsed onto the sofa.
The words exhausted and defeated are often used as past tense verbs. However, in this case, they are being used as adjectives to describe Emily – the subject of the sentence.
Here are a few more examples of a participial phrase used as an adjective at the beginning of a sentence:
Burned beyond recognition, the car was a total loss. Burned describes the car.
Rusted and broken, the bicycle was ready for the trash. Rusted and broken describes the bicycle.
Use a participial phrase to describe the noun being used as a subject in a sentence.
It’s your turn. Find the participial phrase in this sentence: Tinted by the setting sun, the house was a pretty pink color. Did you figure it out? Good for you!