Complex Sentences: Reduced Relative Clauses

Participle clauses – reduced relative clauses – are very common in written English as they allow us to include information without making it too complex to comprehend.

We need to do the following to reduce a sentence using a present participle:

- remove a relative pronoun

- remove the verb “to be”

- place a present participle after the defined noun

Have you noticed the cat sitting on the fence? (the cat which was sitting on the fence)

Do you know the kid playing with Mary? (the kid who is playing with Mary)

Did you see the group of teenagers riding their bikes in the skating park? (the group of teenagers who were riding their bikes in the skating park?)

The bird floating in the sky looked like an arrow.

The phone ringing non-stop made her furious.

The vase standing on the table reminds her of her birthday party.

The book beginning with such a sentence doesn’t promise an interesting plot.

Some action verbs used in simple tenses also get reduced to a present participle:

The boy who lives next door always walks his dog in the evening. →

The boy living next door always walks his dog in the evening.

The window that overlooks the street is very dirty. →

The window overlooking the street is very dirty.

The co-worker who sits next to me always leaves his cup on my desk. →

The co-worker sitting next to me always leaves his cup on my desk.

The book that describes the history of English art is to be reprinted soon. →

The book describing the history of English art is to be reprinted soon.

We need to do the following to reduce a sentence using a past participle:

- remove a relative pronoun

- remove the verb “to be”

- place a past participle after the defined noun

These reduced clauses have a passive meaning.

The alarm of the car parked by our block of flats has gone off five times already.

The story being written is bound to be a milestone in modern non-fiction.

The movie shot in Italy struck the audience with its breathtaking landscapes.

The man sentenced to life in prison has appealed to the Court of Appeal.

The little girl found in the mall couldn’t remember her home address.

The sweets made by Lily are divine.

The painting sold at the auction has been stolen from the museum.

We often use present and past participle clauses with the structures there is and there are.

There are some things left unsaid.

There is soup boiling on the stove.

There were several houses painted bright green in the neighborhood.

There was a statue of an ugly gnome standing on the porch of the house.

Sometimes a past participle can be placed before the noun being modified:

The man who was arrested yesterday turned out to be a famous athlete. →

The arrested man turned out to be a famous athlete.

The vase that has been confiscated by the police dates back to the 8th century B. C. →

The confiscated vase was dated back to the 8th century B. C.

The new performance that was staged by the puppet theater has won the Teen Award. →

The recently staged performance won the Teen Award.

The girl that was kidnapped last summer has been found wandering in the forest. →

The kidnapped girl has been found wandering in the forest.