Ten years of war, three prisoners in chains, and one good piece of advice. Tonight, the most literary structures in English: participle and absolute clauses.
Hesiod’s Theogony · C2
Part Nine: The Hundred-Handers
Participle and absolute clauses (the war having lasted ten years, not knowing what to do, bound by their father, having freed them, with their chains broken, all things considered, weather permitting) and the dangling participle: C2 grammar for the turning point of the war of the gods.
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SOPHIA
MARCOS
Absolute? That sounds serious.
The story
After Hesiod’s Theogony, lines 617–663
The war having lasted ten years, neither the gods nor the Titans could win. Not knowing how to end it, Zeus turned to Gaia, who told him of the Hundred-Handers.
Bound by their father in chains, they had lain under the earth for ages. Having freed them, Zeus gave them nectar and ambrosia; with their strength restored and their chains broken, they agreed to fight.
Noble Cottus answered for them: they knew Zeus was first in wisdom, and they would fight with unbending purpose. All things considered, it was the turning point of the war.
Out of the murky darkness, back into the light.
Participle clauses
PHILO
Having freed them, Zeus fed them. Bound by their father, they had suffered. Not knowing what to do, he asked Gaia.
SOPHIA
A participle clause replaces a full clause: Having + past participle (earlier action), past participle (passive), -ing (same time or reason). Not goes first.
Absolute clauses
DEMETRIA
The war having lasted ten years… The gates thrown open… With their chains broken…
SOPHIA
An absolute clause has its own subject: The war having lasted ten years, the gods grew tired. With with: With the children asleep, we talked. Fixed phrases: all things considered, weather permitting.
The dangling participle
MARCOS
“Climbing the mountain, the camp came into view.” Wait… the camp was climbing?
SOPHIA
Exactly. The understood subject of the participle must be the subject of the main clause. Climbing the mountain, Zeus saw the camp. Otherwise, the participle “dangles”, often comically.
Sophia’s summary
| Form | Use | From the story |
|---|---|---|
| Having + past participle | earlier action | Having freed them, Zeus fed them. |
| past participle clause | passive meaning | Bound by their father, they suffered. |
| Not + -ing | negative reason | Not knowing what to do, he asked Gaia. |
| noun + participle; with + noun + participle | absolute clauses | The war having lasted ten years, … |
| all things considered; weather permitting | fixed absolute phrases | Weather permitting, we’ll sail at dawn. |
Practice
Answer all the questions, then press “Check my answers”. You can try again as many times as you like.
A · Choose
Choose the correct form.
1. ___ dinner, they went for a walk.
2. ___ in 1990, the bridge needs repairs.
3. Not ___ the answer, she stayed silent.
4. The work ___, they went home.
5. Which is correct?
6. Weather ___, we’ll sail tomorrow.
B · Write
Write the correct form of the word in brackets, or the missing word.
7. All things , it was a success.
8. With the children , the house was quiet. (sleep)
9. eaten, they felt stronger. (two words)
10. The gates thrown , the giants stepped out.
C · Right or wrong?
Is it correct?
11. “Having ate the ambrosia, they felt stronger.”
12. “Being a holiday, the shops were closed.”
13. “The war having ended, peace returned.”
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