An -ing clause after a noun says what someone or something is doing, or does all the time; an -ed clause has a passive meaning. Both work after there is, and left means still there, not used.
A -ing clauses
Who's the woman talking to Tom? The -ing clause talking to Tom says what the woman is doing.
An -ing clause can describe what somebody or something is doing at a particular time, or what happens all the time.
- Who's the woman talking to Tom? (she is talking to Tom)
- Police investigating the robbery are looking for two men.
- Who were those people hanging about outside?
- I was woken up by a dog barking.
- The footpath linking the two farms is overgrown. (it links them)
- I've got a big room overlooking the park.
- Can you think of a flower beginning with T?
B -ed clauses: passive meaning
The cyclist hurt in the collision was treated at the scene. The -ed clause is passive in meaning: he was hurt.
Injured, painted and used are past participles. Many past participles are irregular: stolen, made, built.
- The cyclist hurt in the collision was treated at the scene.
- Grandad showed me some watercolours painted by his father.
- The knife used in the attack has been found.
- The police never recovered the jewellery stolen in the raid.
- Most of the biscuits made in this factory are sold abroad.
C there is + -ing or -ed; left
You can use there is, there was and so on with -ing and -ed clauses.
Left in this pattern means not used, still there.
- There were some kids paddling in the river.
- Is there anybody waiting?
- There was a big white van parked across our drive.
- We've eaten nearly all the mince pies. There are only two left.
Exercises
97.1 Make one sentence from two, using an -ing clause.
A car alarm was going off. It kept me awake. I was kept awake by a car alarm going off.
I was kept awake by a car alarm going off.
A minibus was driving us to the ferry. It got a flat tyre. The got a flat tyre.
The minibus driving us to the ferry got a flat tyre.
There's a footpath at the end of this road. The path leads to the canal. At the end of the road there's .
At the end of the road there's a footpath leading to the canal.
A warehouse has just opened on the industrial estate. It employs 300 people. A has just opened on the industrial estate.
A warehouse employing 300 people has just opened on the industrial estate.
A woman was standing behind me in the queue. She talked on her phone the whole time. The talked on her phone the whole time.
The woman standing behind me in the queue talked on her phone the whole time.
The school sent home a letter. It explained the new uniform rules. The school sent home a .
The school sent home a letter explaining the new uniform rules.
97.2 Complete the sentences with one of these -ed clauses: damaged in the storm, made at the meeting, hurt in the collision, involved in the project, stolen from the museum, surrounded by trees.
damaged in the stormmade at the meetinghurt in the collisioninvolved in the projectstolen from the museumsurrounded by trees
The cyclist hurt in the collision was treated at the scene.
The cyclist hurt in the collision was treated at the scene.
The paintings haven't been found yet.
The paintings stolen from the museum haven't been found yet.
We've mended the fence .
We've mended the fence damaged in the storm.
Most of the suggestions were completely impractical.
Most of the suggestions made at the meeting were completely impractical.
Our friends live in a lovely cottage .
Our friends live in a lovely cottage surrounded by trees.
Everybody worked incredibly hard.
Everybody involved in the project worked incredibly hard.
97.3 Complete the sentences with these verbs in the right form: blow, call, cause, invite, live, offer, paint, read, ring, sit, study, work.
blowcallcauseinviteliveofferpaintreadringsitstudywork
I was woken up by a phone ringing.
I was woken up by a phone ringing.
Grandad showed me some watercolours painted by his father.
Grandad showed me some watercolours painted by his father.
Some of the people to the barbecue can't come.
Some of the people invited to the barbecue can't come.
Somebody Jack rang while you were out.
Somebody called Jack rang while you were out.
Life must be miserable for people next to the motorway.
Life must be miserable for people living next to the motorway.
Two days after the audition, I got a call me a part in the play.
Two days after the audition, I got a call offering me a part in the play.
The kitchen was ruined by a flood by a burst pipe.
The kitchen was ruined by a flood caused by a burst pipe.
Did you see the photo of the trees down in the gale?
Did you see the photo of the trees blown down in the gale?
The library was quiet apart from a student by the window a textbook.
The library was quiet apart from a student sitting by the window reading a textbook.
Ian has a cousin on an oil rig and another law in Bristol.
Ian has a cousin working on an oil rig and another studying law in Bristol.
97.4 Use the words in brackets to make sentences with There is, There was and so on.
That shop has been empty for a year. (nobody / work / in it)
There's nobody working in it.
There's nobody working in it.
The accident wasn't serious. (nobody / injure)
There was nobody injured.
There was nobody injured.
I can hear footsteps. (somebody / come)
There's somebody coming.
We ate all the biscuits in the tin. (none / leave)
There are none left.
The train was packed. (a lot of people / travel)
There were a lot of people travelling.
We had the whole campsite to ourselves. (nobody else / camp there)
There was nobody else camping there.
The envelope was empty. (nothing / put / inside)
There was nothing put inside.
The college runs evening classes in Spanish. (a course / begin / next Tuesday)
There's a course beginning next Tuesday.