Adverbial Participial Phrases
Вярнуўшыся з працы, мама адпачывала. Mom came back, and Mom rested: the phrase and the main verb share one subject.
How It Works
An adverbial participle phrase is an imperfective or perfective adverbial participle together with its own words: вярнуўшыся з працы, размаўляючы пра кнігі.
One subject. Both actions must belong to the subject of the main verb. Вярнуўшыся з працы, мама адпачывала is correct because mom did both. Вярнуўшыся дадому, пайшоў дождж is wrong: it says that the rain came home. Fix it in one of two ways:
- Turn the phrase into a clause: Калі я вярнуўся дадому, пайшоў дождж.
- Change the main part so the doer is its subject: Выходзячы з аўтобуса, я ўпусціў тэлефон instead of saying that the phone did it.
No subject, with an infinitive. A sentence with no subject can still take the phrase when it has an infinitive, because the phrase belongs to whoever does that infinitive: Прачытаўшы кнігу, трэба вярнуць яе ў бібліятэку. (After reading the book, you need to return it to the library.)
Commas. The phrase is set off by commas at the start, in the middle and at the end of a sentence: Хлопчык, пабачыўшы сабаку, спыніўся. Two exceptions:
- Fixed expressions take no commas: сядзець склаўшы рукі (to sit idle, literally with folded arms).
- A single participle right after the verb that works like an adverb of manner takes no comma: Ён бег не азіраючыся. (He ran without looking back.)
A participial phrase is different: it describes a noun and agrees with it. An adverbial participle phrase describes the action and never changes.
Examples (6)
- Вярнуўшыся з працы, мама адпачывала.
Having come back from work, Mom rested.
Word by Word: Having-returned from work, mom was-resting.
- Мы ішлі па вуліцы, размаўляючы пра кнігі.
We walked down the street, talking about books.
Word by Word: We went along street, talking about books.
- Хлопчык, пабачыўшы сабаку, спыніўся.
The boy saw the dog and stopped.
Word by Word: Boy, having-seen dog, stopped.
In the middle of the sentence, commas go on both sides.
- Ён бег не азіраючыся.
He ran without looking back.
Word by Word: He ran not looking-back.
A single participle that works like an adverb takes no comma.
- Нельга сядзець склаўшы рукі.
We cannot just sit around doing nothing.
Word by Word: Not-allowed to-sit having-folded hands.
A fixed expression, so no commas.
- Калі я вярнуўся дадому, пайшоў дождж.
When I got home, it started to rain.
Word by Word: When I returned home, went rain.
The subjects differ, so a калі clause is used instead of a participle.
Common Mistakes
Giving the main verb a different subject.
Вярнуўшыся дадому, пайшоў дождж.Калі я вярнуўся дадому, пайшоў дождж.The rain did not come home. When the subjects differ, use a clause with калі or пасля таго як.
Making a thing the subject instead of the person.
Выходзячы з аўтобуса, у мяне ўпаў тэлефон.Выходзячы з аўтобуса, я ўпусціў тэлефон.The person got off the bus, so the person must be the subject of the main verb.
Leaving out the comma.
Пабачыўшы сабаку хлопчык спыніўся.Пабачыўшы сабаку, хлопчык спыніўся.An adverbial participle phrase is set off by commas wherever it stands.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Adverbial phrases need adverbial participles.
Related Patterns
- Imperfective Adverbial Participles
Builds phrases for an action at the same time.
Level 4 - Participial Phrases
A phrase that describes a noun instead of the action.
Level 4 - калі in Time ClausesTime Clauses with Калі
The usual fix when the two actions have different subjects.
Level 3 - пасля таго якAfter with Пасля Таго Як
Another clause that can replace a -ўшы phrase.
Level 4 - Commas in Complex Sentences
Comma rules for the clauses that can replace these phrases.
Level 4
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