P1-f Use a comma before a trailing nonrestrictive participial phrase.
P1-f Use a comma before a trailing nonrestrictive participial phrase.
participial phrase A group of words that begins with a present participle (dancing, freezing) or a past participle (danced, frozen) and modifies a noun or a pronoun.
nonrestrictive word group A group of words, set off by commas, that provides nonessential information and could be eliminated without changing the meaning of the noun or pronoun it modifies.
independent clause A word group with a subject and a predicate that can stand alone as a separate sentence.
Participial phrases are generally nonrestrictive word groups. When they follow the independent clause in a sentence, they should be set off with commas. See P1-c.
| PARTICIPIAL PHRASE | The plane taxied as he turned on his phone, expecting to find a mushy text from his girlfriend. |
The comma before the phrase signals the end of the main clause and sets off the important modifying phrase.
Note: If the participial phrase is restrictive, providing essential information, do not use a comma. See P1-c and P2-b.