Jose Carillo's English Forum
Joe Carillo's Desk => You Asked Me This Question => Topic started by: Mwita Chacha on October 10, 2012, 02:09:38 PM
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I'm wondering whether sentences like this one are grammatically perfect: ''Working in cooperation with three midwives and one theatre nurse, I have successfully carried out a surgical operation on a pregnant woman with history of obstructed labour.''
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Yes, a participial phrase can be used along with a perfect-tense verb in the manner shown in this sentence that you presented: “Working in cooperation with three midwives and one theatre nurse, I have successfully carried out a surgical operation on a pregnant woman with history of obstructed labour.” The crucial consideration in such constructions is that the action in the main clause—“carry out” in this particular case—has just been completed at the moment of speaking, thus requiring the present perfect tense “have carried out.” Of course, if the action was carried out at a definite time in the past, the simple perfect tense will be called for: “Working in cooperation with three midwives and one theatre nurse, I successfully carried out a surgical operation last week on a pregnant woman with history of obstructed labour.” If the action was carried out at some indefinite time in the past, the past perfect tense will be it: “Working in cooperation with three midwives and one theatre nurse, I had successfully carried out a surgical operation on a pregnant woman with history of obstructed labour.”
Just keep in mind that the participial phrase in such sentences serves as an adverbial modifier of the main clause, and can function as such without any modification no matter what tense or modality the verb of the main clause may take, as in this future-tense sentence, “Working in cooperation with three midwives and one theatre nurse, I will successfully carry out a surgical operation on a pregnant woman with history of obstructed labour,” or in this modal sentence, “Working in cooperation with three midwives and one theatre nurse, I can successfully carry out a surgical operation on a pregnant woman with history of obstructed labour.”
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Thank you! Before this I had a belief that apart from modifying subjects, participial phrases can as well express the sense of time the action has taken place. That led me to think that ''a present participle'' only modifies a subject that carries out an unfolding action at a particular time rather than an already completed action.