The participle can be used like an adjective and like a verb (Verbaladjektiv).
 
 

The most common forms:
 
 
 

- present participle (active):	pulling, writing
- past participle (passive):	pulled, written

Other possible forms:

- perfect participle (active): having pulled, having written

- present participle (passive): being pulled, being written

- perfect participle (passive): having been pulled, having been written
 
 

1. Participles instead of relative clauses
 

- The girl waiting at the bus stop is my sister.	..who is waiting
- Many of the people living here are Asians.	.. who live here
Translation: relative clause (in German)

2. Related participle constructions
(Verbundene Partizipialkonstruktionen - vergleichbare Nebensätze haben dasselbe Subjekt wie der Hauptsatz))
 

Participle constructions to replace adverbial clauses
 

a. (When) looking down from the plane,	we saw the lights of the city.
(When we looked down from the plane ...)
Als wir .. herunterschauten, ...
(While) staying in Detroit, ...	I met an old friend of mine.
(While I was staying in Detroit, ...)
Während ich.. war, ...
Translation: adverbial clause  (in German)
!!! Sometimes a conjunction is necessary to make the meaning of the participle construction clear.

 

b. The tourists followed the guide,  Die Touristen folgten dem Reiseleiter.

taking photos and admiring the view.  Sie machten Fotos und bewunderten die Aussicht.

 

3. Absolute participle constructions
(Unverbundene Partizipialkonstruktionen - vergleichbare Nebensätze haben ein anderes Subjekt als der Hauptsatz)
 
 

Participle constructions to replace adverbial clauses
and instead of a second main clause
 

- The weather being bad,	we decided to stay at home.
As the weather was bad,	...
Da das Wetter schlecht war,	entschlossen wir uns...
- The roads cleared of snow,	my sister left the house.
When the roads had been cleared..	...
Als die Straßen geräumt waren,	verließ meine Schwester...
- The law being unable to catch him	Al Capone's business survived.
The law was unable to catch him;	so Al Capone's business survived.
Das Gesetz konnte...nicht fassen;	deshalb überlebte....
Weil das Gesetz...nicht..konnte,	überlebte...
Translation: adverbial clause                      main clause                      (in German)

 The 'with + participle' construction
 

- It's been a very busy day,	with the phone ringing all the time.
Es war ein arbeitsreicher Tag.	Das Telefon klingelte pausenlos.
- With so many people being ill,	there's a lot more to do than  usual.
Da so viele Leute krank sind,	gibt es viel mehr Arbeit als ge- wöhnlich.
Translation: main clause                      adverbial clause                      (in German)

4. Participles after verbs describing a position or movement
 

- He just sits watching TV.	Er sitzt nur da und sieht fern.
- They stood waiting outside    the cinema.	Sie standen ... und warteten.
- Mr Smith came running along   the street.	Mr. Smith kam die Straße ent- lang gelaufen.

 

5. Participles after verbs of perception
 

- Some of the neighbours    watched us moving in.	Einige Nachbarn schauten zu,  wie wir einzogen.
- I didn't see her leaving the    house.	Ich sah nicht, wie sie das  Haus verließ.

 

6. Participles after 'have' and 'get' meaning 'to cause'
 

- We always have our car washed.	Wir lassen unseren Wagen immer  waschen.
- Our car is broken. Why don't you   get it repaired?	..Warum läßt du ihn nicht re- parieren?