Propositions participiales (Having finished…, Feeling tired…)
Les participiales raccourcissent les phrases, surtout à l’écrit. Elles remplacent une proposition avec when, because, after quand les deux parties ont le même sujet, comme le participe présent français (me sentant fatigué…).
| forme | valeur | exemple |
|---|---|---|
| -ing | simultanéité / cause | Feeling tired, I went to bed early. |
| having + participe passé | antériorité | Having finished work, she went home. |
| participe passé | sens passif | Built in 1900, the house needs repairs. |
Exemples
- Walking home, I met an old friend.En rentrant chez moi, j’ai croisé un vieil ami.
- Not knowing what to do, he called his lawyer.Ne sachant pas quoi faire, il a appelé son avocat.
- Having read the contract, she signed it.Après avoir lu le contrat, elle l’a signé.
- Written in simple English, the book is easy to read.Écrit dans un anglais simple, le livre se lit facilement.
- Surprised by the noise, she looked up.Surprise par le bruit, elle leva les yeux.
Erreurs courantes
- ✗ Opening the door, a cat ran out.✓ Opening the door, I saw a cat run out.Le sujet du participe et celui de la principale doivent être identiques, et ici le chat n’ouvre pas la porte.
- ✗ Having finished, the lights were turned off.✓ Having finished, we turned off the lights.Celui qui a terminé doit être le sujet de la proposition principale.
- ✗ Having not finished the work, he stayed.✓ Not having finished the work, he stayed.La négation se place avant having : not having finished.
- ✗ Written in simple English, I understood the book.✓ Written in simple English, the book was easy to understand.Le participe written se rapporte au livre et non à celui qui le lit.
- ✗ Feeling tired, so I went to bed.✓ Feeling tired, I went to bed.Une proposition participiale ne se relie pas à la principale avec so.