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Participles relate to nouns or pronouns, or else are governed by prepositions. Those ending in ing should not be made the subjects or objects of verbs while they retain the government and adjuncts of participles. They may often be converted into nouns or take the form of the infinitive.
"Not attending to this rule is the cause of a very common error." Better, "Inattention to this rule," etc. "He abhorred being in debt." Better, "He abhorred debt," "Cavilling and objecting upon any subject is much easier than clearing up difficulties." Say, "To cavil and object upon any subject is much easier than to clear up difficulties."
Omit "of"
Active participles have the same government as the verbs from which they are derived. The preposition of, therefore, should not be used after the participle, when the verb would not require it. Omit of in such expressions as these: "Keeping of one day
in seven," "By preaching of repentance," "They left beating of Paul," "From calling of names they came to blows," "They set about repairing of the walls."
If the article the occurs before the participle, the preposition of must be retained; as, "They strictly observed the keeping of one day in seven."
When a transitive participle is converted into a noun, of must be inserted to govern the object following. "He was very exact in forming his sentences," "He was very exact in the formation of his sentences."
Omit the possessive
The possessive case should not be prefixed to a participle that is not taken in all respects as a noun. It should, therefore, be expunged in the following sentences: "By our offending others, we expose ourselves." "She rewarded the boy for his studying so diligently." "He errs in his giving the word a double construction."
The possessives in such cases as the following should be avoided: "I have some recollection of his father's being a judge." "To prevent its being a dry detail of terms." These sentences may be improved by recasting them. "I have some recollection that his father was a judge." "To prevent it from being a dry detail of terms."
When the noun or pronoun to which the participle relates is a passive subject, it should not have the possessive form; as, "The daily instances of men's dying around us remind us of the brevity of human life." "We do not speak of a monosyllable's having a primary accent." Change men's to men, and monosyllable's to monosyllable.
After verbs
Verbs do not govern participles. "I intend doing it," "I remember meeting Longfellow," and similar expressions should be changed by the substitution of the infinitive for the participle; as, "I intend to do it," "I remember to have met Longfellow."
After verbs signifying to persevere, to desist, the participle ending in ing is permitted; as, "So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them."
Place
In the use of participles and of verbal nouns, the leading word in sense should always be made the leading word, and not the adjunct, in the construction.
"They did not give notice of the pupil leaving." Here, the leading idea is leaving. Pupil should, therefore, be subordinate by changing its form to the possessive; as, "They did not give notice of the pupil's leaving." Better still, "They did not give notice that the pupil had left."
Clearness
The word to which the participle relates should stand out clearly. "By giving way to sin, trouble is encountered." This implies that trouble gives way to sin. The relation of the participle is made clear by saying, "By giving way to sin, we encounter trouble."
"By yielding to temptation, our peace is sacrificed." This should be, "By yielding to temptation we sacrifice our peace."
"A poor child was found in the streets by a wealthy and benevolent gentleman, suffering from cold and hunger." Say, "A poor child, suffering from cold and hunger, was found," etc.
Awkward Construction
Such awkward sentences as the following should be avoided. In most cases they will require to be recast.
"But as soon as the whole body is attempted to be carved, a disproportion between its various parts results."
"The offence attempted to be charged should be alleged under another section of the statute." The following is a better arrangement:
"But as soon as an attempt is made to carve the whole body," etc. "The offence which it is attempted to charge," etc.
Is building
The active participle in a passive sense is employed by many excellent writers and is condemned by others.
"Corn is selling for fifty cents a bushel."
"Corn is being sold for fifty cents a bushel."
The commercial world evidently prefers the former sentence. There is a breeziness and an energy in it that is lacking in the latter. It must, however, be used with caution. In the following examples the passive form is decidedly better than the active: "The foundation was being laid," "They are being educated," "While the speech was being delivered," etc.
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