Ampersand Lab

Intermediate grammar · Lesson 97 · B2

-ing and -ed clauses (the woman talking to Tom, the boy injured in the accident)

An -ing clause after a noun says what someone or something is doing, or does all the time; an -ed clause has a passive meaning. Both work after there is, and left means still there, not used.

Start the lesson

13Steps · about 21 minutes

In this lesson

-ing clausesA2 screens of questions
-ed clauses: passive meaningB4 screens of questions
there is + -ing or -ed; leftC2 screens of questions

Point A of 3

-ing clauses

Who's the woman talking to Tom? The -ing clause talking to Tom says what the woman is doing.

An -ing clause can describe what somebody or something is doing at a particular time, or what happens all the time.

  • Who's the woman talking to Tom? (she is talking to Tom)
  • Police investigating the robbery are looking for two men.
  • Who were those people hanging about outside?
  • I was woken up by a dog barking.
  • The footpath linking the two farms is overgrown. (it links them)
  • I've got a big room overlooking the park.
  • Can you think of a flower beginning with T?

Point A · Exercise 97.1 · part 1 of 2

Make one sentence from two, using an -ing clause.

  1. Example

    A car alarm was going off. It kept me awake. I was kept awake by a car alarm going off.

    AnswerI was kept awake by a car alarm going off.

  2. A minibus was driving us to the ferry. It got a flat tyre. The got a flat tyre.

  3. There's a footpath at the end of this road. The path leads to the canal. At the end of the road there's .

  4. A warehouse has just opened on the industrial estate. It employs 300 people. A has just opened on the industrial estate.

  5. A woman was standing behind me in the queue. She talked on her phone the whole time. The talked on her phone the whole time.

Point A · Exercise 97.1 · part 2 of 2

Make one sentence from two, using an -ing clause.

  1. The school sent home a letter. It explained the new uniform rules. The school sent home a .

Point B of 3

-ed clauses: passive meaning

The cyclist hurt in the collision was treated at the scene. The -ed clause is passive in meaning: he was hurt.

Injured, painted and used are past participles. Many past participles are irregular: stolen, made, built.

  • The cyclist hurt in the collision was treated at the scene.
  • Grandad showed me some watercolours painted by his father.
  • The knife used in the attack has been found.
  • The police never recovered the jewellery stolen in the raid.
  • Most of the biscuits made in this factory are sold abroad.

Point B · Exercise 97.2 · part 1 of 2

Complete the sentences with one of these -ed clauses: damaged in the storm, made at the meeting, hurt in the collision, involved in the project, stolen from the museum, surrounded by trees.

Use these

damaged in the stormmade at the meetinghurt in the collisioninvolved in the projectstolen from the museumsurrounded by trees

  1. Example

    The cyclist hurt in the collision was treated at the scene.

    AnswerThe cyclist hurt in the collision was treated at the scene.

  2. The paintings haven't been found yet.

  3. We've mended the fence .

  4. Most of the suggestions were completely impractical.

  5. Our friends live in a lovely cottage .

Point B · Exercise 97.2 · part 2 of 2

Complete the sentences with one of these -ed clauses: damaged in the storm, made at the meeting, hurt in the collision, involved in the project, stolen from the museum, surrounded by trees.

Use these

damaged in the stormmade at the meetinghurt in the collisioninvolved in the projectstolen from the museumsurrounded by trees

  1. Everybody worked incredibly hard.

Point B · Exercise 97.3 · part 1 of 2

Complete the sentences with these verbs in the right form: blow, call, cause, invite, live, offer, paint, read, ring, sit, study, work.

Use these

blowcallcauseinviteliveofferpaintreadringsitstudywork

  1. Example

    I was woken up by a phone ringing.

    AnswerI was woken up by a phone ringing.

  2. Example

    Grandad showed me some watercolours painted by his father.

    AnswerGrandad showed me some watercolours painted by his father.

  3. Some of the people to the barbecue can't come.

  4. Somebody Jack rang while you were out.

  5. Life must be miserable for people next to the motorway.

  6. Two days after the audition, I got a call me a part in the play.

Point B · Exercise 97.3 · part 2 of 2

Complete the sentences with these verbs in the right form: blow, call, cause, invite, live, offer, paint, read, ring, sit, study, work.

Use these

blowcallcauseinviteliveofferpaintreadringsitstudywork

  1. The kitchen was ruined by a flood by a burst pipe.

  2. Did you see the photo of the trees down in the gale?

  3. The library was quiet apart from a student by the window a textbook.

  4. Ian has a cousin on an oil rig and another law in Bristol.

Point C of 3

there is + -ing or -ed; left

You can use there is, there was and so on with -ing and -ed clauses.

Left in this pattern means not used, still there.

  • There were some kids paddling in the river.
  • Is there anybody waiting?
  • There was a big white van parked across our drive.
  • We've eaten nearly all the mince pies. There are only two left.

Point C · Exercise 97.4 · part 1 of 2

Use the words in brackets to make sentences with There is, There was and so on.

  1. Example

    That shop has been empty for a year. (nobody / work / in it)

    There's nobody working in it.

    AnswerThere's nobody working in it.

  2. Example

    The accident wasn't serious. (nobody / injure)

    There was nobody injured.

    AnswerThere was nobody injured.

  3. I can hear footsteps. (somebody / come)

  4. We ate all the biscuits in the tin. (none / leave)

  5. The train was packed. (a lot of people / travel)

  6. We had the whole campsite to ourselves. (nobody else / camp there)

Point C · Exercise 97.4 · part 2 of 2

Use the words in brackets to make sentences with There is, There was and so on.

  1. The envelope was empty. (nothing / put / inside)

  2. The college runs evening classes in Spanish. (a course / begin / next Tuesday)

Lesson 97 · Result

How you did

Next lesson: Adjectives ending in -ing and -ed (boring/bored etc.)Back to the course

–Right

Each point

A. -ing clauses–Not checkedB. -ed clauses: passive meaning–Not checkedC. there is + -ing or -ed; left–Not checked