91. Participles

 • Incorrect: Having bitten the postman, the farmer decided to shoot the dog. 

• Correct: The dog having bitten the postman, the farmer decided to shoot it. 

 Here the first sentence means that it was the farmer who bit the postman and not the dog. 

The participle is a verb-adjective. 

It should be related to a proper subject of reference. 

If the subject is lacking or if a wrong subject is used, the whole sentence will be wrong.

 • Incorrect: Being a rainy day, we didn't go out. 

• Correct: It being a rainy day, we didn't go out. 

• Incorrect: Being too costly for him, he could not buy the watch. 

• Correct: The watch being too costly for him, he could not buy it.