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Waiting for John, I made some tea.

This sentence contains only one participial clause.

Is it possible to have a sentence that include two or more participial clauses? If there is, would anybody like to give some useful examples of such sentences.

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  • Having made and drunk my tea, I read the newspaper.
    – Khan
    Commented Feb 19, 2016 at 6:09

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Sure. Pile 'em as thick as you want.

Waiting for John, fearing what he might say, and feeling that the tension might be eased by our sharing some refreshment, I made a pot of tea.

Wearied by the effort, bruised by his blows, angered by his intransigence, I made a pot of tea.

You may also mix types of participle:

Pleased with my morning's work and feeling I had earned a respite, I made a pot of tea.

Note that participle clauses like this are virtually unknown in speech, so their use in writing now marks a passage as self-consciously literary. Multiplying them will increase that effect.

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  • Are "waiting", "fearing", "feeling" simultaneous actions? I mean they occurred at a time. Not one after another. Am I right?
    – Azahar Ali
    Commented Feb 19, 2016 at 15:05
  • @AzaharAli That's how I'd read it.
    – StoneyB on hiatus
    Commented Feb 19, 2016 at 17:42

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