Into the Fog (participle clauses)

Into the Fog

Walking into the fog, she…

B2 · 60 minutes

Warmer

TASK In pairs. Ask and answer.

What's the worst weather you've ever been caught out in: on a walk, a trip or your way to work?

1

What did you do, and how did you get home?

2

What kind of weather do you actually enjoy being out in?

3

Three endings

TASK In pairs. Ruth is a hiker caught in fog in the mountains. Which ending do you think really happens?

A

B

C

A

Ruth waits by a cairn until the fog lifts, then walks down the way she came.

B

Ruth follows an old wall down to a road, then walks back to the car.

C

Callum hears Ruth's whistle and climbs up with a torch to meet her.

Into the Fog

TASK Read the story. Which ending really happens: A, B or C? Find a line that rules out each of the others.

A short story about a long afternoon.

Cloud after two

The forecast had said cloud after two. Warned about the weather, Ruth had set off anyway, telling her brother Callum she would be back at the car by four. For three hours the sky stayed clear. Walking down from the ridge just after one, she noticed the fog closing in, first over the lake, then over the rocks just below her. Within ten minutes she could see about as far as her own boots.

Dark by six

Not having eaten since breakfast, she sat on a wet stone with her sandwich, wondering whether to wait. But the fog showed no sign of lifting, and it would be dark by six. Standing up, she put her hand on something cold and straight: a wall. Built by farmers long ago, it ran downhill into the grey. Having walked these hills as a child, she knew that walls usually led somewhere useful. Not wanting to lose this one, she kept one hand on the stones all the way down.

Cairn to cairn

The path was marked by cairns, small piles of stones that walkers add to as they pass. Moving slowly from one to the next, she counted her steps between them: forty, thirty-eight, forty-one. Then there was no next one. Having lost sight of the cairns, she stopped and listened. No voices, no sheep, only her own breathing. Not knowing which way the path turned, she stayed close to the rocks and blew her whistle three times. Nobody answered.

The car park

An hour later she came out onto a road, soaked and shaking, more than a mile below the car park. Pulling her hood tighter, she walked back up the hill. Callum was sitting in the car with the heater on, doing a crossword. Hearing her knock on the window, he looked up. "Good walk?" he asked. "Foggy," said Ruth, and took his coffee.

Talk about it

TASK In pairs. Answer the questions, then tell the class.

Was Ruth careless, unlucky or sensible? Why?

1

What would you have done when the cairns disappeared?

2

Why do you think Ruth says only "Foggy"?

3

Read it again

TASK Look at these sentences from the story.

Walking down from the ridge, she noticed the fog closing in.

1

walking

noticed

Having lost sight of the cairns, she stopped and listened.

2

lost sight

stopped

3

Warned about the weather, Ruth had set off anyway.

The long way

TASK Say each sentence the long way: change the participle clause into a full clause with a subject and a tense. Use because, when, which or while (you can use one twice). Then choose the rule.

From the story

The long way

Moving slowly from one cairn to the next, she counted her steps.

______________________

Not having eaten since breakfast, she sat down with her sandwich.

______________________

Built by farmers long ago, the wall ran downhill.

______________________

Hearing her knock on the window, Callum looked up.

______________________

The participle clause is about…

A

the subject of the main clause

B

anyone in the sentence

Grammar reference

-ing · the same time, or just before

Walking down from the ridge, she noticed the fog. Opening the door, he stepped out into the rain.

having + past participle · earlier, finished first

Having lost the path, she stopped. You need it when the first action took time and was finished: Having walked for six hours, we reached the hut (not Walking for six hours…).

past participle · done to the subject (passive)

Warned about the weather, she set off anyway. Built in 1890, the hotel still has its old lift.

Negative

not comes first: Not knowing the way, … · Not having eaten, …

Reason

-ing and having clauses can also give a reason: Not knowing the way, she… = because she didn't know.

Position

usually first, with a comma; it can also come after: She sat by a rock, listening.

CAREFUL

the subject of the main clause does the participle. Walking down the hill, the fog grew thicker means the fog was walking. Say Walking down the hill, she felt the fog grow thicker.

Who's doing it?

TASK Right or wrong? For the wrong ones, say who is doing it, then fix the sentence.

1

Soaked to the skin, the café looked wonderful.

right

wrong

2

Climbing the last few metres, my sister saw the lake below.

right

wrong

3

Taking by surprise, the guide dropped his map.

right

wrong

4

Walking along the cliff path, the wind nearly blew my hat off.

right

wrong

5

Having reached the top, the view was disappointing.

right

wrong

6

Not knowing the area, they asked a farmer for directions.

right

wrong

Two into one

TASK Make each pair into one sentence. Start with a participle clause.

1

She walked along the river. She heard a strange bird.

2

The bridge was damaged in the storm. It was closed for a month.

3

My cousin had driven for five hours. She wanted a hot meal.

4

She didn't have a torch. She turned back before dark.

5

The walkers were frightened by the thunder. They ran for the trees.

6

My neighbour opened the flask. He poured two cups of tea.

One-breath openings

TASK In groups. Build the opening of a story, one line each.

Choose a character and a place: a night train, a lighthouse, a city in a power cut, or your own idea.

1

Take turns adding one line, said in one breath. Start every line with a participle clause. The character is the subject of every main clause.

2

After two or three rounds, choose your group's best line and tell the class.

3

Homework

TASK Rewrite this news report. Join sentences with participle clauses: at least four, using -ing, having and a past participle at least once each. Then correct the mistake in sentences 1–4.

Deer found in garden shed

1

Knowing not the way, we followed the river.

A farmer in the valley had a surprise on Tuesday morning. He was checking his fences. He found a young deer in his garden shed. The deer had been frightened by dogs. It had hidden behind the lawnmower. The farmer didn't want to scare it. He left the door open and waited in his kitchen. The deer rested for an hour. Then it walked calmly back to the woods. The shed door was repaired the next day. It is now kept closed.

2

Frightening by the noise, the cat ran under the bed.

Painting the kitchen all weekend, they invited friends round on Monday.

3

4

She walking down the hill, she saw a fox.

TEACHER'S REFERENCE · SKIP OR DELETE BEFORE CLASS

Answer key (1)

THREE ENDINGS / INTO THE FOG

• B (she follows the wall down to a road and walks back up to the car).

Not A "the fog showed no sign of lifting, and it would be dark by six": she doesn't wait.

Not C "she … blew her whistle three times. Nobody answered." Callum is in the car doing a crossword.

THE LONG WAY

1 While / As she was moving slowly from one cairn to the next, she counted her steps.

2 Because / As / Since she hadn't eaten since breakfast, she sat down with her sandwich.

3 The wall, which had been (or: was) built by farmers long ago, ran downhill. / The wall had been built by farmers long ago, and it ran downhill.

4 When / As soon as Callum heard her knock on the window, he looked up.

The rule A (the subject of the main clause)

WHO'S DOING IT?

Right 2, 6

1 Wrong: the café was soaked. Soaked to the skin, we thought the café looked wonderful. (or: I / she found the café wonderful)

3 Wrong: the guide didn't take anything; he was surprised. Taken by surprise, the guide dropped his map.

4 Wrong: the wind was walking. Walking along the cliff path, I nearly lost my hat in the wind.

5 Wrong: the view reached the top. Having reached the top, we found the view disappointing. (or: I was disappointed by the view)

TEACHER'S REFERENCE · SKIP OR DELETE BEFORE CLASS

Answer key (2)

TWO INTO ONE

1 Walking along the river, she heard a strange bird.

2 Damaged in the storm, the bridge was closed for a month. (also correct: Having been damaged in the storm, …)

3 Having driven for five hours, my cousin wanted a hot meal.

4 Not having a torch, she turned back before dark. (or: Having no torch, …)

5 Frightened by the thunder, the walkers ran for the trees. (also correct: Having been frightened by the thunder, …)

6 Opening the flask, my neighbour poured two cups of tea. / Having opened the flask, my neighbour poured two cups of tea.

HOMEWORK (POSSIBLE ANSWERS)

• A farmer in the valley had a surprise on Tuesday morning. Checking his fences, he found a young deer in his garden shed. Frightened by dogs, the deer had hidden behind the lawnmower. Not wanting to scare it, the farmer left the door open and waited in his kitchen. Having rested for an hour, the deer walked calmly back to the woods. Repaired the next day, the shed door is now kept closed.

1 Not knowing the way, we followed the river.

2 Frightened by the noise, the cat ran under the bed.

3 Having painted the kitchen all weekend, they invited friends round on Monday.

4 Walking down the hill, she saw a fox.