Let’s go through each sentence step by step. We’re looking for
participial phrases — that’s a group of words that starts with a participle (like “making,” “sprinkled,” “produced”) and acts like an adjective to describe something in the sentence.
We’ll do Part A first: underline the participial phrase, then write just the participle (the -ing or -ed word).
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Part A
1. *Good cooks, making bland food tastier, often use spices.*
→ Participial phrase:
making bland food tastier
→ Participle:
making
2. *Depending on the dish, the right spice can work wonders.*
→ Participial phrase:
Depending on the dish
→ Participle:
Depending
3. *A little cinnamon sprinkled on a dessert tastes marvelous.*
→ Participial phrase:
sprinkled on a dessert
→ Participle:
sprinkled
4. *Centuries ago, spices produced in the Middle and Far East were as valuable as gold.*
→ Participial phrase:
produced in the Middle and Far East
→ Participle:
produced
5. *Treasured in ancient Egypt, spices were put into the tombs of many pharaohs.*
→ Participial phrase:
Treasured in ancient Egypt
→ Participle:
Treasured
6. *Importing them in great quantities, the Romans also greatly valued spices.*
→ Participial phrase:
Importing them in great quantities
→ Participle:
Importing
7. *Influential people, noted for their wealth, generally owned spices.*
→ Participial phrase:
noted for their wealth
→ Participle:
noted
8. *Other people, having little money, could not afford such expensive luxuries.*
→ Participial phrase:
having little money
→ Participle:
having
9. *Pepper, cinnamon, and cloves, considered inexpensive today, were once quite costly.*
→ Participial phrase:
considered inexpensive today
→ Participle:
considered
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Now Part B: Underline the participial phrase, then write the word it modifies (what noun or pronoun it describes).
1. *Some European nations, hoping for great wealth, fought over trade routes.*
→ Phrase:
hoping for great wealth → modifies:
nations
2. *Looking for shorter routes, European explorers found new lands.*
→ Phrase:
Looking for shorter routes → modifies:
explorers
3. *Columbus, searching for a route to the East, discovered America.*
→ Phrase:
searching for a route to the East → modifies:
Columbus
4. *Spices, used mainly for flavor today, come from the seeds, roots, leaves, and bark of certain trees and herbs.*
→ Phrase:
used mainly for flavor today → modifies:
Spices
5. *Grown in tropical countries, pepper was the most valuable spice of all.*
→ Phrase:
Grown in tropical countries → modifies:
pepper
6. *Extracted from a tree’s bark, cinnamon is no longer a luxury item.*
→ Phrase:
Extracted from a tree’s bark → modifies:
cinnamon
7. *Chefs, preparing their dishes, are the biggest users of spices today.*
→ Phrase:
preparing their dishes → modifies:
Chefs
8. *Ginger, produced in powder form, is common in Chinese cooking.*
→ Phrase:
produced in powder form → modifies:
Ginger
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Final Answer:
Part A – Write the participle:
1. making
2. Depending
3. sprinkled
4. produced
5. Treasured
6. Importing
7. noted
8. having
9. considered
Part B – Write the word it modifies:
1. nations
2. explorers
3. Columbus
4. Spices
5. pepper
6. cinnamon
7. Chefs
8. Ginger
Parent Tip: Review the logic above to help your child master the concept of participle phrases worksheet.
