The Subjective Participial Construction

The Subjective Participial Construction is a construction in which the participle (mostly Participle I) is in predicate relation to a noun in the common case or a pronoun in the nominative case, which is the subject of the sentence.

In rendering this construction in Russian a complex sentence is generally used; the principal clause is of the type which in Russian syntax is called ‘indefinite personal’ (неопределенно-личное предложение).

The peculiarity of this construction is that it does not serve as one part of the sentence: one of its component parts has the function of the subject, the other forms part of a compound verbal predicate.

They were heard talking together... (Collins)

This construction is chiefly used after verbs of sense perception.

The horse was seen descending the hill. (Hardy)

Видно было, как лошадь спускалась с холма.

Then Bathsheba’s footsteps were heard crossing the room. (Hardy)

Было слышно, как Батшеба прошла через комнату.