A participle is a verb form that functions as an adjective, modifying a noun or pronoun. Present participles end in -ing; past participles typically end in -ed, -en, or are irregular. In diagrams, the participle hangs on a curved line below the noun it modifies.
The Participle Curved Line
“Letting the guests wait, she kept talking on the phone.”
Step 95 — 'Letting' (attributive) and 'talking' (predicate adjective after 'kept')
Participial Phrases
“John told the person being interviewed the reason for his unusual questions.”
A nominative absolute is a noun + participle phrase that modifies the entire clause but is grammatically independent of it. It floats above the main diagram with no connecting line.
“His chores finished, Kenny went outside to play.”
Step 100 — 'His chores finished' is a nominative absolute floating above the main clause