The Present and Perfect Participles are often used as a predicate, where in English a phrase or a subordinate clause would be more natural.

In this use the participles express time , cause , occasion , condition , concession , characteristic (or description ), manner , means , attendant circumstances: — volventēs hostīlia cadāvera amīcum reperiēbant (Sall. Cat. 61 ), while rolling over the corpses of the enemy they found a friend. [Time.] paululum commorātus , sīgna canere iubet ( id . 59), after delaying a little while , he orders them to give the signal. [Time.] longius prōsequī veritus , ad Cicerōnem pervēnit (B. G. 5.52) , because he feared to follow further, he came to Cicero. [Cause.] quī scīret laxās dare iussus habēnās (Aen. 1.63) , who might know how to give them loose rein when bidden. [Occasion.] damnātum poenam sequī oportēbat (B. G. 1.4) , if condemned, punishment must overtake him. [Condition.] salūtem īnspērantibus reddidistī ; ( Marc. 21 ), you have restored a safety for which we did not hope (to [us] not hoping). [Concession.] Dardanius caput ecce puer dētēctus (Aen. 10.133) , the Trojan boy with his head uncovered. [Description.] nec trepidēs in ūsum poscentis aevī pauca (Hor. Od. 2.11.5) , be not anxious for the needs of age that demands little. [Characteristic.] incitātī fugā montīs altissimōs petēbant (B. C. 3.93) , in headlong flight they made for the highest mountains. [Manner.] mīlitēs sublevātī aliī ab aliīs māgnam partem itineris cōnficerent ( id . 1.68), the soldiers, helped up by each other, accomplished a considerable part of the route. [Means.] hōc laudāns , Pompêius idem iūrāvit ( id . 3.87), approving this , Pompey took the same oath. [Attendant Circumstance.] aut sedēns aut ambulāns disputābam (Tusc. 1.7) , I conducted the discussion either sitting or walking. [Attendant Circumstance.] These uses are especially frequent in the Ablative Absolute (§ 420 ). A coördinate clause is sometimes compressed into a perfect participle:— īnstrūctōs ōrdinēs in locum aequum dēdūcit (Sall. Cat. 59 ), he draws up the lines , and leads them to level ground. ut hōs trāductōs necāret (B. G. 5.6) , that he might carry them over and put them to death. A participle with a negative often expresses the same idea which in English is given by without and a verbal noun: as, —miserum est nihil prōficientem angī (N. D. 3.14) , it is wretched to vex oneself without effecting anything. Acceptum and expēnsum as predicates with ferre and referre are bookkeeping terms: as,—quās pecūniās ferēbat eīs expēnsās (Verr. 2.170) , what sums he charged to them.

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