a)
- Having been adopted at birth
- Raised in Oblong, Illinois, by adoptive parents Sharon and Gerald Bricker
- transfixed as Dominique became an overnight sensation
- Inspired by Dominique's success
- Feeling the time had come
- competing against able-bodied people
- Having found out about her connection to her idol
- performing acrobat routines
- travelling the world and connecting with people from all walks of life
- Finding out my idol
b)
1 - Participle clauses can begin with:
- any of the following → -ing: having been ...; feeling ..; Having found out ...; performing ...; travelling ...; Past participle → Raised ...; transfixed ...; Inspired ...
- Having found out
2 - They can be used to:
Note that sometimes a clause can fit more than one category, depending how its meaning is meant / understood.
- travelling the world and connecting with people from all walks of life.
- Having been adopted at birth / Raised in Oblong, Illinois, by adoptive parents Sharon and Gerald Bricker, / Inspired by Dominique's success, / Feeling the time had come, / Having found out about her connection to her idol,
- Inspired by Dominique's success, / Feeling the time had come,
- ... transfixed as Dominique became an overnight sensation.