The difficulty and confusion that can arise from the use of categories that are not mutually exclusive is illustrated in paragraph 2048 of Smyth's Greek Grammar, where the following statements are made, apparently to clarify the definitions of the three kinds of participle: 1. A participle may be both circumstantial and supplementary; 2. The circumstantial participle is used by way of apposition to the subject of the verb and, though strictly predicative, may agree attributively with a noun or pronoun; 3. An attributive participle may be circumstantial.