Participles

What is a participle?

A participle is a verbal that is used as an adjective and most often ends in -ing or -ed.

(A verbal is a verb form that functions either as an adjective or a noun.)

They function as adjectives, thus participles modify nouns or pronouns.

There are two types of participles: The present participle and the past participle. They can both be used as adjectives.

The Present participle, always ending in -ing.

For example:        A crying baby.               The smiling girl is my sister.

The past participles of all regular verbs end in -ed.

Add "ed" to most verbs:

jump - jumped

paint - painted

If a verb of one syllable ends [consonant-vowel-consonant], double the final consonant and add "ed":

chat - chatted

stop - stopped

If the final consonant is "w," "x," or "y," don't double it:

sew - sewed

play - played

fix - fixed

If last syllable of a longer verb is stressed and ends [consonant-vowel-consonant], double the last consonant and add "ed":

incur - incurred

prefer - preferred

If the verb ends "e," just add "d":

like - liked

double - doubled

If the verb ends [consonant + "y"], change the "y" to an "i" and add "ed":

cry - cried

fry - fried

If it's an irregular verb, the past participle is formed in all sorts of different ways. Here are some examples:

arise - arisen

catch - caught

choose - chosen

know - known

You just have to learn them!

Present Participle

Present participle, always ending in -ing, is created from the form of a verb used with the verb to be (am, is, are, was, were, been) as an auxiliary verb (progressive tense).

The Present participle is used:

·                   As a part of the continuous form of a verb

They are playing football at the moment.

He is reading a book.

·                   As an adjective

A crying baby

The smiling girl is my sister.

·                   As a gerund

Mary is interested in reading books.

·                   After verbs of perception

I saw them crossing the street.

I could hear them playing in the garden.

·                   With the verbs: Spend & Waste: verb + time/money expression + present participle

Don’t waste time playing computer games!

I’ve spent the whole weekend revising for my exam.

·                   With the verbs Catch & Find: verb + object + present participle

(With catch, the participle always refers to an action which causes annoyance or anger. This is not the case with find, which is unemotional.)

Don’t let him catch you reading his letters.

I found him sitting on a park bench reading a book.

·                   For two actions at the same time

He left the room laughing.

NOTE: You may be thinking that present participles look just like gerunds because they are verbs ending in -ing, but the big difference is:

Past Participle

The Past Participle is used:

·                   As an adjective

You should walk cautiously on the frozen pond.

Spoken words cannot be revoked.

Here is a laminated copy to replace your torn one.

A torn jacket is soon mended, but hard words bruise the heart of a child.

The exhausted athlete needed take a break and recharge.

·                   With the auxiliary verb “have” to form the perfect aspect

Here are some examples that show the use of past participles with the different perfect tenses.

Present Perfect [has/have + past participle]

Harry has worked in this company for 5 years.

The detective has not found the jewelry thief.

Like all great travellers, I have seen more than I remember, and remember more than I have seen. (British Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli)

Past Perfect [had + past participle]

Jessica aced her test because she had studied all night.

They took the dog to the vet because he hadn’t eaten for days.

Future Perfect [will have + past participle]

You will have mastered the basics of algebra after completing this course.

Will you have completed your homework by the time I get home?

Conditional Perfect [would have + past participle]

If it wasn’t for the bad call, he would have won the basketball game.

I would not have succeeded if it wasn’t for your help.

·                   With the verb “be” to form the passive

This house was built in 1815.

The book was given to me.

The bill was paid by the generous stranger.

·                   To make one of the past forms for the modal verbs (modal auxiliaries). These forms use a modal + have + the past participle.

The police could have charged them with threatening behaviour.

I should have finished by the middle of the week.

·                   Used to replace a “subject + passive verb” construction

She entered, accompanied by her daughters.

·                   Used after Want, Make, Have and Like + direct object

I want this text translated by noon.

He made his presence felt.

Present Participle vs. Past Participle

Let’s learn the differences between present participle and past participle with examples.

·                   The present participle has an active meaning:

He found the house burning.

·                   The past participle has a passive meaning:

He found the house burned.

·                   The past participle is active in such examples:

A retired teacher

The fallen angels

An escaped prisoner.

·                   The present participle is used to replace constructions of the type “subject+active verb”:

He opens the door and looks inside → Opening the door, he looks inside.

·                   The past participle is used to replace constructions of the type “subject+passive verb”:

She entered and she was accompanied by her daughters → She entered, accompanied by her daughters.

In nominative absolute constructions:

·                   The present participle is used if the absolute phrase is active:

The weather being fine, nobody wanted to stay at home.

·                   The past participle is used if the absolute construction is passive:

All things considered. /This done, I think we should start immediately.