PARTICIPLES
PRESENT PARTICIPLE
Don’t forget !
The present participle in English is in the active voice and is used for:
- forming the progressive aspect: Jim was sleeping.
- modifying a noun as an adjective: Let sleeping dogs lie.
- modifying a verb or sentence in clauses: Broadly speaking, the project was successful.
The present participle in English has the same form as
the gerund,
but the gerund acts as a noun rather than a verb or a modifier.
Detailed ANALYSIS
The present participle is a participle that ends in “-ing”.
1. It
can be used with the auxilliary verb 'to be'
to form the continuous
tense.
It always takes the ‘ing’ form of the verb,
even irregular verbs have an ‘...ing’ form.
For example:-
I am learning English.
(Learning is part of the continuous verb phrase 'am learning')
We were running through the woods.
(Running is part of the continuous verb phrase 'were running' ).
2. It can also be used as an adjective.
For example:-
As an adjective: I am a working woman.
(Working is used here as an adjective.)
Note:
Remember the present participle can be used
as a verb or an adjective
whilst the gerund is used as a
noun.
3. It
can be used to replace a sentence
or part of a sentence:
When two actions occur at the same time,
and are done by the same person or thing,
we can use a present participle to describe one of them:
-
They went out into the snow. They laughed as they went
. They went laughing out into the snow. -
He whistled to himself. He walked down the road.
Whistling to himself, he walked down the road.
When one action follows very quickly after another
done by the same person or thing,
we can express the first action with a present participle:
-
He put on his coat and left the house
. Putting on his coat, he left the house. -
She dropped the gun and put her hands in the air
. Dropping the gun, she put her hands in the air.
The present participle can be used instead of a phrase
starting as, since, because,
and it explains the cause or reason for an action:
-
Feeling hungry, he went into the kitchen and opened the fridge.
(= because he felt hungry...) - Being poor, he didn't spend much on clothes.
- Knowing that his mother was coming, he cleaned the flat.
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PAST PARTICIPLE
Don’t forget !
The past participle may be used in both active and passive voices:
- forming the perfect aspect: The chicken has eaten.
- forming the passive voice: The chicken was eaten.
- modifying a noun, with active sense: our fallen comrades
- modifying a noun, with passive sense: the attached files
-
modifying a verb or sentence, with passive sense:
Seen from this perspective, the problem presents no easy solution.
As noun-modifiers, participles usually precede the noun (like adjectives),
but in many cases they can or must follow it:
· The visiting dignitaries devoured the baked apples.
· Please bring all the documents required.
· The difficulties encountered were nearly insurmountable.
Detailed ANALYSIS
A past participle indicates past or completed action or time.
It is often called the 'ed' form as it is formed by adding d or ed
to the base form of regular verbs,
however it is also formed in various other ways for irregular verbs.
1. It
can be used to form a verb phrase
as part of the present perfect tense.
For example:-
I have learnt English. (Learnt is part of the verb phrase 'have learnt')
It can be used to form the passive voice.
For example:-
Her hair was well brushed.
2. It can also be used as an adjective.
For example:-
As an adjective: He had a broken arm.
(Broken is used here as an adjective.)
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