Helping English

The Participle

A participle is a verb form that can be used as an adjective.

Present participles end in -ing

Examples  Jane sees the singing bird near the window. [singing, a form of the verb sing, modifies the noun bird]

Waving, the campers boarded the train. [ Waving, a form of the verb wave, modifies the noun campers.]

Past participles in – d or -ed. Some past participles are irregularly formed.

Examples      The baked chicken with yellow rice tasted delicious. [Baked, a form of the verb bake, modifies the noun chicken.]

In your own words, define each term given below. [Given, a form of the verb give, modifies the noun term.]

Hints: The perfect tense of a participle is formed with having or with having been.

Examples       Having worked all day, Abe was ready for a rest.

                        Having been washed, the car gleamed in the sun.

Exercise        Use the verbs given in the brackets as present and past participles.

1. We met a girl _____________ a basket of flowers. (carry)
2. The letter was badly ______________.(write)
3. Having ____________my passport, I applied for a new one. (lose)
4. She hurt her leg while _____________the rope. (skip)
5. Books ___________in the childhood seem like old friends. (read)
6. We stood ___________for the bus. (wait)

Answers. carrying – written – lost – skipping – read – waiting

Exercise:  Use the verbs given in the brackets as present and past participles.

1. Have you seen Mauna Loa, a volcano ___________two and a half miles above sea level. (rise)
2. _______________a sandwich, he hurried off to his office. (grab)
3. On the top floor are three offices _____________by a hallway. (connect)
4. Having _________his car missing, he called the police. (discover)
5. _____________broadly, the speaker entered the hall. (smile)
6. _____________as Big Apple, New York is the business hub of America. (know)
7. ____________his head, the defendant admitted his guilt. (nod)
8. _______________by his friends, he participated in the competition and won. (encourage)

Answers: rising – Grabbing – connected – discovered – Smiling – Known – Nodding – Encouraged