Participles in English Grammar
A participle is a word that is formed from a verb and is used to make compound verb forms. We have 2 kinds of participles: past and present participle.
Participles
Participles are words formed with verbs that are used with auxiliary verbs to create different tenses.
Participles in English Grammar
There are two kinds of participles in English language:
- present participle
- past participle
Present Participle
A present participle is the form of the verb that ends in -ing and is used with the verb 'to be' to form continuous tenses.
- watch + -ing → watching
- say + -ing → saying
- sit + -ing → sitting
Present Participle: Spelling Rules
Normally we just add -ing. But sometimes we have to change the word a little. Here are the rules to help you know how to spell the Present Participle:
- If the verb ends in consonant + stressed vowel + consonant, double the last letter.
stop
→
sto
"O" is the stressed vowel.
run
→
ru
"U" is the stressed vowel.
- If the verb ends in consonant + unstressed vowel + consonant, (the base verb is not stressed) do not double the last letter.
open → opening
'E' is unstressed.
- If the verb ends in 'ie', change the 'ie' to 'y'.
l
d
- If the verb ends in vowel + consonant + 'e', omit the 'e'.
com
mistak
Present Participle: Uses
Present Participle has different functions:
- It is used to form continuous tenses.
- It is used as an adjective.
- It is used as a verbal noun.
Present Participle: Continuous Tenses
In order to create continuous tenses in English, we should use the present participle. In this case, the present participle is also called the gerund.
We have 6 continuous tense in English:
| Present Continuous |
Chelsea is |
|---|---|
| Past Continuous |
Chelsea was |
| Future Continuous |
Chelsea will be |
| Present Perfect Continuous |
Chelsea has been |
| Past Perfect Continuous |
Chelsea had been |
| Future Perfect Continuous |
Chelsea will have been |
Present Participle: Adjectives
Present participles (also called verbal adjective) can be used as adjectives in sentences. All verbal adjectives replace a verbal clause.
The
rain
was
pouring
→
the
Pouring can be an adjective.
the
kid
is
smiling
and
looking
at
me
→
The
Remember, adjectives usually are put before nouns unless they are the complements of the sentence.
Present Participle: Nouns
Present participle can also be used as a noun. It can take the role of subject of the verb, object of the verb, object of the preposition, the complement of a verb and part of a compound noun in English.
Here, the present participle is the subject of a verb.
He
tried
to
quit
Here, the present participle is the object of a verb.
One
of
his
hobbies
is
Here, the present participle is the complement of a verb.
What
I
like
most
about
Here, the present participle is the object of a preposition.
I
put
the
dirty
clothes
in
the
Here, the present participle is a part of a compound noun.
Past Participle
Past participle is a form of a verb that usually ends in -d or -ed and can have many functions. However, some verbs don't form their past participle by adding -ed or -d suffix. They are called irregular verbs.
watch + ed → watched
The pronunciation of 'ed' is /t/.
walk + ed → walked
The same as watched.
bake + d → baked
We just add 'ed', but the pronunciation is the same as walked and watched.
Now look at some examples of the irregular verbs.
sing → sung
The best way to learn irregular verbs is to memorize them from dictionary.
eat → eaten
run → run
Past Participle: Spelling Rules
Here are the spelling rules for the formation of the past participle of regular verbs:
- If the verb ends in a vowel + 'y' add 'ed'.
play → played
'Ed' is pronounced /d/.
employ → employed
- If the verb ends in a consonant + 'y', 'y' changes to '-i' before 'ed'.
study → studied
'Ied' is pronounced /ɪd/
hurry → hurried
Same as 'study'.
- If the verb ends in a vowel 'e' add 'd' after it.
live → lived
'Ed' is pronounced /d/.
dance → danced
/Ed/ is pronounced /t/.
- If a monosyllabic verb ends in consonant + vowel + consonant, double the final consonant before 'ed'.
stop → stopped
/Ed/ is pronounced /t/.
plan → planned
'Ed' is pronounced /d/.
- If the verb has more than one syllable, double the final consonant before 'ed' only if the final syllable is stressed.
permit → permitted
'Ed' is pronounced /ɪd/. And the final syllable is stressed.
prefer → preferred
'Ed' is pronounced /d/.And the final syllable is stressed.
- If the final syllable of the verb is not stressed, do not double the final consonant before 'ed'.
listen → listened
'Ed' is pronounced /d/.And the final syllable is not stressed.
develop → developed
/Ed/ is pronounced /t/.And the final syllable is not stressed.
Present Participle: Uses
Past Participle has different functions:
- It is used with the verb 'have' to form perfect tenses;
- It is used with the verb 'be' to form passive sentences;
- It is used as an adjective.
Past Participle: Perfect Tenses
In order to create perfect tenses in English, we should use the past participle. We have 6 perfect tense in English but only in 3 of them we use the past participle (we use gerund in the perfect continuous tenses):
| Present Perfect |
Melisa has |
|---|---|
| Past Perfect |
Chen had |
| Future Perfect |
Alison will have |
Past Participle: Passive Voice
Passive voice is constructed by the 'be verb + past participle'.
I
am
washing
the
dishes
.
→
The
dishes
are
being
Someone
stole
my
car
.
→
My
car
was
Past Participle: Adjectives
Past participles (also called verbal adjective) can be used as adjectives in sentences. All verbal adjectives replace a verbal clause.
Her
heart
was
broken
.
→
Her
Remember, adjectives usually are put before nouns unless they are the complements of the sentence.
My
car
was
stolen
.
→
My
