Participle Adjectives
Discover the rules for using participle adjectives like 'tired' and 'tiring'. Detailed explanations and a quiz to test your knowledge.
Types of Participle
The two types of participles in English are:
Present Participle (verb + -ing)
Past Participle (verb + -ed/-en)
Present Participles
'Present participle adjectives' are formed by adding the suffix '-ing' to the base form of the verb. Pay attention to the examples:
The movie annoys me. → The movie is annoying.
The play amused us. →The play was amusing.
The bird that flew had blue feathers. → The flying bird had blue feathers.
Past Participles
'Past participle adjectives' are usually formed by adding the suffix '-ed' or '-en' to verbs. However, sometimes the past participle form is irregular. These adjectives are usually used for living things because non-living objects cannot experience feelings or actions.
The stunned boy lived on his own.
I was pleased after talking to the young lady.
I think I am a little confused now.
He is always misunderstood.
He was killed for an unknown reason.
Participle Adjectives: Functions
Participle adjectives can be used as:
A pre-positive adjective
A post-positive adjective
You can't fix a broken heart. (pre-positive)
I am left with nothing but a heart broken by his actions. (post-positive)
Compound Participle Adjectives
Adding a noun, adverb, or adjective before a participle adjective forms a compound participle adjective that is still considered a participle adjective. Look at the following examples:
There is a never-ending love between them.
They create long-lasting flowers using a special substance.
Hyphen
When forming compound participle adjectives, don't forget to insert a hyphen between the participle adjective and the preceding word.
Review
'Participle adjectives' are present participles or past participles formed from a verb that ends in -ing or -ed.
They are usually used to express feelings, however, they can be used in different cases. So it is better to consider them descriptive adjectives.
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