A participle is a verb form that can function as part of a verb tense or as an adjective. There are two types: the present participle (-ing) and the past participle (-ed, -en, -t, or irregular).
Present Participle (-ing)
As a Verb (Continuous Tenses)
She is reading a book. (present continuous) They were waiting for the bus. (past continuous)
As an Adjective
Describes the noun that causes a feeling or action.
| Example | Meaning | | --------------------- | ----------------------------- | | a boring movie | The movie causes boredom. | | running water | Water that runs. | | fascinating story | The story causes fascination. | | falling leaves | Leaves that fall. |
It was a boring lecture, so I left early.
Past Participle (-ed / -en / -t)
As a Verb (Perfect Tenses / Passive Voice)
She has finished her homework. (present perfect) The vase was broken by the cat. (passive voice)
As an Adjective
Describes the noun that receives or experiences the action.
| Example | Meaning | | ----------------------- | -------------------------- | | a broken vase | The vase was broken. | | tired students | The students feel tired. | | a written agreement | The agreement was written. | | closed door | The door is closed. |
The tired students fell asleep in class.
Participle Adjectives: -ing vs -ed
A common point of confusion: -ing adjectives describe the cause, while -ed adjectives describe the feeling.
| -ing (cause) | -ed (feeling) | | ------------------------- | -------------------- | | The movie is boring. | I am bored. | | The news is shocking. | She was shocked. | | The work is tiring. | They feel tired. | | The story is amazing. | We were amazed. |
The annoying noise kept me awake. (the noise causes annoyance) I was annoyed by the noise. (I felt annoyance)
Participial Phrases
A participle can begin a phrase that modifies a noun.
Exhausted from work, she went to bed. Walking through the park, he saw a squirrel. Written in 1920, the book is still popular.
Dangling Participles
A dangling participle occurs when the subject of the participle is not the same as the subject of the main clause.
~~Walking down the street, the building looked old.~~
The building isn't walking. Fix by making the subject match:
Walking down the street, I noticed the old building.
Common Mistakes
- Using -ing when -ed is needed: ~~I am boring in class.~~ → I am bored in class.
- Using -ed when -ing is needed: ~~The movie was bored.~~ → The movie was boring.
- Creating dangling participles: ~~Driving to work, the traffic was bad.~~ → Driving to work, I hit traffic.