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What Are Past Participles

Past participles are verb forms that end in -ed, -d, -t, -en, or -n and can be used as adjectives. Examples include swollen, broken, and ruined. Past participles are also used to form verb tenses like the past perfect tense. Regular verbs form their past participle by adding -ed, while irregular verbs have unpredictable forms that must be memorized.

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516 views

What Are Past Participles

Past participles are verb forms that end in -ed, -d, -t, -en, or -n and can be used as adjectives. Examples include swollen, broken, and ruined. Past participles are also used to form verb tenses like the past perfect tense. Regular verbs form their past participle by adding -ed, while irregular verbs have unpredictable forms that must be memorized.

Uploaded by

Noor Azlina Said
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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What Are Past Participles?

Participles are words formed from verbs which can be used as adjectives.
There are two types of participles:

The Past Participle


(usually ending -ed, -d, -t, -en, or -n)

The Present Participle


(ending -ing)
The "Note" section on the right explains how to form past participles.

Examples of Past Participles Being Used As Adjectives


Here are some examples of past participles being used as adjectives:

The Verb

The Past Participle

To swell

swollen eyes

To break

broken plate

To ruin

ruined cake

Past Participles in Participle Phrases


Past participles can often be found in participle phrases. A participle phrase acts like an adjective. In
the examples below, the participle phrases are shaded and the past participles are in bold:

The boy taken to hospital has recovered.


(The participle phrase taken to hospital describes the boy.)

I have a heart wracked with sorrow.


(The participle phrase wracked with sorrow describes a heart.)

Battered by the wind, John fell to his knees.


(The participle phrase "Battered by the wind describes john.)

Finally broken , Lee lowered his gloves.


(The participle phrase Finally broken describes Lee.)
Read more about participle phrases.

More Examples of Past Participles Used as Adjectives


Here are some examples of past participles (shaded) being used as adjectives:

Here is a laminated copy to replace your torn one.

Stuffed deer heads on walls are bad enough, but it's worse when they have streamers in their
antlers because then you know they were enjoying themselves when they were shot. (Ellen
DeGeneres)

A torn jacket is soon mended, but hard words bruise the heart of a child. (Henry Longfellow)

Scandal is gossip made tedious by morality. (Oscar Wilde, 1854-1900)

The enemy is anybody who's going to get you killed, no matter which side he's on. (Joseph
Heller, 1923- 1999)

Past Participles Used in Verb Tenses


As well as being used as adjectives, past participles are also used to formverb tenses. Here are the verb
tenses (past participles shaded):

The 4 Past Tenses

Example

simple past tense

I broke

past progressive tense

I was breaking

past perfect tense

I had broken

past perfect progressive tense

I had beenbreaking

The 4 Present Tenses

Example

simple present tense

I break

present progressive tense

I am breaking

present perfect tense

I have broken

present perfect progressive tense

I have beenbreaking

The 4 Future Tenses

Example

simple future tense

I will break

future progressive tense

I will be breaking

future perfect tense

I will have broken

future perfect progressive tense

I will have beenbreaking

Forming the Past Participle (Regular Verbs)

If it's a regular verb, the past participle is the same as the simple past tense. In other words, it is
formed like this:
Add "ed" to most verbs:

jump > jumped

paint > painted


If a verb of one syllable ends [consonant-vowel-consonant], double the final consonant and add "ed":

chat > chatted

stop > stopped


If the final consonant is w, x or y, don't double it:

sew > sewed

play > played

fix > fixed


If last syllable of a longer verb is stressed and ends [consonant-vowel-consonant], double the last
consonant and add "ed":

incur > incurred

prefer > preferred

If the first syllable of a longer verb is stressed and the verb ends [consonant-vowel-consonant], just add
"ed":

open > opened

enter > entered

swallow > swallowed


If the verb ends "e", just add "d":

thrive > thrived

guzzle > guzzled


If the verb ends [consonant + "y"], change the "y" to an "i" and add "ed":

cry > cried

fry > fried

Forming the Past Participle (Irregular Verbs)

If it's an irregular verb, the past participle is formed in all sorts of different ways. Here are some
examples:

arise > arisen

catch > caught

choose > chosen

know > known


You just have to learn them.
Click here for a list of the most common irregular verbs.

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