D.
Grammar and Usage
Present and Past Participle
The participle form of a verb, present or past, can be used as a modifier to noun. The
present participle is formed by adding the suffix "-ing" to the verb, e.g. falling, changing. The
past participle is usually formed by adding the suffix "-ed" to the verb (the so-called regular
verbs). The past participles of irregular verbs must be learnt by heart. Examples of past
participles: fall-fell - fallen, change - changed - changed
The present participle has an active meaning while the past participle has a passive
meaning. As noun modifiers, the present or past participles modify nouns, and are normally put
before the nouns they modify, as in the following examples:
1. a. Falling birth rates could slow economic growth. (active meaning)
b. The street sweepers sweep the fallen leaves every morning. (passive meaning)
2. a. Changing lifestyle is one of the causes. (active meaning)
b. After the terrible accident that killed all his family he became a changed man.
(passive meaning)
When "be" is followed by the present participle of a verb, the whole verb phrase
expresses the continuous tense and when "be" is followed by the past participle of a verb, the
whole verb phrase is called the passive form of the verb.
Exercise 1. Write 5 (five) present participles as found in the first three paragraphs
Present participle
1. Playing football is my hobby
2. The book is interesting
3. I hate those annoying kids
Past participle
1. I can’t find the lost key
2. She can’t open the locked door
3. I meet the bored man in the street
Exercise 2. Underline the correct participle forms in the following sentences
1. The audience gave a big applause to the (interesting-interested) show.
2. The (frightening- frightened) man had left the movies before the (frightening-frightened) film
ended.
3. The carpenter was repairing the (breaking - broken) window when I left him this morning.
4. The room looked brighter after she had placed some (buming - burnt) candles in the room.
5. The (boring-bored) speech makes the (boring - bored) audience feel sleepy
6. The little girl with a (smiling- smiled) face that you saw yesterday is my neighbour's daughter
7 The (wounding wounded) man screamed all day and all night.
Exercise 3. Make sentences by using the following present or past participles as noun modifiers.
1. Amusing : this amusing performance entertained the audience
2. Stolen : we can’t find the stolen car .
3. Convincing : the legislative members shows their convincing words in the meeting
4. Frozen : my mom bought some frozen food in the market
5. Trembling : I can’t hold my trembling hands when I see her
E. Writing
Exercise 1. Put the following phrases/words in the right order.
1. its growing - old people - Japan - about - number of - is worried.
Japan is worried about number of its growing old people
2. the nation's - falling - endanger - birth rates-could-population.
Birth rates could endanger the nation’s falling population
3. to stop-must-early action - be taken the declining trend.
To stop early action must be taken the declining trend
4. single people - the increasing-was- number of the main cause.
The increasing number of the main cause was single people
5. are keeping and working conditions - low the birth rate - poor - housing.
Low birth rate are keepinh and working condition poor housing
Exercise 2. Choose a word from the list below to fill in the following blanks
- affect - are against
- lower - want
- the work force - demand
- damage - refuse
1. The economists support the idea of increasing the population but the population experrt refuse
the opinion.
2. The independent population expert objects to the idea of increasing the population because a
larger population will damage the environment.
3 Those who are in favour of increasing the population and those who are against the idea are
involved in a senous debate.
4 If the birth rate keeps dropping it will affect the work force.
5 According to the economists, Japan's population should increase in order to support the work
force
