Past Participle vs. Present Participle

Attribute	Past Participle	Present Participle
Form	Verb + -ed or irregular form	Verb + -ing
Function	Used to form the past tense, perfect tenses, and passive voice	Used to form the progressive tenses and as adjectives or nouns
Examples	Walked, eaten, written	Walking, eating, writing
Usage	Describes completed actions or states	Describes ongoing actions or states
Verb Forms	Regular and irregular verbs	Regular and irregular verbs

Introduction

Participles are verb forms that can function as adjectives or parts of verb phrases. In English, there are two main types of participles: past participle and present participle. While both types share some similarities, they also have distinct attributes that set them apart. This article aims to explore and compare the attributes of past participle and present participle, shedding light on their usage, formation, and functions.

Formation

Past participles are typically formed by adding the suffix "-ed" or "-d" to the base form of a regular verb. For example, the past participle of the verb "walk" is "walked," and the past participle of the verb "talk" is "talked." However, irregular verbs have unique past participle forms that do not follow this pattern. For instance, the past participle of the verb "go" is "gone," and the past participle of the verb "eat" is "eaten."

On the other hand, present participles are formed by adding the suffix "-ing" to the base form of a verb. For example, the present participle of the verb "run" is "running," and the present participle of the verb "sing" is "singing." It is important to note that present participles are always formed in this way, regardless of whether the verb is regular or irregular.

Usage

Past participles are primarily used to form the perfect tenses and the passive voice in English. In the perfect tenses, the past participle is combined with an auxiliary verb (e.g., "have," "had," "has") to indicate an action that was completed in the past. For example, "I have finished my homework" or "She had already eaten dinner." In the passive voice, the past participle is used to describe an action that is done to the subject of the sentence. For instance, "The book was written by a famous author."

Present participles, on the other hand, are commonly used to form the progressive tenses in English. The progressive tenses indicate ongoing or continuous actions. For example, "I am studying for my exam" or "They were playing soccer in the park." Present participles can also function as adjectives to describe the characteristics or qualities of a noun. For instance, "The running water" or "The singing birds."

Functions

Past participles, as mentioned earlier, are often used to form the perfect tenses and the passive voice. However, they can also function as adjectives in sentences. Past participles used as adjectives describe the state or condition of a noun. For example, "The broken window" or "The excited child." Additionally, past participles can be used to form participial phrases, which provide additional information about a noun or pronoun. For instance, "The girl, exhausted from the long journey, fell asleep immediately."

Present participles, besides their role in forming progressive tenses and functioning as adjectives, can also be used to create participial phrases. These phrases, similar to those formed with past participles, provide additional details about a noun or pronoun. For example, "The dog, wagging its tail, approached the visitors" or "The children, laughing happily, played in the park."

Examples

Let's explore some examples to further illustrate the attributes of past participle and present participle:

Past Participle Examples

• The cakebaked by my mom was delicious.
• The broken vase needs to berepaired.
• She hasseen that movie multiple times.
• Thewritten report was submitted yesterday.
• They werechosen as the winners of the competition.

Present Participle Examples

• Therunning water in the river looked refreshing.
• He enjoysplaying the guitar in his free time.
• Thesinging birds woke me up in the morning.
• We saw a group ofdancing children at the park.
• She wasreading a fascinating book all night.

Conclusion

Past participle and present participle are two important verb forms in English that serve different purposes. Past participles are primarily used to form perfect tenses and the passive voice, while present participles are used to form progressive tenses and function as adjectives. Both types of participles can also be used to create participial phrases, providing additional information about nouns or pronouns. Understanding the attributes and usage of past participle and present participle is crucial for effective communication and accurate grammar in English.