Verb Past Participle Present Participle

Participles Worksheet 153

A participle is a verb form that is used as an adjective. You have learned that the past participle is the third principal part of the verb. The present participle is formed by adding – ing to the first principal part of the verb.

Verb Past Participle Present Participle trust trusted trusting break broken breaking

As verbals, participles modify nouns or pronouns. Their opening song was new. Surprised, I opened the gift. Often, a participle has an object. It may also be modified by adverbs or prepositional phrases. The participle with all its objects and modifiers forms a participial phrase. The entire phrase is used as an adjective.

The ushers collecting tickets directed the crowd. (Collecting is a participle; tickets is its object.) Performing on the parallel bars, Nadia fell. (Performing is a participle; on the parallel bars is a prepositional phrase modifying it.)

Identifying Participles. Underline the participle in each sentence. Draw an arrow to the word modified by the participle.

1. A baked potato comes with every meal.

2. In the film about endangered species, I saw a bald eagle.

3. We frantically bailed water from the flooded basement.

4. David Letterman bowed to the laughing audience.

5. The tailor repaired my ripped jacket in just a few minutes.

6. The book told about actual buried treasure in the United States.

Identifying Participial Phrases. Underline the participial phrase in each sentence. Draw an arrow to the word modified.

1. Soothed by the music, Linda fell asleep in her chair.

2. Packing hurriedly, Tara forgot her shoes.

3. The doctor examining me ordered a blood test.

4. Tired after the long practice, the athlete stumbled.

5. A motorist driving recklessly through the neighborhood was arrested

6. Leaping several feet into the air, Andrea caught the softball. Participles and Participial Phrases

A participle is a verb form that can be used as an adjective. There are two kinds of participles. Present participles end in –ing; and past participles regularly end in –d or –ed. Some past participles are irregularly formed.

The pacing lion made me nervous. [Present participle modifies lion.] The hunted animal camouflaged itself. [Past participle modifies animal.] The broken fence allowed it to escape. [Past participle modifies fence.] A participial phrase is a phrase containing a participle and any complements or modifiers it may have. The entire participial phrase acts as an adjective.

Searching for food, the dog roamed the neighborhood. [participle with the adverb phrase for food] The dog, walking slowly, approached our house. [participle with the adverb slowly] Sniffing our clothing, the dog seemed to trust us. [participle with the direct object clothing and the possessive pronoun our]

Exercise A. Underline the participles used as adjectives in each of the following sentences.

Sample: We searched the island for buried treasure.

1. The prancing horses were loudly applauded by the delighted audience.

2. The colorful flags, waving in the breeze, brightened the gloomy day.

3. Swaggering and boasting, he made us extremely angry.

4. The game scheduled for tonight has been postponed because of rain.

5. Branches tapping on the roof made an eerie sound.

Exercise B. For each blank in the following sentences, choose a participle that completes the meaning of the sentence. Sample: The rising tide washed over the beach.

1. Jan Evers, ______in a recent magazine, describes the destruction of the rain forest.

2. The tiger, ______by the hunters, swam across the river to safety.

3. ______at the traffic light, the driver put on his sunglasses.

4. The poem describes a spider ______on a thread.

5. We stumbled off the race course, ______.