<p>Participles Worksheet 153</p><p>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.</p><p>Verb Past Participle Present Participle trust trusted trusting break broken breaking</p><p>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.</p><p>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.)</p><p>Identifying Participles. Underline the participle in each sentence. Draw an arrow to the word modified by the participle. </p><p>1. A baked potato comes with every meal.</p><p>2. In the film about endangered species, I saw a bald eagle.</p><p>3. We frantically bailed water from the flooded basement.</p><p>4. David Letterman bowed to the laughing audience.</p><p>5. The tailor repaired my ripped jacket in just a few minutes.</p><p>6. The book told about actual buried treasure in the United States.</p><p>Identifying Participial Phrases. Underline the participial phrase in each sentence. Draw an arrow to the word modified.</p><p>1. Soothed by the music, Linda fell asleep in her chair.</p><p>2. Packing hurriedly, Tara forgot her shoes.</p><p>3. The doctor examining me ordered a blood test.</p><p>4. Tired after the long practice, the athlete stumbled.</p><p>5. A motorist driving recklessly through the neighborhood was arrested</p><p>6. Leaping several feet into the air, Andrea caught the softball. Participles and Participial Phrases</p><p>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. </p><p>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. </p><p>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]</p><p>Exercise A. Underline the participles used as adjectives in each of the following sentences.</p><p>Sample: We searched the island for buried treasure.</p><p>1. The prancing horses were loudly applauded by the delighted audience.</p><p>2. The colorful flags, waving in the breeze, brightened the gloomy day.</p><p>3. Swaggering and boasting, he made us extremely angry.</p><p>4. The game scheduled for tonight has been postponed because of rain.</p><p>5. Branches tapping on the roof made an eerie sound.</p><p>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.</p><p>1. Jan Evers, ______in a recent magazine, describes the destruction of the rain forest.</p><p>2. The tiger, ______by the hunters, swam across the river to safety.</p><p>3. ______at the traffic light, the driver put on his sunglasses.</p><p>4. The poem describes a spider ______on a thread.</p><p>5. We stumbled off the race course, ______.</p>