What are participles?

Past Participles

Look at the verb table below: Past participles are formed by adding - ed, -d, -t, -en, or -n to the verb.
Infinitive Past Present Past Examples:
Participle Participle i) walk + ed = walked
bore bored boring bored ii) move + ed = moved
* Remember if a verb ends in e, drop the e before adding ed.
interest interested interesting interested
1. As adjectives
Sometimes the participle of a verb can be used as an adjective.
* Present Participles: end with -ing Examples:
* Past Participles: end with -ed i) He had a broken arm. (Broken is used here as an adjective.)
ii) I’m bored of my job. I want to find another one.
Present Participles (* used to describe how people feel about something or someone)
Present participles are formed by adding -ing to the verb.
Examples:
walk + ing = walking 2. As Present Perfect Tenses
move + ing = moving The present perfect is formed by using ‘has’ or ‘have’ and the past
participle of the verb.
1. As part of a verb / to form tenses i) I have watched the movie.
Present participle (verb+ing) function as part of a verb if the use with ii) Her English has improved since she joined Cambridge Centre.
verb to be (am, is, are, was, and were).
Examples:
i) The train is arriving at the station now. 3. As Past Perfect Tense
ii) They are swimming in the river. The past perfect is formed by using ‘had’ and the past participle of the
verb.
2. As adjectives i) I had studied in China last year.
Sometimes the participle of a verb can be used as an adjective. ii) They had gone to the town.
Examples:
i) It was a tiring journey.
ii) We watched an interesting movie just now.
(* used to describe something or someone)

3. After verbs such as feel, see, watch, smell and like.

Examples:
i) We could smell the food burning.
ii) I felt somebody staring at me.