How to use participles(..ing/..ed) as adjectives？

Question

Hello All:How to use Participles as Adjectives?For example, the selected person, losing keys ... What are the rules?Are all verbs plus -ing or -ed can be adjectives?Or tell me where I could find this kind of resource?Thanks for help!

Avangi · Accepted Answer

Hi reg. Thanks for joining us. Welcome to English Forums.

The past participle is a little easier than the present participle, as your example shows. We can all imagine what a selected person is, but we have to ask, "What is a losing key?" (a "losing team" is easy to understand.)

I'm giving a car away as a prize in a contest, but two contestants are tied. Instead of flipping a coin, I put several car keys in my hat and ask them to take turns picking. Only one key fits the car. (That's the winning key!) The others are losing keys.

After losing keys, people usually become upset.

This present participle does not function as an adjective. "Losing" doesn't tell us what kind of keys these are. It's part of a phrase which tells us when people usually become upset. The phrase modifies the verb, so we say the phrase is adverbial.

"Lost keys" is easy, as are most past participles.

You can try a search for "participles as adjectives." This site has a search function (upper right corner), or you can look elsewhere.

Best wishes, - A.

Anonymous · Answer

Avangi, thanks.

I want to correct my bad exmple "losing keys", it's weird.
Here are another sentences:
1) A great number of frightened investors took their money out of the stock market.
2) I am excited about my company's new advertising campaign.
3) I found this broken plate in the kitchen cupboard.

Avangi · Answer

These are fine.<img src="http://www.EnglishForward.com/emoticons/emotion-79.gif"/>

How to use participles(..ing/..ed) as adjectives？

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