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Cup cake Posted 11 years ago
Grammar

Participles

Hi Everyone,

I know how to use participles, but how would you explain them other than their adjectival form.

For example...

- The car had a boiling engine, so we pulled over.

Here the participle works as an adjective.

How else would you describe the function as a participle if not an adjective?

Thanks
Cup Cake Emotion: smile
  

Top answer

Non-finite form of a verb. One distinguishes the present participle 'writing' in (i), the participle of the perfect tense 'written' in (ii), and the passive participle 'written' in (iii): (i) John is writing a book. (ii) John has written a book.

— Mister Micawber

  • Non-finite form of a verb.
  • One distinguishes the present participle 'writing' in (i), the participle of the perfect tense 'written' in (ii), and the passive participle 'written' in (iii): (i) John is writing a book.
  • (ii) John has written a book.
  • (iii) This book was written by John.
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4 Answers
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Non-finite form of a verb. One distinguishes the present participle 'writing' in (i), the participle of the perfect tense 'written' in (ii), and the passive participle 'written' in (iii):

(i) John is writing a book.
(ii) John has written a book.
(iii) This book was written by John.
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Thanks Mr M.

Isn't 'writing' in the first example the present continuous tense?

A little confused.

I know how the participle functions, but I always struggle to explain it well to students.
The participle is by no means easy to explain so that it makes crystal clear sense.

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Cup cakeIsn't 'writing' in the first example the present continuous tense?
'is writing' is an example of the present continuous/progressive. Continuous forms of a verb are constructed with a part of BE and the present participle of the verb.
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