PRESENT PARTICIPLES
What ending do most present participles have?
Answer: -ing
True or False: Past participles can end in -ed.
Answer: True
What job does a participle do when it describes a noun?
Answer: It acts like an adjective.
True or False: A dangling participle makes a sentence confusing.
Answer: True
Identify the participle:
The burning candle melted the wax.
Answer: burning
Identify the participle:
The running water spilled onto the floor.
Answer: running
Identify the past participle:
The broken window was replaced.
Answer: broken
Which noun does the participle describe?
The barking dog scared the mail carrier.
Answer: dog
What is wrong with this sentence?
Walking to school, the backpack felt heavy.
Answer: The participle does not describe the subject.
Is torn a present or past participle?
Answer: Past participle
Which word is the participle?
The laughing children played outside.
Answer: laughing
Which word is an irregular past participle?
A. cleaned
B. finished
C. eaten
Answer: eaten
Which word is the participle?
The shining sun warmed the sidewalk.
Answer: shining
Who is supposed to be walking in this sentence?
Walking to school, the backpack felt heavy.
Answer: The person, not the backpack.
Underline the participle:
The dripping faucet made a noise.
Answer: dripping
Is running a participle in this sentence?
She is running in the race.
Answer: No — it is a verb, not a participle.
Identify the participle:
The stolen bike was returned.
Answer: stolen
Improve the sentence using a participle:
The boy ran home.
Answer: The tired boy ran home. (or similar)
Fix the sentence:
Running down the street, the rain soaked us.
Answer: Running down the street, we were soaked by the rain.
Write one sentence using a participle correctly.
Answer: Answers will vary.
Write a sentence using a present participle that describes a noun.
Answers will vary. Ex: The barking dog scared the mail carrier.
Rewrite using a participle:
The glass was broken.
Answer: The broken glass…
Why are participles useful in writing?
Answer: They add detail and make writing clearer or more interesting.
What must a participle clearly describe to avoid dangling?
Answer: The subject of the sentence.
Explain why this sentence is incorrect:
Standing in line, the bell rang.
Answer: The bell is not standing in line; the participle does not describe the subject.