Lesson 1 of 4 · 10 min

Meet present and past participles

Recognise participle forms such as running, played, and written.

Two forms to recognise

A participle is a verb form used in a larger verb phrase or a description. The present participle ends in -ing: running, writing, playing. Regular past participles end in -ed, as in played. Irregular ones include written, taken, and seen. Learn irregular verbs as a set: write, wrote, written.

A form is not a tense

The names 'present participle' and 'past participle' do not tell you the time by themselves. In 'Noor was running', running is a present participle, but was places the action in the past. Compare 'I wrote a note yesterday' with 'I have written a note': wrote is a simple past form; written is a past participle.

Notice the job of an -ing form

The same -ing form can have different jobs. In 'Noor is running', it helps form a continuous verb phrase. In 'Running keeps Noor fit', it names an activity and works as the subject; traditional grammar calls this use a gerund. Read the whole sentence before deciding what the form does.

See it in practice

Starting point

Noor is run around the park. She has wrote a note about her route.

Using this skill

Noor is running around the park. She has written a note about her route.

After is, running forms the continuous verb phrase. After has, use the past participle written, rather than the simple past form wrote.

01 / Check your understanding

Try the skill

Choose an answer for each question. You can try again after reading the feedback.

1. Which word is the present participle in 'Noor was running along the path'?
2. Which form is the past participle of 'write'?

02 / Put it into words

Make it your own

Write two or three sentences about preparing for an activity. Use one continuous phrase such as 'am practising' and one perfect phrase such as 'have written'. Check the participle in each phrase.

Write at least 20 words. Use the checklist and example to review your writing; this exercise does not give an automatic writing score.

0 / 20 words minimum Save your response with the button below.

Before you finish

  • My -ing participle follows a suitable form of be.
  • My perfect phrase uses have or has plus a past participle.
  • I checked any irregular past participles.
Read one possible response

Compare the choices this writer made with your own. Many different responses can work.

I am practising a short talk for our reading group. I have written three notes to help me remember the main points, and my friend is checking them.

Complete the lesson by answering both questions correctly, reaching the writing minimum, and reviewing your draft.