The Participle

THE PARTICIPLE

A participle is that form of the verb which partakes of the nature of both a verb and a adjective, is called a participle. It may be called a verbal adjective.

A participle is a word which is partly a verb and partly an adjective.

Study the following adjective:

1.     We met a girl carrying a basket of flower.

2.     Loudly knocking at the gate, he demanded admission.

Sentence 1, -ing, form verb represents an action as going on or incomplete or imperfect. If the verb form which it comes is transitive, it takes an object.

Sentence 2, the participle is modified by an adverb.

Besides present participle, we can form from each verb another participle called its past participle, which represents a completed action or state of the thing spoken of.

Examples of past participles:

Blinded by a dust storm, they fell into disorder.

Deceived by his friends, he lost all hope.

Driven by hunger, he stole a piece of bread.

It will be noticed that the past participle usually ends in –ed, -d, -t, -en, or –n.

Besides these two simple participles the present and the past, we have what is called a perfect participle that represents an action as completed at some past time. As-

Having rested, we continued our journey.

In the following examples the participles are used as simple qualifying adjectives in front of a noun, thus used they are called participle adjectives:-

A rolling stone gathers no moss.

We had a drink of the sparkling water.

He played a losing game.

A burnt child dreads the fire.

He wears a worried look.

Used adjectivally the past participle is passive in meaning, while the present participle is active in meaning; as-

A spent swimmer = a swimmer who is tried out

A burnt child = a child who is burnt

A painted doll = a doll which is painted

A rolling stone = a stone which rolls

Let us now recapitulate what we have already learnt about the participle:

i.                   A participle is a verbal adjective

ii.                 Like a verb it may govern a noun or pronoun; as- hearing the noise, the boy woke up.

iii.              Like a verb it may be modified by an adverb; as- Loudly knocking at the gate, he demanded admission.

iv.              Like an adjective it may qualify a noun or pronoun; as- Having rested, we continued our journey.

v.                 Like an adjective it may be compared; as- Education is the most pressing need of our time.

Ex: Sentence Completion 3

SENTENCE COMPLETION

1. Although the critics agreed that the book was brilliant, so few copies were sold that the work brought the author little –––– toward.

A. theoretical

B. thoughtful

C. financial

D. abstract

E. informative.

2. While the –––– student openly questioned the teacher’s explanation, she was to so –––– as to suggest that the teacher was wrong.

A. complacent–suspicious.

B. inquisitive– imprudent.

C. curious–dispassionate.

D. provocative– respectful.

E. ineffectual – brazen.

3. Since the island soil has been barren for so many years, the natives must now –––– much of their food.

A. deliver

B. import

C. produce

D. develop

E. utilize.

4. The most frustrating periods of any diet are the inevitable –––– when weight loss –––– if not stops.

A. moods – accelerates

B. feasts - halts

A. holidays – contracts

D. plateaus-slows

E. meals – ceases.

5. If it is true that morality cannot exist without religion, then does not the erosion of religion herald the –––– of morality?

A. regulation

B. basis

C. belief

D. collapse

E. value.

6. As a person who combines care with ––––, Marisa completed her duties with –––– as well as zeal.

A. levity – resignation

B. geniality - ardor

C. vitality – willingness

D. empathy - rigor

E. enthusiasm – meticulousness.

7. The stoic former general led his civilian life as he had his military life, with simplicity and –––– dignity.

A. benevolent

B. informal

C. austere

D. aggressive

E. succinct.

8. Shaken by two decades of virtual anarchy, the majority of people were ready to buy –––– at any price-

A. order

B. emancipation

C. hope

D. liberty

E. entity.

9. Sara viewed Melissa to be –––– ; she seemed to be against any position regardless of its merits -

A. heretical

B. disobedient

C. contrary

D. inattentive

E. harried.

10. Anthony’s –––––––––– expression masked an essentially cheerful nature -

A. Jubilant

B. inevitable

C. dour

D. pert

E. serene.

11. After the governor’s third trip overseas, voters complained that he was paying too little attention to –––– affairs.

A. intellectual

B. foreign

C. professional

D. aesthetic

E. domestic.

12. Communities in primitive areas where natural –––– is scarce must be resourceful in order to secure adequate nutrition.

A. education

B. competition

C. sustenance

D. agriculture

E. assistance

13. Many myths and legends, however –––– often posses a grain of truth.

A. delightful

B. accurate

C. eternal

D. important

E. unbelievable.

14. Miranda in her desire to foster –––– , often felt compelled to –––– readily to others in time situations.

A. co-operation –––– object

B. consistency –––– defer

C. dissension –––– surrender

D. discourse –––– appeal

E. harmony –––– acquiesce.

15. I –––– the newspaper to see if there was anything interesting in it.

A. glanced at

B. glimpse at

C. gazed at

D. furnished at

E. None of the above.

16. Albert Einstein expressed his –––– of relativity.

A. principal

B. principle

C. principality

D. rule

E. None of the above.

17. You must get some fresh –––– for our visitor, this loaf is terribly –––

A. milk –––– salty

B. fruits –––– sweet

C. biscuit –––– crunchy

D. bread –––– stale

E. butter - good

18. Scientists are trying to –––– an inexpensive substitute for gasoline.

A. devise

B. device

C. defies

D. initiate

E. None of the above.

19. In a time of fiscal crisis, such lavish expenditure must be ––––.

A. quickened

B. corrected

C. curtailed

D. justified

E. adjusted.

20. Because the novel was so long, Sara decided to read the –––– version.

A. lengthened

B. smaller

C. abridged

D. famous

E. humorous.

Answer Keys:

1. c 2. b 3. b 4. e 5. d 6. e 7. c 8. a 9. c 10. c 11. e 12. c 13. e 14. e 15. a 16. b 17. d 18. a 19. c 20. c