Participles as Adjectives
Some participles may be used as adjectives before nouns, or after some verbs.It is one thing to be annoying; it is an altogether different matter to be annoyed. So what's the difference?
- Present participles (ends in -ing)
• Jack is an annoying young man.
• The assignment was confusing.- Past participles (ends in -ed, -d, -en, -n, or -t)
• Jean was an annoyed lady.
• The student was confused.
Present participles
A present participle should describe a person or thing causing the experience.
To remember, think of the -ing ending of a present participle to mean that the noun described has an active role in stimulating the experience.
Jack is an annoying young man = Jack is the one annoying others.
Past participles
A past participle should describe a person or thing undergoing the experience.
Think of the -ed ending to mean that the noun described as having a passive relationship with something else.
Jean was an annoyed lady = Jean is the one who was annoyed (by Jack?).
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