Editing Participle (section)

== Types ==

Participles can be used adjectivally (i.e. without characteristics of canonical verbs) as ''[[attributive adjective]]s''. Unlike standard verbs, participles don’t typically have [[Object (grammar)|objects]] or the usual modifiers that verbs have. However, they can be modified by adverbs such as ''very'' or ''slightly''. The difference is illustrated by the following examples:
*The subject '''interesting''' him is Greek history.
*Greek history is an '''interesting''' subject.
*Greek history is a very '''interesting''' subject.

In the first sentence, ''interesting'' functions transitively in a non-finite sense as a participle that expresses the object ''him'', thereby forming the grammatical equivalent of "[that is] ''interesting him''". In the second and third sentences, ''interesting'' functions as a prepositive adjective modifying ''subject''. An adverb (such as ''very'' or ''recently'') or a prefix (such as ''un-'') can preface adjectival participles: "a ''very frightened'' rabbit", "''recently fallen'' leaves", "''uninterested'' people".

Some languages differentiate '''adjectival participles''' and '''adverbial participles'''. An adverbial participle (or a participial phrase/clause based on such a participle) plays the role of an [[adverbial]] phrase in the sentence in which it appears, whereas an adjectival participle (or a participial phrase/clause based on one) plays the role of an [[adjective phrase]]. Such languages include [[Russian grammar|Russian]]<ref name=ruspar>[http://www.alphadictionary.com/rusgrammar/particip.html The Russian Participles]. Part of "An Interactive On-line Reference Grammar — Russian" by Dr. Robert Beard.</ref> and other [[Slavic languages]], [[Hungarian grammar|Hungarian]], and many [[Eskimo languages]], such as [[Sirenik language|Sirenik]],<ref name=Men-JazSirEsk>Menovshchikov, G.A.: Language of Sireniki Eskimos. Phonetics, morphology, texts and vocabulary. [[Russian Academy of Sciences|Academy of Sciences of the USSR]], Moscow • Leningrad, 1964. Original data: Г.А. Меновщиков: Язык сиреникских эскимосов. Фонетика, очерк морфологии, тексты и словарь. Академия Наук СССР. Институт языкознания. Москва • Ленинград, 1964</ref> which has a [[Sirenik Eskimo language#Participles|sophisticated participle system]]. Details can be found in the sections below or in the articles on the grammars of specific languages.

Grammatical descriptions vary in the way these are treated. Some descriptive grammars treat such adverbial and adjectival participles as distinct [[lexical category|lexical categories]], while others include them both in a single category of participles.<ref name=ruspar/><ref>{{cite book |last1=Kiss |first1=Katalin E. |last2=Kiefer |first2=Ferenc |last3=Siptár |first3=Péter |title=Új magyar nyelvtan |edition=3. kiadás |series=Osiris tankönyvek |year=2003 |publisher=Osiris Kiadó |location=Budapest |language=hu |issn=1218-9855}}</ref> Adverbial participles in certain languages may be called [[converb]]s, [[gerund]]s, or [[gerundive]]s (though this is not consistent with the meanings of the terms ''gerund'' or ''gerundive'' as normally applied to English or Latin), or [[transgressive (linguistics)|transgressive]]s.

===Tense===
Participles are often used to form certain [[grammatical tense]]s or [[grammatical aspect]]s. The two types of participle in Modern English are termed '''present participle''' and '''past participle''', respectively (often also referred to as the ''-ing form'' and ''-ed/-en form'').<ref>Crystal, David. (2008). ''A Dictionary of Linguistics and Phonetics'' (6th ed.), pp. 351-352. Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishing.</ref> The traditional terms are misleading because the participles do not necessarily correspond to tense:<ref>Huddleston, Rodney. (2002). In Rodney Huddleston & Geoffrey K. Pullum (Eds.), ''The Cambridge Grammar of the English Language'' (pp. 78-81). Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.</ref> the present participle is often associated with the progressive (continuous) aspect, while the past participle is linked with the perfect aspect or passive voice. See the examples below:

*They were just '''standing''' there.<ref>Participles – Present, Past and Perfect. ''Lingolia''. Retrieved from https://english.lingolia.com/en/grammar/verbs/participles</ref>
*By the time you get home, I will have '''cleaned''' the house.<ref>Hewings, Martin. (2005). Future continuous and future perfect (continuous). In ''Advanced Grammar in Use'' (2nd ed.), p. 22. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.</ref>

The first sentence is in the past tense (''were''), but a present participle expresses the progressive aspect (''be standing''). The second sentence is in the future tense (''will''), but a past participle is used for the perfect aspect (''have cleaned'').

===Voice===
Participles may also be identified with a particular [[grammatical voice|voice]]: [[active voice|active]] or [[passive voice|passive]]. Some languages (such as Latin and Russian) have distinct participles for active and passive uses. In English, the present participle is essentially an active participle, and the past participle has both active and passive uses.

The following examples illustrate those concepts:
* I saw John '''eating''' his dinner. (Here ''eating'' is an active present participle).
* The bus has '''gone'''. (Here ''gone'' is an active past participle).
* The window was '''broken''' with a rock. (Here ''broken'' is a passive past participle)