Name __________________________________ Date _________________
Participles
Describe the nouns below with a participle. Remember: A participle is a verb form used as an adjective.
Example: __disorganized desk INCORRECT:red desk
buzzing __ bee INCORRECT:small bee
1. ______________ door 3. ______________ essay
2. ______________ flowers 4. ______________ walk
Underline the participial phrases in the sentences below. Then write what is being modified, or described, on the line.
Example: My dog was in the backyard burying a stuffed toy. ___dog____
participial phrase what is modified
5. Shedding his skin, the snake slithered along the beach. __________
6. Paul almost fell down carrying a big pile of books. __________
7. The sidewalk, crumbling from years of neglect, was the next
topic on the committee’s agenda. __________
8. Looking at her dinner, Sydney was reminded of the two big
sandwiches she ate for lunch. __________
A participle is a form of a verb, but it is not a used as a verb. Participles can be used as adjectives because they modify, or describe, nouns. To form most participles, use the -ed or -ing forms for regular verbs.
Examples: the running car our broken faucet (irregular verb)
my singing bird a raised roof
A participial phrase includes a participle and other words that help describe a noun. A sentence with a participial phrase could look like this:
Walking down the street, Ryan spotted his brother coming toward him.
- walking down the street describes Ryan
Or this:
The contest, completed by the time I arrived, was to find the best speller.
- completed by the time I arrived tells something about the contest