Participles Worksheet

Reminders:

• Participles are verb forms used to modify nouns.

  • Ex: The swinging sign creaked in the wind.

  • Ex: The unexpected guest made a speech.

• Present participles ALWAYS end in -ing. They are the form used with is, am, and are in verb phrases.

  • Ex: is looking, am running, are reading.

• Past participles USUALLY end in -ed or -d. They are the form used with have, has, and had in verb phrases.

  • Ex: have looked, has stopped, had hopped.

• A few past participles are irregularly formed (torn, sold, burnt, read, etc.)

  • Ex: have flown, had slept, has fought

Sentences

Directions:

• Underline the present and past participles that are modifying nouns/pronouns in the sentences below.

• Draw arrows from the participles to the nouns/pronouns they modify.

• Do NOT mark participles that are part of the main verb. Only mark those used as modifiers of nouns or pronouns.

1. Where did you hide my running shoes?

2. She dropped the burnt toast into the trash when my stressed mom was not looking.

3. The students surprised their hard-working principal with a loud hurrah.

4. Many advertising companies target women in their late teens.

5. Abandoned cats and dogs have become a too-common sight in our cities.

6. The reporting journalist squinted at the bright lights.

7. Most of the skilled trapeze artists trained in Florence, Italy.

8. There are no quick fixes for broken people.

9. The movie star waved at her cheering fans.

10. We placed the frozen enchiladas on the counter.

Participial Phrases

Reminders:

• Participial phrases are made up of participles and accompanying modifiers.

  • Ex: The jogger running in the puddle is going to be very wet and cold.

• Just like simple participles (above), participial phrases can be made up of present or past participles and accompanying modifiers.

  • Ex: The police scattered the protesters loitering outside the museum.

  • Ex: The Great Smoky Mountains National Park contains rolling hills blanketed by bluish haze.

• Simple participles usually appear immediately before the noun/pronoun modified. Participial phrases follow the noun/pronoun modified.

Sentences

Directions:

• Underline the present and past participles and participial phrases modifying nouns/pronouns in the sentences below.

• Draw arrows from the participles and participial phrases to the nouns/pronouns they modify.

• Ignore participial forms that are part of the main verb. In this exercise, we're just looking at participles and participial phrases that are modifying nouns or pronouns.

1. Stock traders investing in foreign markets have enjoyed a 40% yield this year.

2. The Napa Symphony strives for fun performances filled with musical details polished to a high degree.

3. The panel of judges denied the objection made by the plaintiff's attorney.

4. The National Institute of Health draws on research accumulated over decades.

5. Children can be hurt by parents suffering job distress.

6. The first city attacked by the troops was in the middle of the desert.

7. Some plants growing at an angle can straighten themselves up.

8. Three teenagers treated in the emergency room yesterday required stitches.

9. The ski run covered with the most new powder attracted huge crowds of skiers.

10. Throngs crowding Lincoln Avenue cheered the Cinco de Mayo parade in Calistoga.

11. Six Greek statues carved out of marble were returned to Athen's museum.

12. Nearly bankrupt teaching hospitals all over the country are re-examining their finances.

13. The reporter describing the fiesta didn't reveal all of the colorful details.

14. Most of the trapeze artists trained in Florence work in other cities.

15. The clothing styles sold at this sleazy thrift store are not available in department stores.

16. The restaurant served potatoes baked in a special salt shell.

17. The Red Cross sent helpers to all the countries stricken by the tsunami.

18. The game scheduled for Tuesday was moved up to Monday.

19. Hail beating on the roof made a startling noise.

20. The horse terrified by the barking chihuahua bucked and reared.

[Answers You know the drill: finish the worksheet before you look at the answers!]