What Is a Past Participle? | Definition & Examples
A past participle is a word derived from a verb that can be used as an adjective, to form perfect verb tenses, and to form the passive voice. It is one of two types of participles, along with present participles.
- The past participles of regular verbs are usually formed by adding the suffix ‘-ed’ (e.g., ‘learn’ becomes ‘learned’).
- The past participles of irregular verbs have numerous endings like ‘-en’, ‘-n’, ‘-ne’, and ‘-t’ (e.g., ‘kneel’ becomes ‘knelt‘).
The injured cyclist was helped by a passerby.
The train will have left by the time you arrive.
I had expected more people to come to the party.
How to form past participles
The past participles of regular verbs are typically formed by adding the suffix ‘-ed’ (or ‘-d’ if the word already ends in ‘e’). The past participle of a regular verb is identical to its past simple form (e.g., ‘cancelled‘ and ‘cancelled’).
Encouraged by his friends, Reynold signed up for the race.
I have parked the car in a nearby garage.
The past participles of irregular verbs don’t follow a specific pattern and can have numerous endings, including ‘-en’, ‘-n’, ‘-ne’, and ‘-t’. The past participle of an irregular verb may not be the same as its past simple form (e.g., ‘stole’ and ‘stolen’).
Hidden in the forest, the cabin is quite difficult to find.
Prita has bought me a gift.
- In UK English, the past participles of two-syllable words that end in “l” are typically formed by doubling the “l” and adding “-ed” (e.g., “label” becomes “labelled“).
- In US English, the “l” is doubled only when the final syllable is stressed (e.g., “control” becomes “controlled,” but “label” becomes “labeled”).
Using a past participle as an adjective
Past participles can be used (by themselves or as part of participial phrases) as adjectives to modify a noun or pronoun.
The man was clearly agitated.
Rose swept up the shattered vase.
Participial phrases
A participial phrase is a phrase headed by a participle that modifies a noun or pronoun in the main clause of a sentence.
In order to avoid a dangling participle when you use a participial phrase at the start of a sentence, place the noun phrase being modified immediately after the participial phrase.
The audience, moved by the performance, applauded the actor.
Flights canceled due to the storm will not be reimbursed.
Past participles and perfect verb tenses
The perfect verb tenses are formed using a past participle along with a conjugated form of the auxiliary verb ‘have’.
There are three perfect tenses:
- Past perfect (used to describe something that happened before another past event)
- Present perfect (used to describe an event that began in the past and continues in the present)
- Future perfect (used to describe an event that will be completed by a specific time in the future)
I have planned a road trip with my friends.
Tanya will have cleaned the house by the time you arrive.
Past participles and the passive voice
A passive sentence is a sentence in which the subject is acted upon, instead of being the person or thing that performs the action. Passive sentences are typically formed using a conjugated form of the verb ‘be’ along with a past participle.
All the food is being eaten by the guests.
The parcel will be delivered before noon.
Other interesting language articles
If you want to know more about nouns, pronouns, verbs, and other parts of speech, make sure to check out some of our other language articles with explanations and examples.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the past participle of ‘go’?
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The past participle of the verb ‘go’ is ‘gone’. As an irregular verb, ‘go’ doesn’t form its past participle by adding the suffix ‘-ed’. The past simple form of ‘go’ is ‘went’.
- What is the past participle of ‘drink’?
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The past participle of the verb ‘drink’ is ‘drunk’. As ‘drink’ is an irregular verb, its past participle is not formed by adding ‘-ed’ to the end of the word. The past simple form of ‘drink’ is ‘drank’.
- What is the past participle of ‘get’?
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The past participle of the irregular verb ‘get’ can be either ‘gotten’ or ‘got’, depending on whether you’re using UK or US English.
- In US English, ‘gotten’ is standard, but ‘got’ is considered acceptable.
- In UK English, ‘got’ is correct.
- What is the past participle of ‘give’?
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The past participle of the verb ‘give’ is ‘given’. ‘Give’ is an irregular verb, so it doesn’t form its past participle by adding the suffix ‘-ed’. The past simple form of ‘give’ is ‘gave’.
Sources for this article
We strongly encourage students to use sources in their work. You can cite our article (APA Style) or take a deep dive into the articles below.
This Scribbr articleRyan, E. (2023, September 25). What Is a Past Participle? | Definition & Examples. Scribbr. Retrieved 22 April 2024, from https://www.scribbr.co.uk/verb/past-participle/
Aarts, B. (2011). Oxford modern English grammar. Oxford University Press.
Butterfield, J. (Ed.). (2015). Fowler’s dictionary of modern English usage (4th ed.). Oxford University Press.
Garner, B. A. (2016). Garner’s modern English usage (4th ed.). Oxford University Press.
