participle: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C1Academic, Technical, Instructional
Quick answer
What does “participle” mean?
A non-finite verb form derived from a verb, used to form certain verb tenses or as an adjective.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A non-finite verb form derived from a verb, used to form certain verb tenses or as an adjective.
A word formed from a verb, functioning either as part of a compound verb construction (e.g., present perfect 'have seen') or as an adjective to modify a noun (e.g., 'a running tap'). It primarily comes in two forms: the present participle (-ing) and the past participle (usually -ed, -en, or irregular forms).
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant differences in meaning or use. Minor spelling preferences may appear in example sentences (e.g., BrE 'learnt' vs AmE 'learned' as a past participle).
Connotations
None. Purely technical term.
Frequency
Equally infrequent in general speech, but used with identical frequency in pedagogical and linguistic contexts in both varieties.
Grammar
How to Use “participle” in a Sentence
[verb] + [object] + [past participle] (e.g., I had my car serviced)BE + [past participle] (passive voice)HAVE + [past participle] (perfect aspect)Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “participle” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The word is derived from the Latin 'participium'.
- He participled the verb incorrectly in his essay.
American English
- Linguists sometimes participle verbs to show their forms.
- She participled 'run' as 'ran' instead of 'run'.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Virtually never used.
Academic
Used in linguistics, language studies, and grammar instruction.
Everyday
Extremely rare outside of language learning or teaching contexts.
Technical
Core term in descriptive and pedagogical grammar.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “participle”
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “participle”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “participle”
- Using the base form instead of the past participle after 'have' (e.g., 'I have go' instead of 'I have gone').
- Confusing the past participle with the simple past tense for irregular verbs (e.g., using 'I have saw' instead of 'I have seen').
- Misplacing a participial phrase, leading to a dangling modifier (e.g., 'Running down the street, the bus was missed').
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Both can be '-ing' forms. A participle functions as part of a verb phrase ('is running') or as an adjective ('a running tap'). A gerund functions as a noun ('Running is fun').
No, the word 'participle' is a noun. It is the name for a type of verb form (like 'present participle' or 'past participle'), but those forms themselves can have verbal or adjectival functions.
No. Regular verbs form their past participle with -ed (e.g., walked, played). However, many common verbs are irregular and have unique past participles (e.g., gone, seen, written, been).
A grammatical error where a participial phrase at the beginning of a sentence is not logically connected to the subject that follows it, often creating a humorous or confusing meaning (e.g., 'Driving down the road, a deer was seen').
A non-finite verb form derived from a verb, used to form certain verb tenses or as an adjective.
Participle is usually academic, technical, instructional in register.
Participle: in British English it is pronounced /pɑːˈtɪsɪpl/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈpɑːrt̬ɪsɪpl/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a PARTICIPLE as a verb that decided to PARTICIPATE in a new role, either helping another verb or acting like an adjective.
Conceptual Metaphor
GRAMMAR IS A TOOLKIT (the participle is a specific tool for building sentences).
Practice
Quiz
Which of the following is a function of a participle?