Participial Adjectives

Adjectives formed from present (-ing) and past (-ed) participles

intermediate

When to Use

•Present participle (-ing): describes ongoing action or characteristic: running water, a growing business
•Past participle (-ed/irregular): describes completed state or result: broken glass, a written report
•Describing things: The falling leaves are beautiful.
•Describing states: The locked door wouldn't open.
•Before nouns: a sleeping baby, a stolen car

How to Form

Affirmative (+)

Present participle: verb + -ing | Past participle: verb + -ed (or irregular)

Negative (-)

Not applicable

Question (?)

Not applicable

💡 Different from -ed/-ing adjectives (bored/boring). Participial adjectives describe actions/states, not feelings.

Examples

✓The boiling water is ready.

✗The boiled water is ready.

Boiling = currently hot; boiled = was heated (now maybe cool).

✓I found a hidden treasure.

✗I found a hiding treasure.

Hidden = something that was concealed; hiding = actively concealing itself.

✓The fallen leaves covered the ground.

✗The falling leaves covered the ground.

Fallen = already on ground; falling = in the process of dropping.

Common Mistakes

💡 Practice Tips

• -ing = active, ongoing: running water, growing concern
• -ed = passive, completed: broken glass, written word
• Different from emotion adjectives: boring/bored, exciting/excited
• Position: usually before noun, sometimes after linking verb
• Some have different meanings: a concerned parent vs a parent concerned about...

adjectives-ed-ing compound-adjectives participle-clauses 📝 adjectives-intermediate 📝 participial-adjectives-quiz

Participial Adjectives

Adjectives formed from present (-ing) and past (-ed) participles

intermediate

When to Use

•Present participle (-ing): describes ongoing action or characteristic: running water, a growing business
•Past participle (-ed/irregular): describes completed state or result: broken glass, a written report
•Describing things: The falling leaves are beautiful.
•Describing states: The locked door wouldn't open.
•Before nouns: a sleeping baby, a stolen car

How to Form

Affirmative (+)

Present participle: verb + -ing | Past participle: verb + -ed (or irregular)

Negative (-)

Not applicable

Question (?)

Not applicable

💡 Different from -ed/-ing adjectives (bored/boring). Participial adjectives describe actions/states, not feelings.

Examples

✓The boiling water is ready.

✗The boiled water is ready.

Boiling = currently hot; boiled = was heated (now maybe cool).

✓I found a hidden treasure.

✗I found a hiding treasure.

Hidden = something that was concealed; hiding = actively concealing itself.

✓The fallen leaves covered the ground.

✗The falling leaves covered the ground.

Fallen = already on ground; falling = in the process of dropping.

Common Mistakes

💡 Practice Tips

• -ing = active, ongoing: running water, growing concern
• -ed = passive, completed: broken glass, written word
• Different from emotion adjectives: boring/bored, exciting/excited
• Position: usually before noun, sometimes after linking verb
• Some have different meanings: a concerned parent vs a parent concerned about...

adjectives-ed-ing compound-adjectives participle-clauses 📝 adjectives-intermediate 📝 participial-adjectives-quiz

Participial Adjectives

When to Use

How to Form

Examples

Common Mistakes

💡 Practice Tips

Related

Participial Adjectives

When to Use

How to Form

Examples

Common Mistakes

💡 Practice Tips

Related

When to Use

How to Form

Examples

Common Mistakes

✗The breaking window needs repair.

✗I drank boiled water. (meaning hot water)

✗The escaped prisoner was caught.

💡 Practice Tips

Related

When to Use

How to Form

Examples

Common Mistakes

✗The breaking window needs repair.

✗I drank boiled water. (meaning hot water)

✗The escaped prisoner was caught.

💡 Practice Tips

Related