GV

Participial Adjectives

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

intermediate

When to Use Participial Adjectives

  • •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 Participial Adjectives

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 of Participial Adjectives

✓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 with Participial Adjectives

💡 Practice Tips for Participial Adjectives

  • • -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...
Quick Quiz
  1. 1.Be careful — that pot of   water can burn you.
  2. 2.The window needs to be replaced. 
  3. Question 3: The novel was published in 1605, but the blank (write) story is still relevant today.
    3.The novel was published in 1605, but the (write) story is still relevant today.
  4. Question 4: We swept up all the blank (fall) leaves from the lawn.
    4.We swept up all the (fall) leaves from the lawn.
  5. Question 5: I walked past a blank (sleep) baby in the stroller.
    5.I walked past a (sleep) baby in the stroller.
  6. Question 6: Police are searching for the blank (escape) prisoner.
    6.Police are searching for the (escape) prisoner.
  7. Question 7: The detective found the blank (hide) treasure under the floorboards.
    7.The detective found the (hide) treasure under the floorboards.
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