Plain English. Marian Wharton

We have found that the verb has five forms, made by internal changes in the verb itself,—the present time form, the s-form, the past time form, the present participle and the past participle.

      We have also found that we can express various time forms by verb phrases formed by using the helping verbs, shall, will, have and be with one of the verb forms. All of these forms are used as the asserting word in the sentence. So long as the verb or verb phrase forms the predicate—the word or words that assert something of the subject—it still remains a verb. But we have found that the participle forms of the verb may be used as other parts of speech while still retaining some of the qualities of the verb.

       148. You remember a sentence which we used when we studied participles, Making shoes is his work. Here we have the present participle making, with its object shoes, used as the subject of the verb is. Now a noun never takes an object, so making in this sentence is partly a verb, partly a noun, and is called a participle, which means partaker.

      We have studied and used two forms of participles, the present and the past participle. The present participle always ends in ing and expresses action or existence in the present, or at the time mentioned in the sentence. For example, being, bringing, working, seeing, loving, hating, etc.

      The past participle we found to be one of the principal parts of the verb. It expresses action or existence which is past or completed, at the time mentioned in the sentence. It is formed by adding d or ed to the regular verbs and by a change in the form in irregular verbs. For example, regular verbs: learned from learn, defeated from defeat, watched from watch. Irregular verbs: taught from teach, seen from see, won from win.

      We have found that these participles may be used either as nouns or as adjectives. As for example:

      The crying of the child annoyed the people.

      The crying child ran to its mother.

      The coming of the new day will bring peace.

      We await the coming day of peace.

      PARTICIPLE PHRASES

       149. The present and the past participles are each single words; but we may also have participle phrases; that is, two or more words used as a participle, as for example:

      His having joined the strikers caused him to lose his job.

      The man, having been discharged, left the mill.

      In these sentences we have the participle phrases, having joined and having been discharged. Having joined is a participle phrase used as a noun, the subject of the verb caused. Having been discharged is a participle phrase used as an adjective to modify the noun man. Notice that having joined is an active participle describing the action performed by the man who is referred to by the pronoun his. Having been discharged is a passive participle expressing an action of which the subject of the sentence, man, is the receiver.

      These are both perfect participles, expressing actions which are complete at the present time.

       150. We have also progressive participles expressing action which is continuing or progressing. These progressive participles are also used in both the active and the passive forms. The progressive active participle is formed by using having been with the present participle, as having been working. The progressive passive participle is formed by using being with the past participle, as for example, being watched, being driven, being gone, etc. So we have six participles, three active and three passive.

      Note the following table:

      These participle phrases may be used either as nouns or as adjectives.

      Exercise 1

      In the following sentences mark the participles and the participle phrases. Underscore those used as nouns with a single line; those used as adjectives with two lines.

      1. He denies having been hired by the employer.

      2. Our friends, having arrived, joined us at dinner.

      3. The rain, falling incessantly, kept us from going.

      4. Having often seen him passing, I judged he lived near.

      5. The man, being discouraged and ill, was unable to do his work well.

      6. Happiness shared is happiness doubled.

      7. Having finished his work, he rests at last.

      8. The army, beaten but not vanquished, waited for the morrow.

      9. The men, having been unemployed for months, were desperate.

      10. Being prepared will not save us from war.

      11. "Rest is not quitting this busy career;

      Rest is the fitting of self to its sphere.

      It's loving and serving the highest and best;

      It's onward, not swerving; and that is true rest."

      Exercise 2

      Write the six participle forms of the verbs see and teach, and use in sentences of your own construction.

      INFINITIVES

       151. We have found that the various forms of the participles may be used as other parts of speech. They partake of the nature of a verb and either of a noun or an adjective. Notice the following sentences:

      Traveling is pleasant.

      Eating is necessary.

      Can you think of any other way in which you could express the same thought? Do you not sometimes say,

      To travel is pleasant.

      To eat is necessary.

      We have expressed practically the same thought in these two sentences, which is expressed in the sentences above, where we used the participle. To travel and to eat are used as nouns, subjects of the verb is just as traveling and eating are used as nouns, the subjects of the verb is.