Tense refers to a verb-based system used to indicate the time, continuation, or completeness of an action in relation to the time of speaking. It consists of two sections: time and aspect. Time can be past, present, or future, while aspect can be progressive or perfective. There are 12 tenses in English grammar.
Key Takeaways
- Tense shows the time an action takes place, whereas participle does not show the time frame of action.
- Participle is a word derived from a verb that can act as a noun, adjective, or part of a compound tense, and there are three types: present, past, and perfect participle.
- Both tense and participle are important grammar rules used in sentence formation to indicate the time of various incidents and to modify verbs, verb phrases, nouns, and noun phrases.
What is Tense?
Tense is a system based on verbs that shows the time, continuation, or completeness of an action in relation to the time of speaking. It is divided into two sections: time (past, present, future) and aspect (progressive or perfective). In English grammar, there are 12 tenses, including present simple, present continuous, present perfect, and present perfect continuous, among others.
What is a Participle?
A participle is a word derived from a verb that can act as a noun, adjective, or part of a compound tense. Also known as verbals, participles are used to express complex actions and modify nouns or adjectives. They usually end with -ing or -ed and come in three types: present, past, and perfect participle. Present participles are formed by adding -ing to the root verb, past participles are formed differently for regular and irregular verbs, and perfect participles combine ‘having’ with a past participle.
What is the Difference Between Tense and Participle?
The key difference between tense and participle is their function. Tense is used to show the time of an action, while participle does not indicate the time frame of action. There are 12 tenses in English grammar, and three participles: present, past, and perfect.
Summary – Tense vs Participle
In summary, tense is a verb-based system used to show the time, continuation, or completeness of an action in relation to the time of speaking, while participle is a word derived from a verb that can act as a noun, adjective, or part of a compound tense. The main difference between tense and participle lies in their function.
