Present Participle vs Past Participle
In English grammar, present participle and past participle are two terms that show some difference between them when it comes to their application. Both are used in the formation of various tense forms such as present perfect tense and past perfect tense and other present, past, and future forms. It is essential to understand that past participle is used in the formation of present, past, and future perfect tense forms, while present participle forms are used in the formation of several present, past, and future tense forms. The primary difference between the two terms present participle and past participle is that present participle is used for the construction of continuous tenses, whereas past participle is used for the construction of simple perfect tenses.
Key Takeaways
- Past participle is generally constructed by adding –ed to the end of the verb, while present participle is constructed by adding –ing to the verb.
- Past participle is used with past, present, and future perfect tenses, while present participle is used with continuous or progressive tenses.
- Irregular verbs have their own past and past participle forms, which need to be learnt by heart.
What is a Past Participle?
Past participle is generally constructed by adding –ed to the end of the verb, such as in the examples of “chew – chewed” and “work – worked.” However, this changes when it comes to the irregular verbs, which have their own past and past participle forms that need to be learnt by heart, such as “bring – brought” and “drink – drunk.” Past participle is used for the construction of simple perfect tenses, including present, past, and future perfect tenses.
What is a Present Participle?
Present participle is constructed by adding –ing to the verb, as shown in the examples “walk – walking,” “cook – cooking,” and “bring – bringing.” There is no difference between regular and irregular verbs in this construction. Present participle is used with present, past, and future continuous tenses, as well as present, past, and future perfect continuous tenses.
What is the difference between Present Participle and Past Participle?
The main difference between present participle and past participle is their usage in the construction of various tenses. Present participle is used for the construction of continuous tenses, while past participle is used for the construction of simple perfect tenses. Additionally, past participle is generally constructed by adding –ed and has different forms for irregular verbs, while present participle is constructed by adding –ing to the verb and doesn’t differentiate between regular and irregular verbs.
