THE PARTICIPLE AND PARTICIPIAL
CONSTRUCTIONS
1. Forms and functions of the Participle
The Participle is a non-finite form of the verb which has verbal and
adjectival or adverbial features.
There are two participles in Modern English: Participle I and
Participle II traditionally called the Present Participle and the Past
Participle.
Forms of Participle I
Active
Passive
Non-perfect
discussing
being discussed
Perfect
having discussed
having been discussed
Participle II has only one form.
Like the tense distinctions of all the verbals, those of the participle
are not absolute but relative.
Participle I Indefinite Active or Passive usually denotes an action
simultaneous with the action expressed by the finite verb; depending on
the tense-form of the finite verb it may refer to the present, past, or future.
Sometimes Participle I Indefinite denotes an action referring to
no particular time.
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