Present Participle

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• Studiejaar 3

Present Participle

The present participle is a verb form that ends in -ing and is used to form continuous tenses, function as an adjective, or in participial phrases

• Continuous Tenses: Used with auxiliary verbs (is, am, are, was, were) to form the present continuous, past continuous, and other continuous tenses. Example: "She is reading a book." (present continuous)
• Adjectives: Used to describe nouns. Example: "The crying baby needs attention."
• Participial Phrases: Used to provide additional information in a sentence. Example: "Walking down the street, he found a wallet."

Present Participle:

Adjective: "The boiling water is hot."

Continuous Tense: "She is singing."

Gerund:

Subject: "Running is fun."

Object: "He enjoys running."

Present Progressive:

"They are studying for their exams."

Exercises

1. The teacher was interrupted by a student __________ a question. (word to be used: ask)
2. His favourite hobby is __________ landscapes. (word: paint)
3. They __________ a new house next year. (word: build)
4. They spotted a bird __________ a nest in the tree. (word to be used: build)
5. The __________ leaves covered the ground. (word to be used: fall)
6. The artist was seen __________ a mural on the wall. (word: paint)
   
7. __________ new languages can be challenging but rewarding. (word: learn)
   
8. Right now, she __________ a letter to her friend. (word: write)
   
9. The __________ water created a calming sound. (word: flow)
10. He enjoys __________ novels in his free time. (word: read)

Participial Phrases & Infinitive Phrases:

Participial phrases begin with a present participle (verb ending in -ing) or a past participle (verb often ending in -ed or -en). They function as adjectives to provide more information about a noun or pronoun.

Example: "Running down the street, he saw an old friend." (The participial phrase "Running down the street" describes "he.")

Infinitive phrases begin with "to" followed by the base form of a verb. They can function as nouns, adjectives, or adverbs in a sentence.

Example: "He wants to run a marathon." (The infinitive phrase "to run a marathon" acts as the object of the verb "wants.")

Exercises

Example:

1. He was the first student __________ the answer correctly. (know)
   
2. He was the first student to know the answer correctly.
3. __________, she tripped and fell. (to run)
4. He paused __________ the view. (to admire)
5. __________ for hours, they finally reached the summit. (to climb)
6. We found the cat __________ under the table. (to sleep)
7. She went to the market __________ some fresh vegetables. (to buy)
8. __________ his car, he noticed a flat tire. (to park)
9. The committee decided __________ the proposal. (to reject)
10. __________ on the door, he waited for a response. (to knock)