past participle of essay

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Past: ( I, she, he, it ) was , ( you , we , they ) were

-ed form: been

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How to conjugate "to essay" in English?

English "to essay" conjugation, full conjugation of "to essay", translations for "to essay", present continuous, simple past, past continuous, present perfect, present perfect continuous, past perfect, past perfect continuous, future continuous, future perfect, future perfect continuous, conditional, conditional present, conditional present progressive, conditional perfect, conditional perfect progressive, subjunctive, present subjunctive, past subjunctive, past perfect subjunctive, present participle, past participle.

Translations for "to essay" in our English dictionaries

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Essay Past Tense

essayed past tense of essay is essayed.

Essay verb forms

Conjugation of essay.

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What is a Past Participle? Definition, Examples of English Past Participles

Home » The Writer’s Dictionary » What is a Past Participle? Definition, Examples of English Past Participles

Past participle definition: A past participle is formed from a verb and modifies a noun, noun phrase, verb, or verb phrase. A past participle most often ends in –ed.

What is a Past Participle?

What does past participle mean? A past participle is formed from a verb . Because it is used to express actions that have already happened, it takes the past tense form . Most past participles end in -ed.

• Verb: to play
• Past participle: played
• Sentence: She had played for hours. (used in past perfect tense)
• Verb: to accelerate
• Past Participle: accelerated
• The speed at which the Zika virus is spreading in Puerto Rico has accelerated sharply, according to new federal data, complicating already difficult efforts to prevent thousands of pregnant women in the territory from infection. – The Wall Street Journal
• Verb: to buy
• Past participle: bought
• Social media sites are hot these days. Snapchat. Instagram. Even if Verizon had bought Pokemon Go, the mobile augmented reality app that has been around only a couple weeks and yet has tens of millions of people chasing make-believe creatures down streets and through parks, there might be more tongues wagging among analysts. – The Washington Post

Past Participles as Adjectives

Even though they are acting like adjectives, past participles still look like verbs. Finding their placement in a sentence is key to understanding how they are being used in a sentence.

• Verb: to ruin
• Past participle: ruined
• Past participle as adjective (modifying noun phrase): ruined my good mood
• Sentence: The stormy weather ruined my good mood.

In this sentence, ruined serves as an adjective to modify the noun phrase my good mood .

• Verb: to break (irregular verb)
• Past participle: broken
• Past participle as adjective: broken glass
• Sentence: We were careful to avoid the broken glass.

In this sentence, broken serves as an adjective to modify the noun glass .

Past Participles in Participle Phrases

In a participle phrase, the participle usually is the first word.

• Verb: to brush
• Past participle: brushed
• Past participle as participle phrase: brushed with a comb
• Sentence: Brushed with a comb, the dog’s fur felt smooth.

In this sentence, brushed with a comb serves as an adjective in a participle phrase to modify the dog’s fur.

• Verb: to wrack
• Past participle: wracked
• Past participle as participle phrase: wracked with doubt
• Sentence: The child had a mind wracked with doubt.

In this sentence, wracked with doubt serves as an adjective in a participle phrase to modify the child’s mind.

Forming the Past Participle: How to Form Past Participle Verbs

• talk > talked
• chew > chewed
• reach > reached

The past participle of some verbs ending in a short vowel sound require doubling the last consonant before adding “-ed”

• brag > bragged
• skip > skipped
• stop > stopped

The past participle of verbs that end with an “e” required only adding a “d” to the end of the word.

• wave > waved
• judge > judged
• reserve > reserved

The past participle of verbs ending in “y” where the “y” replaces a vowel sound require the “y” to be dropped and “-ing” to be added.

• study > studied
• imply > implied
• deny > denied

• run > ran
• sing > sang
• bring > brought

Past Participles in Other Tenses

In addition to being used as an adjectives, past participles are used to form the perfect tenses in English. Here is how they appear in the various tense.

The Four Past Tenses:

• Simple Past Tense > I spoke
• Past Progressive Tense > I was speaking
• Past Perfect Tense > I had spoken .
• Past Perfect Progressive Tense > I had been speaking.

The Four Present Tenses:

• Simple Present Tense > I speak
• Present Progressive Tense > I am speaking
• Present Perfect Tense > I have spoken
• Present Perfect Progressive Tense > I have been speaking

The Four Future Tenses:

• Simple Future Tense : I will speak
• Future Progressive Tense: I will be speaking
• Future Perfect Tense: I will have spoken
• Future Perfect Progressive Tense: I will have been speaking.

Summary: What is the Past Participle?

Define past participle: In grammar, the definition of past participle is a nonfinite verb used to signify a perfective aspect .

In summary , a past participle is formed from the past tense of a verb. It is used to create verb forms and may also modify nouns, noun phrases, adjectives, and adjective phrases.

Conjugation verb essay

Model : obey

Auxiliary : have , be

Other forms: essay oneself / not essay

Contractions

• he/she/it essays
• you essayed
• he/she/it essayed
• they essayed

Present continuous

• I am essaying
• you are essaying
• he/she/it is essaying
• we are essaying
• they are essaying

Present perfect

• I have essayed
• you have essayed
• he/she/it has essayed
• we have essayed
• they have essayed
• I will essay
• you will essay
• he/she/it will essay
• we will essay
• they will essay

Future perfect

• I will have essayed
• you will have essayed
• he/she/it will have essayed
• we will have essayed
• they will have essayed

Past continous

• I was essaying
• you were essaying
• he/she/it was essaying
• we were essaying
• they were essaying

Past perfect

• I had essayed
• you had essayed
• he/she/it had essayed
• we had essayed
• they had essayed

Future continuous

• I will be essaying
• you will be essaying
• he/she/it will be essaying
• we will be essaying
• they will be essaying

Present perfect continuous

• I have been essaying
• you have been essaying
• he/she/it has been essaying
• we have been essaying
• they have been essaying

Past perfect continuous

• I had been essaying
• you had been essaying
• he/she/it had been essaying
• we had been essaying
• they had been essaying

Future perfect continuous

• I will have been essaying
• you will have been essaying
• he/she/it will have been essaying
• we will have been essaying
• they will have been essaying
• let's essay

Perfect participle

• having essayed

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Perfect tenses, continuous (progressive) and emphatic tenses, compound continuous (progressive) tenses, conditional, subjunctive.

*Blue letters in conjugations are irregular forms. ( example ) *Red letters in conjugations are exceptions to the model. ( example )

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Essay Past Tense: Verb Forms, Conjugate ESSAY

The past tense of essay is essayed

The Forms of Essay

Conjugate essay, essay in present simple (indefinite) tense, essay in present continuous (progressive) tense, essay in present perfect tense, essay in present perfect continuous tense, essay in past simple (indefinite) tense, essay in past continuous (progressive) tense, essay in past perfect tense, essay in past perfect continuous tense, essay in future simple (indefinite) tense, essay in future continuous (progressive) tense, essay in future perfect tense, essay in future perfect continuous tense, leave a comment cancel reply.

Participle: Understanding the Basics and Usage in English Grammar

“Participle” is a term that is commonly used in the study of grammar. It is a type of verb form that can be used as an adjective, to form verb tense, or to form a passive sentence. Participles come in two different types: present participle and past participle.

In English, participles are formed by adding -ing to the base form of the verb to create the present participle and by adding -ed, -en, or -t to the base form of the verb to create the past participle. Participles are used to describe actions that are ongoing or have been completed, and they are an essential component of many verb tenses.

Participles can also be used to create participle phrases, which are groups of words that include a participle and function as an adjective . These phrases can be used to add descriptive detail to a sentence, and they can be used to modify nouns or pronouns. Understanding how to use participles correctly is an important aspect of mastering the English language, and it is a topic that is studied extensively in grammar courses.

Participles – Picture

What is a Participle?

A participle is a type of verb that functions as an adjective or forms part of a verb tense. It is derived from a verb and used to modify a noun or pronoun or to form verb tenses. Participle is a term that comes from the Latin word “participium,” which means “participating.”

Participles are formed by adding suffixes to verbs. In English, there are two types of participles: present participles and past participles. Present participles end in “-ing,” while past participles end in “-ed,” “-en,” “-t,” “-n,” or “-ne.”

Participles can be used in various ways. They can be used as adjectives to describe a noun or pronoun, as part of verb tenses, or as part of participial phrases. Participial phrases are groups of words that include a participle and its modifiers.

Types of Participles

There are two main types of participles: present participles and past participles. Present participles are used to form the present continuous tense, which describes an ongoing action. For example, “I am walking to the store.” In this sentence, “walking” is the present participle.

Past participles, on the other hand, are used to form the past perfect tense , which describes an action that was completed before another action in the past. For example, “I had walked to the store before it started raining.” In this sentence, “walked” is the past participle.

Participles can also be used to form the passive voice. In the passive voice, the subject of the sentence receives the action of the verb. For example, “The cake was baked by my mom.” In this sentence, “baked” is the past participle used in the passive voice.

In conclusion, participles are a type of verb that can be used as adjectives or to form verb tenses. They are an important part of English grammar and can be used in various ways to convey meaning.

How Participles Work

Participles are verb forms that can function as adjectives or as part of a compound verb tense. In this section, we will discuss how participles work, including their verb forms, tenses, and usage in active and passive voice.

Participles can be formed from regular and irregular verbs. In English, there are three types of participles: present participle, past participle , and perfect participle. The present participle is formed by adding “-ing” to the base form of the verb. The past participle is usually formed by adding “-ed” to the base form of regular verbs. Irregular verbs have their own unique forms. The perfect participle is formed by adding “having” before the past participle.

Participles can be used to form different tenses , including the present perfect, past perfect, and future perfect. The present participle is used to form the present continuous and present perfect continuous tenses. The past participle is used to form the present perfect, past perfect, and future perfect tenses.

Active and Passive Voice

Participles can be used in both active and passive voice. In active voice, the participle modifies the subject of the sentence. For example, “The dancing girl is happy.” In passive voice, the participle modifies the object of the sentence. For example, “The car was polished by the mechanic.”

Participles can also be used to form participle clauses, which can shorten complex sentences. For example, “Swimming in the ocean, she saw a dolphin.” In this sentence, “swimming in the ocean” is a participle clause that modifies “she.”

Participles can be used as adjectives to modify nouns. For example, “The broken vase needs to be fixed.” In this sentence, “broken” is a participle that modifies “vase.” Participles can also be used to form verb tense and to form a passive sentence.

In summary, participles are verb forms that can function as adjectives or as part of a compound verb tense. They can be formed from regular and irregular verbs and can be used to form different tenses and in both active and passive voice. Participles can also be used to form participle clauses, which can shorten complex sentences.

Common Usage of Participles

Participles are verb forms that can serve as adjectives, nouns, or parts of verb tenses. Understanding the different ways in which participles can be used is essential for mastering the English language.

Participles can be used as adjectives to modify nouns. In this case, the participle takes on an adjective-like function, describing the noun that it is modifying. For example:

• The  burning  candle was left unattended.
• The  broken  vase was beyond repair.
• The  falling  leaves covered the ground.

Participles can also be used as nouns. In this case, the participle takes on a noun-like function, serving as the subject or object of a sentence. For example:

• Swimming  is a great way to stay in shape.
• Broken  promises can be difficult to forgive.
• Running  is not allowed in the hallways.

Participles used as nouns are often referred to as gerunds. They can be used in a variety of ways, including as the subject of a sentence, the object of a verb, or the object of a preposition.

Participles can also be used to form verb tenses, such as the present perfect tense or the past perfect tense. In these cases, the participle is used in conjunction with an auxiliary verb to create a complex verb form.

Overall, participles are an essential part of the English language, and understanding their common usage is crucial for effective communication.

Exceptions to the Rule

Participles are verb forms that can function as adjectives, nouns, or as part of a compound verb tense. The past participle of regular verbs is conjugated by adding -ed, although there are a few exceptions to note.

One exception is when a word ending in a single vowel and a single consonant has two syllables, but the second syllable is not stressed. In this case, you can add -ing without changing anything. For example, “visit” becomes “visiting.” However, in UK English, if a word ends in a single vowel and an “l,” like “cancel,” you double the “l” before -ing, as in “cancelling.”

Another exception is when a participle clause and the main clause have different subjects. This is an exception to the rule of participles. For example, “The weather being nice, we decided to go for a picnic” and “It being a cloudy night, I couldn’t see the moon” both have different subjects in the participle clause and the main clause.

Additionally, irregular past participles follow different patterns and do not end in -ed. For instance, the past participle of “go” is “gone,” and the past participle of “eat” is “eaten.”

It is also important to note that the past progressive tense has its own set of rules and exceptions. In this tense, the participle is formed by adding “-ing” to the base form of the verb. However, there are some exceptions, such as the verb “lie,” which becomes “lying” instead of “liing.”

In conclusion, while most participles follow the rule of adding “-ed” to the base form of the verb, there are exceptions to this rule. Irregular past participles, different subjects in the participle clause and main clause, and the past progressive tense all have their own unique rules and exceptions.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between a participle and a gerund?

A participle is a verb form that can function as an adjective or assist in certain verb tenses. On the other hand, a gerund is a verb form that functions as a noun. Present participles and gerunds look identical, but they have different grammatical functions. Present participles are used in various verb tenses and as adjectives. Gerunds function as nouns.

What are the 4 types of participles?

There are four types of participles: present participle, past participle, perfect participle, and passive participle.

What is the form of participle?

The form of participle varies depending on the tense and the verb. The present participle of most regular and irregular verbs is formed by adding “-ing” to the base form of the verb. The past participle of regular verbs is usually formed by adding the suffix “-ed,” while irregular verbs have different forms.

What is an example of a participle?

“Fallen” is an example of a participle, specifically a past participle.

What is a participle?

A participle is a verb form that can function as an adjective or assist in certain verb tenses.

What are the different kinds of participles?

The different kinds of participles are present participle, past participle, perfect participle, and passive participle.

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• Verb Tenses in Academic Writing | Rules, Differences & Examples

Verb Tenses in Academic Writing | Rules, Differences & Examples

Published on September 22, 2014 by Shane Bryson . Revised on September 18, 2023.

Tense communicates an event’s location in time. The different tenses are identified by their associated verb forms. There are three main verb tenses: past ,  present , and  future .

In English, each of these tenses can take four main aspects:  simple ,  perfect ,  continuous  (also known as  progressive ), and  perfect continuous . The perfect aspect is formed using the verb  to have , while the continuous aspect is formed using the verb  to be .

In academic writing , the most commonly used tenses are the  present simple , the  past simple , and the  present perfect .

Table of contents

Tenses and their functions, when to use the present simple, when to use the past simple, when to use the present perfect, when to use other tenses.

The table below gives an overview of some of the basic functions of tenses and aspects. Tenses locate an event in time, while aspects communicate durations and relationships between events that happen at different times.

It can be difficult to pick the right verb tenses and use them consistently. If you struggle with verb tenses in your thesis or dissertation , you could consider using a thesis proofreading service .

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The present simple is the most commonly used tense in academic writing, so if in doubt, this should be your default choice of tense. There are two main situations where you always need to use the present tense.

Describing facts, generalizations, and explanations

Facts that are always true do not need to be located in a specific time, so they are stated in the present simple. You might state these types of facts when giving background information in your introduction .

• The Eiffel tower  is in Paris.
• Light  travels faster than sound.

Similarly, theories and generalizations based on facts are expressed in the present simple.

• Average income differs by race and gender.
• Older people express less concern about the environment than younger people.

Explanations of terms, theories, and ideas should also be written in the present simple.

• Photosynthesis  refers to  the process by which plants  convert sunlight into chemical energy.
• According to Piketty (2013), inequality grows over time in capitalist economies.

Describing the content of a text

Things that happen within the space of a text should be treated similarly to facts and generalizations.

This applies to fictional narratives in books, films, plays, etc. Use the present simple to describe the events or actions that are your main focus; other tenses can be used to mark different times within the text itself.

• In the first novel, Harry learns he is a wizard and travels  to Hogwarts for the first time, finally escaping the constraints of the family that raised him.

The events in the first part of the sentence are the writer’s main focus, so they are described in the present tense. The second part uses the past tense to add extra information about something that happened prior to those events within the book.

When discussing and analyzing nonfiction, similarly, use the present simple to describe what the author does within the pages of the text ( argues , explains , demonstrates , etc).

• In The History of Sexuality , Foucault asserts that sexual identity is a modern invention.
• Paglia (1993) critiques Foucault’s theory.

This rule also applies when you are describing what you do in your own text. When summarizing the research in your abstract , describing your objectives, or giving an overview of the  dissertation structure in your introduction, the present simple is the best choice of tense.

• This research  aims  to synthesize the two theories.
• Chapter 3 explains  the methodology and discusses ethical issues.
• The paper  concludes with recommendations for further research.

The past simple should be used to describe completed actions and events, including steps in the research process and historical background information.

Reporting research steps

Whether you are referring to your own research or someone else’s, use the past simple to report specific steps in the research process that have been completed.

• Olden (2017) recruited 17 participants for the study.
• We transcribed and coded the interviews before analyzing the results.

The past simple is also the most appropriate choice for reporting the results of your research.

• All of the focus group participants agreed  that the new version  was an improvement.
• We  found a positive correlation between the variables, but it  was not as strong as we  hypothesized .

Describing historical events

Background information about events that took place in the past should also be described in the past simple tense.

• James Joyce  pioneered the modernist use of stream of consciousness.
• Donald Trump’s election in 2016  contradicted the predictions of commentators.

The present perfect is used mainly to describe past research that took place over an unspecified time period. You can also use it to create a connection between the findings of past research and your own work.

Summarizing previous work

When summarizing a whole body of research or describing the history of an ongoing debate, use the present perfect.

• Many researchers  have investigated the effects of poverty on health.
• Studies  have shown a link between cancer and red meat consumption.
• Identity politics has been a topic of heated debate since the 1960s.
• The problem of free will  has vexed philosophers for centuries.

Similarly, when mentioning research that took place over an unspecified time period in the past (as opposed to a specific step or outcome of that research), use the present perfect instead of the past tense.

• Green et al.  have conducted extensive research on the ecological effects of wolf reintroduction.

Emphasizing the present relevance of previous work

When describing the outcomes of past research with verbs like fi nd ,  discover or demonstrate , you can use either the past simple or the present perfect.

The present perfect is a good choice to emphasize the continuing relevance of a piece of research and its consequences for your own work. It  implies that the current research will build on, follow from, or respond to what previous researchers have done.

• Smith (2015) has found that younger drivers are involved in more traffic accidents than older drivers, but more research is required to make effective policy recommendations.
• As Monbiot (2013)  has shown , ecological change is closely linked to social and political processes.

Note, however, that the facts and generalizations that emerge from past research are reported in the present simple.

While the above are the most commonly used tenses in academic writing, there are many cases where you’ll use other tenses to make distinctions between times.

Future simple

The future simple is used for making predictions or stating intentions. You can use it in a research proposal  to describe what you intend to do.

It is also sometimes used for making predictions and stating hypotheses . Take care, though, to avoid making statements about the future that imply a high level of certainty. It’s often a better choice to use other verbs like  expect ,  predict,  and  assume to make more cautious statements.

• There  will be a strong positive correlation.
• We  expect  to find a strong positive correlation.
• H1  predicts a strong positive correlation.

Similarly, when discussing the future implications of your research, rather than making statements with will,  try to use other verbs or modal verbs that imply possibility ( can ,  could ,  may ,  might ).

• These findings  will influence  future approaches to the topic.
• These findings  could influence future approaches to the topic.

Present, past, and future continuous

The continuous aspect is not commonly used in academic writing. It tends to convey an informal tone, and in most cases, the present simple or present perfect is a better choice.

• Some scholars are suggesting that mainstream economic paradigms are no longer adequate.
• Some scholars suggest   that mainstream economic paradigms are no longer adequate.
• Some scholars have suggested   that mainstream economic paradigms are no longer adequate.

However, in certain types of academic writing, such as literary and historical studies, the continuous aspect might be used in narrative descriptions or accounts of past events. It is often useful for positioning events in relation to one another.

• While Harry is traveling to Hogwarts for the first time, he meets many of the characters who will become central to the narrative.
• The country was still recovering from the recession when Donald Trump was elected.

Past perfect

Similarly, the past perfect is not commonly used, except in disciplines that require making fine distinctions between different points in the past or different points in a narrative’s plot.

Sources in this article

We strongly encourage students to use sources in their work. You can cite our article (APA Style) or take a deep dive into the articles below.

Bryson, S. (2023, September 18). Verb Tenses in Academic Writing | Rules, Differences & Examples. Scribbr. Retrieved April 11, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/verbs/tenses/

Aarts, B. (2011).  Oxford modern English grammar . Oxford University Press.

Butterfield, J. (Ed.). (2015).  Fowler’s dictionary of modern English usage  (4th ed.). Oxford University Press.

Garner, B. A. (2016).  Garner’s modern English usage (4th ed.). Oxford University Press.

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Shane Bryson

Shane finished his master's degree in English literature in 2013 and has been working as a writing tutor and editor since 2009. He began proofreading and editing essays with Scribbr in early summer, 2014.

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• 101 Irregular Past Participles in English

The following is a list of 101 irregular past participles in English with example sentences:

Present tense –  Past Participle : Example Sentence

be – been : I have been busy all day. become – become : They have just become angry with each other. begin – begun : We have begun a new project. bend – bent : He has bent over so many times today that his back now hurts. bet – bet : He has just bet all of his money at once. bite – bitten : The dog has just bitten the postman. bleed – bled : HIs finger has bled all over the table. blow – blown : He has blown out all of the candles. break – broken : She has just broken her pencil. bring – brought : The waiter has finally brought our order to the table.

build – built : The boy has built a sandcastle. buy – bought : She has already bought many things today, but she hasn’t finished yet. catch – caught : We have caught many fish today. choose – chosen : He still hasn’t chosen a main course from the menu. come – come : I don’t know why she has come to my party in a costume. cost – cost : It has cost me a lot of money to start my new business. cut – cut : She has just cut the paper with a pair of scissors. deal – dealt : She has just dealt new cards to the other players. dig – dug : The dog has dug another hole in the backyard. do – done : She has already done her homework so now she can relax.

draw – drawn : He has drawn another cartoon for the lesson. drink – drunk : He has drunk three glasses of water this morning. drive – driven : The clown has driven his small car in circles all afternoon. eat – eaten : She has eaten all of the cake. fall – fallen : The bowling ball has fallen on his foot again. feed – fed : She has fed the pigeons every day this month. feel – felt : She has felt cold all day. fight – fought : He has fought many battles in his lifetime. find – found : She has just found a coin on the ground. fly – flown : The pilot has flown to our city many times.

forget – forgotten : I have forgotten what I have to do right now. forgive – forgiven : She has forgiven him. freeze – frozen : The cold weather has frozen the lake. get – got/gotten : He has just got the new high score. ( Got : British English – Gotten : American English) give – given : My children have just given me a birthday present. go – gone : The kids have gone to the local park to play. grow – grown : Flowers have grown under the hammock. hang – hung : Someone has hung him on the clothesline. have – had : I have had pancakes for breakfast all week. hear – heard : She has just heard a sound coming from the box.

hide – hidden : He has hidden his face. hit – hit : A ball has just hit her in the head. hold – held : She has held the egg in her hand for ten minutes now. hurt – hurt : You have hurt my feelings. keep – kept : He has always kept his tools in a toolbox. know – known : I have known Jason for over ten years. lead – led : He has led his pet along the street many times. leave – left : They have already left the office. lend – lent : He has lent me some money until next week. let – let : My boss has let me leave work early today.

light – lit : He has just lit a match. lose – lost : He has lost two matches in a row. make – made : She has just made a chocolate cake for us. mean – meant : Your help has meant a lot to me. meet – met : This year I have met many interesting people. pay – paid : She has just paid her taxes. put – put : I have already put my suggestion in the box. quit – quit : He has just quit his job. read – read : I have read many books this year. ride – ridden : She has ridden her horse many times in competitions.

ring – rung : He has rung the doorbell three times, but nobody has answered yet. rise – risen : Profits have risen considerably this year. run – run : He has run in many marathons. say – said : He has said before that he liked flowers. see – seen : The pirate has just seen another ship in the distance. sell – sold : He has sold a lot of lemonade today. send – sent : He has sent a postcard to us, but it hasn’t arrived yet. set – set : He has just set the table so now we can have dinner. shake – shaken : We have just shaken hands to close the deal. shine – shone : He has always shone a flashlight to light his way in the dark.

shoot – shot : He has just shot at the target. shut – shut : The boy has shut his eyes so that he won’t see the surprise. sing – sung : We have sung this song many times at karaoke. sink – sunk : Many ships have sunk off the coast due to the hidden reef. sit – sat : They have sat on the park bench most of the afternoon. sleep – slept : This is not the first time he has slept in that armchair. slide – slid : She has slid to second base. speak – spoken : He has spoken to a large audience many times. speed – sped : He has just sped past a police officer. spend – spent : He has just spent all of his savings on a new gaming console.

spin – spun : The dancer has spun around very quickly without becoming dizzy. spread – spread : You can see that I have spread a lot of jam on the bread. stand – stood : A guard has stood outside the entrance all day. steal – stolen : A thief has stolen an expensive painting from the museum. stick – stuck : Some chewing gum has stuck to the bottom of his shoe. sting – stung : A bee has just stung my arm and it hurts. strike – struck : He has just struck the ball very well. sweep – swept : The man has swept the footpath with his old broom. swim – swum : The boy has swum to the edge of the pool because he is tired. swing – swung : He has just swung on a vine for the first time.

take – taken : She has just taken her medication because she wasn’t feeling well. teach – taught : He has taught geography for over twenty years. tear – torn : She has just torn the contract in half. tell – told : I have told you many times to be more careful. think – thought : He has thought about the problem but still doesn’t have a solution. throw – thrown : She has thrown the can into the bin. understand – understood : He has understood the entire lesson. wake – woken : My alarm clock has just woken me up. wear – worn : She has worn that blue hat and blue dress to class before. win – won : He has already won three medals in the competition today.

write – written : The teacher has written a message on the board for his students.

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Past Participle

What is a past participle.

• It is formed from a verb.
• It is used as an adjective or to form verb tense.
• It probably ends "-ed," "-d," "-t," "-en," or "-n."

Table of Contents

A Closer Look at a Past Participle

Find the past participle test, video lesson, examples of past participles used as adjectives, past participles in participle phrases, past participles used in verb tenses, examples of past participles used in verb tenses, forming the past participle (regular verbs), forming the past participle (irregular verbs), why past participles are important.

• Here's the past participle: whispered
• Here it is used as an adjective : The whispered word
• Here it is used to form a verb tense : She had whispered him the answer.

Are you a visual learner? Do you prefer video to text? Here is a list of all our grammar videos .

Examples of Past Participles Being Used As Adjectives

• Here is a laminated copy to replace your torn one.
• Stuffed deer heads on walls are bad enough, but it's worse when they have streamers in their antlers because then you know they were enjoying themselves when they were shot. (TV host Ellen DeGeneres)
• A torn jacket is soon mended, but hard words bruise the heart of a child. (Poet Henry Longfellow)
• Scandal is gossip made tedious by morality. (Poet Oscar Wilde)
• The enemy is anybody who's going to get you killed , no matter which side he's on. (Author Joseph Heller)
• The boy taken to hospital has recovered.
• I have a heart wracked with sorrow .
• Battered by the wind , John fell to his knees.
• Finally broken , Lee lowered his gloves.
• I had crossed the line. I was free, but there was no one to welcome me to the land of freedom. I was a stranger in a strange land. (Political activist Harriet Tubman)
• I had seen birth and death but had thought they were different. (Poet T S Eliot)
• I phoned my dad to tell him I had stopped smoking. He called me a quitter.
• Don't take the wrong side of an argument just because your opponent has taken the right side.
• Poets have been mysteriously silent on the subject of cheese.
• Like all great travellers, I have seen more than I remember, and remember more than I have seen . (British Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli)
• I have taken more out of alcohol than alcohol has taken out of me.
• By September, Jenny will have taken over that role.
• I hope that, when I leave this planet, I will have touched a few people in a positive way. (Actor Will Rothhaar)
• jump > jumped
• paint > painted
• chat > chatted
• stop > stopped
• sew > sewed
• play > played
• fix > fixed
• incur > incurred
• prefer > preferred
• open > opened
• enter > entered
• swallow > swallowed
• thrive > thrived
• guzzle > guzzled
• cry > cried
• fry > fried
• arise > arisen
• catch > caught
• choose > chosen
• know > known

More about Participles

• The Past Participle
• The Present Participle

(Benefit 1) Use a fronted participle phrase to say two things about your subject efficiently.

• Imbued with both common sense and enthusiasm , Patrick is always quick to find a cost-effective solution.

(Trap 1) Beware misplaced modifiers and dangling modifiers!

• Past and present participles are key building blocks in any language.
• Using an upfront participle phrase lets you shoehorn more information into a sentence.
• If you use an upfront participle phrase, put the word being modified next.

This page was written by Craig Shrives .

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Advanced English Grammar: Participles

Test your understanding of this English lesson

271 comments.

First to comment :) and got 7/9 :(

I do enjoy your grammar-oriented videos Adam, but I had had to watch some of them more than twice, I must confess.This one was not the exception to the rule, by the way.

Writing academic reports demands the use of formal language and more complex grammar patterns. This lesson provides a useful tool to do so.

Very useful lesson indeed.

Gee! Making mistakes as usual. I had no time to proofreed my comment:

” . . . but I have had to watch some of them . . . ”

Does it sound much better now to you Adam? Thanks in advance for your feedback.

I see you’re a perfectionist :). Have had is correct given that this one is not an exception. Otherwise, had had would have worked but implied that this one was easier ;)

The same as you.

Thanks, Adam. Very informative and clearly explained. Great lesson, as always.

Thanks, Adam. Lesson very interesting.

Hi Adam. Nice lesson. Please also make a video on punctuation marks. Thank you!

I will, but in the meantime, there are a few lessons already on these. Look for the search box on this site and type in ‘punctuation’ and you will see the available videos.

Thank you so much Sir for your reply. Ok, I’ll search it.

Hi Sir. Very informative lesson you’ve discussed. Please also make a video on ‘Punctuation Marks’. Thank you.

Thanks. It’s 89.

Thank you very much!All these clauses are very tricky, but practice makes perfect!I’ll try to understand)

Thanks for the lesson, I have appreciated.

Thanks for the lesson.

Thanks Adam for explanation. Great lesson. I like it,

Great! It is very useful for my students! Thanks,Adam!

Dear Adam, you are always phenomenal, incredible, and out of this world I can NOT forget your favor forever. Because of your magnificent coaching, I think I can now write and publish international scientific papers. god bless and protect you. Mona

At last I understand the difference between adverb participle and adjective participle, and now I see that the same sentence can be understood in two other ways. And what you said about adding “while” in the beggining of a sentence, it’s something new for me, but I thing it really can help to speak in clear way, especially for beginners. Good work Adam!Your grammar lessons are the best on engvid. As always, thank you.

Thank you Hubert.

Just keep in mind that when speaking you can bend the rules more than when writing, so there is less pressure to use these perfectly and sometimes people might confuse you.

Thank You Adam

Thank you Adam!

Hello dear Adam,really I need that lesson.Thank you)In additionally,I have asked this question in facebook page,however,nobody has answered my question yet(I want to ask you.I have proficiency exam as IELTS,however,this exam is more academic and much more difficult.Can you recommend any stratigies or tricks for passing that exam?Thanks in advance)

If you look for the search box on this site and type in ‘IELTS’ you will find many videos to help you prepare for this test. You can also visit my site, writetotop.com for more tips.

Thanks, very helpful

Thanks Adam, what a well-explained lesson about such a difficult topic like this!!

Excellent teacher.

HI, very helpful lesson, thank you. If you want to improve your english i will be enjoy if you write to me on skype :) my nick: daniel_033

Adding the past participle to my vocabulary in order to get a highest score it’s challenging but necessary. Thanks Adam!

Ive got 9/9. Thanks Adam!

Congratulation.

Thanks, Adam.

thanks Adam, I get 9/9, I learn English everyday from your video. :)

Very useful lesson Adam, thanks!

Thanks Adam!! You are a great teacher :)

Thanks, Adam

I have realised that the questionary hasn’t been so difficult to understand that the video class explanation. I have had to listen to it twice to make sure that I had understood all the concepts but I think that I will go back to listen to it again, more than twice although it hasn’t been very complicated to understand the meaning, but to use the strict grammatical rules when participle sentences are used. Thanks a lot, teacher Adam, we have learned and enjoyed another lesson which enriches our knowledge and the good sense of the English language, very useful as always.

Thank you Adam,I’m new here and i really like your videos.I love the way you teach us, you are a amazing teacher around the world.

Welcome Shumail :)

Thanks Adam. It`s very useful lesson.

Hi Adam, thanks for your work. I got 6 correct of 9. In the second quiz, I noticed you added a complement explanation, which is an adjective clause. But what if I understand it like this: After Cal was dressed in his finest clothes, he went to the party with high confidence. Am I right this way? I still got a sentence, please correct me if I am wrong. “How did I manage to get up at 8:30 while sleeping at 4?” Thanks again!

You need to be careful with this change: After Cal was dressed in his finest clothes, he went to the party with high confidence.

Grammatically, it is correct. However, the meaning changes. Firstly, you’ve introduced a time sequence (after). Secondly, saying ‘he was dressed in” means that someone else put clothes on him (passive verb). To keep it active, you would say “After he dressed in his…” and to make this a participle you would say “after dressing in …” or having dressed in …”.

Sorry if this is confusing.

As for the other sentence: How did I manage to get up at 8:30 after going to sleep at 4? or How did I manage to get up at 8:30 having gone to sleep at 4?

Does this help?

Thank you Adam :) I have one question using a conjuntion with an adverb clause. Can I use another conjunction besides WHILE, such as because, although, if, follwed by a participle-ing or ed?

Because loving super high speed, I got an accident by a super car.

No, in the case of because or although, the relationship must be very clear and the conjunction removed (reduced). If the relationship is not clear, then you would have the conjunction, which would then require the full clause.

Hi Adam, thank you for this lesson it was really helpful.I feel that finally, I catch up with Participles coz the last one when you mention them I was lost.

Hi Adam, I appreciate your challenging lessons. For this quiz I scored 8/9. Hope to see any new helpful lessons. Kind regards

Hi Adam! Thank you so much:) I prefer to study English in your class rather than take class in Japan.

Maybe I can understand Seiya :) I used to teach English in Japan.

why i can not see the vedio? who can tell me the way to solve the problem. thank you.

Hi! It looks like you’re posting from China. Your government may be blocking YouTube, where all our videos are hosted. You’ll have to use a VPN or some other way.

Hello Adam,

I have 2 questions:

Dressed in his finest clothes, Cal went to the party. Can I use “Dressing”?

Realizing that the police were on to him… Can I use “reslized”?

What are the rules of using “ed” / “ing” participles?

Thanks and Happy New Year!!!

hi there, Adam do you mind people writing you but on that domain? if you don’t, why don’t you send your email address. there is sth i’d like to share with you. arek, here’s mine: fulatatpost.pl

Hi Infulat,

You can email me at info @ writetotop.com

Thanks for the lesson! I was wondering if you could say more about contexts of use for these sentences. In other words, could you give us the key to know when we can use the adverbial or relative clause at the beginning of the sentence and when we have to leave those reduced clauses just next to the modified noun?

Hi Cristianrj,

Firstly, you never have to use them. They just make the writing more interesting and add variety. The key is to make sure the subject of the clause (even if reduced) is the same as the subject of the independent clause.

Feeling angry, the boss yelled at everyone. — the boss was feeling angry and he (the boss) yelled.

As for adjectives that modify nouns, these are reduced clauses that reduce to just one word, and then this word acts as a regular adjective.

Not sure if this actually answers your question, though.

Hi Adam! didn’t get, why should I use “before” in the last question?

HI Adam thank you for all your lessons you are the best teacher for me thanks a lot.

thank you Adam. your video is great as usual. could you please make a video about the phrasel verbs of the verb “wear” wear on wear away wear out wear off wear down and so on.

Will do, Omar ;)

9 out of 9 answered correctly! Great lesson. “Accused for his acts of corruption by millions of citizens, the president resigned, but the entire nation still claimed justice.”

Good sentence Jose ;)

I just get 6/9. I am still confused in this lesson. It is difficult to get it.

You may have to watch it again Lethitran. You can also ask questions here.

Hi! Adam please! make a video where the indefinite and definite article may be or may not be used like in the following sentences. 1. Cut the cake with knife. 2. Cut the cake with a knife. 3. cut the cake with the knife. ( referring to the whole knife in general )

I’ll get on that, Arjit.

Great lesson.Great exercise. Thanks again, Adam

I got a 10/10 eventhough it was a very hard question for me.

I follow ENGVID for about 4 years and have learnt a lot from you specifically. Many foreign students are living and studying in English-language universities and they commonly have difficulties in “paraphrasing techniques”. How to read and understand a paragraph and then change it into my own words, is may main issue.I know it is an extensive subject, I will be very grateful,if you make a video about this subject, please.

Actually, Emma made a good lesson about this: https://www.engvid.com/how-to-write-a-good-essay-paraphrasing-the-question/

You can also check out my other channel on YouTube: writetotop

I want to know the difference in present participle and past participle in a sentence started with present and past i.e 1.Providing the information, I went to office….(I provided… or I who was provided) 2.Provided the information, I went to office (I who was provided the …) pls tell the difference

Hi errajeev2005,

Firstly, it is not past and present, but passive and active.

As for the examples, the first doesn’t seem to make sense as is. If you write, ” Providing him with the information…” then it is is more clear.

The second– Provided with the information, I went… — means that someone gave me the information I needed.

Adam thank you for this lesson https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oCmZQa3z_ZA Could you give some more verbs which used only in preset perfect?(evolve,become,grow)

Adam about the word “either”(sometimes I can hear you pronounce it /ˈiː.ðɚ/ and sometimes /ˈaɪ.ðɚ/. Is there any rule or it is going on just spontaneously? Thank you.

Good question Katrin,

Actually, there is no rule. You will hear native speakers use both. I don’t really think about it when I say it, though I think I tend to use ay more than ee.

Well, these are not used ONLY in present perfect, but when related to the present, they don’t need a time expression. For example, single-celled organisms evolved into more complex creatures millions of years ago. (simple past).

regardless, I will make a list of more of these types of verbs ;)

Yea,I just put the question in a wrong way, sorry. Thanks.

At school they teach to put ALREADY only between HAVE/HAS and VERB. And put YET only at the end.

Yes, they teach many things in oversimplified ways that later confuse people. It’s unfortunate.

Hi Adam, I am very glad to take the lessons from you. I am very thankful to you for these beautiful lessons. Adam, could you please help me understand if the following sentence is correct. ‘I am your English teacher’. I have had many discussions on which one is correct- ‘I am your teacher of English’ and ‘I am your English teacher.’ Please help me understand which one is correct?

Hi Yashwant,

They are both correct. I am your English teacher means that this person is leading this subject. I am your teacher of English might imply that this person is teaching you the language.In most cases, the first will used for both situations.

Thanks a lot Adam. Love you so much and your teaching as well.

You are my favourite teacher. Thanks.

Thanks a lot Adam. You are my favourite always. Love you so much and your teaching as well.

Adam one question more. In American English I sometimes can hear using ON instead of IN(AT). For example: “How many players ON the team?”, “Good luck ON school!” etc. Could you do a less- on about the differences of using them by British and Americans or give me some more information about it? Thanks.

Hmmm. on the team is correct (though in a group or band, but on the committee).

On school I’ve never heard. With, at, yes, but never on.

I will see if this lesson hasn’t already been done and get back to you.

(Good luck ON school!) I’ve read it under one of American teenagers video.(without doubt this guy is about 12 and speaks American very good on his video). I’ve heard British people say “How many players in your teem?” a few times.(And somewhere in the textbook too)

Also I’ve heard about the next difference (on the street(American)/in the street(British). What about that?

Yes, British and America English do have these differences (in on the street), and in the team (I would use this to refer to members of a team in business or school, but in sports, they are on a team).

English can be strange :)

Thank you Adam.(I really thought IN THE TEAM(about sport)). It is not clear pronounced in movies.(and there’re not many of them about sport)

HI MR. ADAM you very good coaching i have your channel i would like to tech the people grammar how i can native speaker. please send your advice to me thank you

You should get a good grammar book and follow the units in there. You can also watch videos here and other places and learn the ways to teach.

Is this what you had in mind?

I got 8/9. I did wrong on 8th question. I should I think focus on the most confusing part of the lesson :)

It’s my second time and I got 3 out of 9?

I mean second time in this website

Welcome Mr. Hamidi.

It will get easier as you get used to it. ;)

Very good lesson Adam! Thank you.

but thanks for this vid but next time make a vid about where to put commas

I’ll see what I can do Francis ;)

good lesson and better score!

Any one who talk with me please?

Thank you for nice lesson.what is the difference between participles and adjustive phrase or adverb phrase.

Hi Umerismail,

A participle is a type of phrase that contains a participle (active or passive) and can be an adjective or an adverb. An adjective phrase describes a noun and an adverb phrase completes a verb.

I will try to make lessons on these.

Having attended a tormenting Deutsch class for beginners, I took a break, took the quiz above, and got nine out of nine right away.

Good lesson Adam, but I must to confess that at the beginning could be a litte bite confusing.

I got 7 of 9 it was lil´bit tricky lol amazing video though thanks Adam.

Very nice class……

Hi! Quick question, can we use this rule or method when speaking? Thank you

Thank you so much!

“that brought and brought” are confusing.

thank you for this lesson sir Adam. you’re one of my favorite teacher.

Thanks for your lesson.

Woah, i didn’t expect to get 100. It’s confusing

Thank you very much for your reply.

Hmmm you didn’t answer to me

hlo Adam i have sean your all videos and they are very helpful. i want to submit my task 1 and task 2 to you. so,i can known my problems and my level. so,can u help me? and where i can sumbit you?

I like the class. Thank you Adam! I got 8.9 of 9

I had to watch the video couple of time to understand. English grammar is very confusing to me. A very useful lesson indeed. Thank you, Adam!

Hi Adam , I like your videos ,I try to get The test for teaching licence in IL but I couldn’t pass it three times . I have problem with writing essay . Thank you

I can’t believe, I got 9 out of 9 … so many thanks Adam, you deserve it :D!

Thank you Adam, That was very good lesson.

i got 8 correct out of 9 , meaning 89 is my score

i got 8 correct out of 9 , meaning 89 is my score quiz helping me to have more understanding

how could i know when using a verb with ind or the past participle of the verb , as a participle clause

Hi, I have a question which confuses me. Question is that If I can change this sentence from “The boy that went to Canada is getting used to his new life.” to ” The boy gone to Canada is getting used to his new life.”

As I wrote that I am confused about this because I am not sure whether I have to use -ed phrase for “be v3” or “v1”

In fact, Does “The boy gone to Canada is getting used to his new life” always mean “The boy who is gone to Canada is getting used to his new life” ? or can we say “The boy who went to Canada is getting used to his new life.” ?

Thank you…

sir, I want to develop my English written expression and my vocabulary. can you please help me how I can enhance my English writing in correct easily

Arigato gosai mase Adam Sensei! You teach very well! Arigato!

Hi Adam! I just watched this useful video that i really needed to learn about. But I must watch this again until i completely understand it. Anyway, thank you for making such this video.

Thank you so much! This video is so hard for me but it’s very useful. I’ll promise I try to be a good learner.

The man really cry is me. T.T I really thank you for it! It could be help to me! Thank you.

Hey Adam! I really like how you teach us grammar so deeply. Good job!

8/9 .A good one. Thanks Adam

Got 07/09 . Interesting lesson . I enjoyed a lot . Thanks ☺

my first time I saw this grammar, You got 7 correct out of 9.

I am happy with this result.

An important lesson, specially to be able to read a book in english language. Thanks Adam!

finally I got all correct Adam thanks

Thanks, Adam!!!! I got 89!

First try and got 8/9. Nice feeling :D :D I appreciate your help with all these grammars.

Thank you so much Sir. Adam.

Hellon Adam from Toronto. Your photo does not reflect you correctly.I think that you are a person like silk. Your lecture is excellent.

Great lesson. Thanl you. ;)

Hello, Adam. First, thanks a lot for the very clear explanation of particles in English. I have the one comment and the one question. 1. In the quiz, we have the question: “Dressed in his finest clothes, Cal went to the party with high confidence. What type of participle is ‘dressed’?” The possible answers are the following: “present participle adjective past participle adjective past participle adverb present participle adjective.” I believe the fourth choice being the same as the first is just a typo. Am I right? Or, it is put here intentionally, isn’t it? 2. Here is my question. In scientific papers, I often meet the phrase ‘the data obtained’. For instance, ‘The data obtained show that this value is increased.’ What is the difference between ‘the data obtained’ and ‘the obtained data’?

thanks adam

Thanks sir difficult lesson for me

Thanks teacher! It has been a pleasure to watch your video. Now participles are more clear for me.

Thanks for the useful lesson. Does this website provide online essay feedback for IELTS applicants?

Thank you so much adam sir. i got 8 out of 9. Sir please make a video on noun phrase, adjective phrase and adverb phrase

thanks Adam that was truly amazing, i honestly believe these tutorials lessons helped many students including me.

Always giving us very useful classes, Adam makes English grammar easier. I can’t thank you enough.

Thank you I enjoy when I watch your videos I appreciate

9 out of 9) You’re amazing and a lot of help. Thanks so much!

Pleas Adam can you make playlist videos about grammar only and explain it all because you are my favorite teacher in engvaid and I understand your lessons easily

Adam! I am starting to see what an adverbial clause and what an adjective clause does when there is an independent clause attached. I still have a lot to learn.

I got 8 of 9 Thank you for your lesson.

More advanced and complex videos on the Subject of Writing Skills,please. Your way of delivering lessons are amazing since you know how to make them easier when they are especially complex and hard to understand. Looking forward to watching your videos on the same and/or similar subjects. Therefore; I am kindly requesting you to upload more. Thank you.

Nice test!Adam is a good teacher))

Shamevon me ADAM!!i have only 0 points (((

Good informative lesson. Thank You

Thank you Adam

Hi! Thank you for lesson. But it’s not clear the difference between participles and gerunds. May be do you have deeper explanation?))) thank you

Very good lesson.Thank you,very much.

Hi Adam, can you explain problem 3. I thought “left” is the past tense, so the action “feel” should happen in the past as well. So I chose “felt”. Thank you very much.

Thanks for your lesson! But my question is in “3. Kelly left the interview feeling confident about her chances.” there should be a noun before the “feeling” if it is a adjective participle. if it is a adverb participle there should be”because” before “feeling”.

Same question here. Kelly left the interview feeling confident about her chances. Should there be an adverb participle like while or when before feeling?

After watching all the grammar related videos, I finally could get a perfect score in the tests.

Hello Adam, Thank you for your training footage. I need your description about one of your the exam question: “Being unsure of what to do next, Paul decided to wait for his boss to give him instructions.” Could you please write the complete form of this sentence? is it correct complete form of the question? “after being unsure of what to do next, ….” ? I look forward to hearing from you.

Adam I need you to check my essays, please tell where I can subscribe to receive a direct feedback from you.

Thank you Adam. I will have to practice again to get the perfect mark

I´ve got 7/9, but I am not sure why I got 2 wrong. Adam, how can I contact you?

Thanks for the lecture Adam! Big fan here

Excellent lesson.Thank you very much.

Dear Sir, Adam,

Please, accept my heartiest gratitude for your unique and outstanding lectures, based on various aspects of English language teaching and learning methodology.

I think, you don’t know how many ESL, ELT students and teachers are being benefited by your lectures. It’s truly unbelievable. I’m trying my best to enrich myself from your lectures which are uploaded in “EngVid” and “Write to the top” websites.

Thank you for your endless help for non native learners.

At last, please accept my apology for my poor writing skills. I’m trying my best to get the speaking fluency and writing accuracy.

Thank you very very much, Sir!

Superb lecture :) As always I would say :) I scored 100 %. Thank you You rock ! Adam

8 correct out of 9:)

I am very confused about the use of had and had been. Kindly help me solve this problem. As these days I am working on my project so need to write in a professional way.And I am totally feeling helpless.:(

Oh! I’m euphoric! I got 8 correct out of 9! \o/ Thanks for the class teacher!!!

Hi!First of all thank you! I have a question about this lesson. is this right sentences? 1. Taught to mumbling is indecent manner,Jimmy would’ve never been penalized.(If he had taught). And should we always use that form in text?

Please make a video on gerund and infinitive.i need it very much.

9/9 ? thank you Adam.

In third question, would be possible to use felt. If not , could you please explain it.

adam.. I want to talk to you to improve my grammar please

Many thanks, Adam for the great lesson. I have a question: When we need to change the passive to the active while we put the participle at the begining of a sentence (for instance: realized to realizing)?

Thanks for brilliant lesson. I have a query…

Main Sentence: The loans, which was distributed from early 2018, the loans were accompanied by a Dollar 15,000 grant to each farmer to buy seedlings from Govt. nurseries.

Short Sentence: Distributed from early 2018, the loans were accompanied by a Dollar 15,000 grant to each farmer to buy seedlings from Govt. nurseries

now can i say this short sentence as reduced adjective clause as well as past participle in passive sentence? Seeking your guidance here.

Thanks Adam and I have a question: “ But officials remain optimistic, saying they are confident the rail link will not incur a loss.” Is “saying”in this sentence a participle? Thank you.

7/9 Thanks, Adam!

Hello, how do I classify between Participial standing in front of the sentence and Reduced adverb clause? Are there any ways to remember? Thanks :)

sir, you said on that video that ” wearing is an activity but to wear is an idea and so forth,when you told that i didnt understand, can you get me more understand on word which is activity just like “wearing” and an idea just like “to wear”? thank you sir you helped me a lot

im from indonesian by the way sir, help me please to get more understand

Hi Adam thank you for the video! I have a question. Can I said “Marie, standing near the window, could see the entire village”? or is it correct only “Standing near the window, Marie could see the entire village?. Thank you Elisa

” In its early form, as employed by Levi-Strauss and other writers in the 1950s and 1960s, Structuralism cuts across the traditional disciplinary areas ……..”. In the above sentece,Has “as employed “been used as participle.

Hi Adam, should it be The marine, who dressed in his class-A uniform, looked like a recruitment poster?

This is my first time taking the airport train.

I meet this sentence while learning English. I guess this sentence ommited some connections. What is the structure of this sentence. Is this adverb participle?

Hi Adam,I am new at this website,I don’t know how others respectable teachers teach but seriously,appreciate you on your hardwork.I took this test and got 8/9 but it doesn’t matter as a beginner,hoping to get better in the future.

Thanks a lot Adam , your lessons are informative and understandable

I always filter my searchs by adam

Oh! I gonna crazy with teacher Adam’s teaching. He is so awesome to teach Grammatical English. I have received so much stuff from him. Thanks a lot for producing excellent teaching.

I got 8 correct out of 9.

Hi Adam! Thank you for the great work you do for all of us. I am sorry, bu I am lost in the participles, clauses and gerund. Could you tell me what is the difference between: participles and subordinate clause? And what is the difference between active participle and gerund? Thank you.

I am still not sure when participle phrase functions as adjective or adverb. Can you make it clear?

Hi Adam. Great learning from you. I`ve been learning a lot with all of you guys. Keep on doing these amazing videos.

Does adverb participles function as adjective modifying subject in main clause? My teacher call it verbal phrase. Does particle phrase function as adjective all the time?

I got 8 out of 9. Thank you Adam for the useful lesson. I confused about Q3. Keep going!

Thanks, Adam, Although I made 100% in the quiz, I am still confused and want to practice more. Can you make one more lesson on it?

Hi Adam. Could you tell me the difference between the object complement and the object of a possessive.(Different ways to use a GERUND). How to identify object complement from others. I’ve found this on Engvid.

1.I saw Jim riding his bike (obj.com) 2.He doesn’t like your bossing him around (obj.of a possessive)

And could you please explain to me the difference between these sentences.(The grammar point)

1. I saw Tony riding his bike. 2. I saw him riding his bike.

3. I saw you coming. 4. I saw you were coming.

5. I saw Tony was riding his bike. (Is this actually a reduced adjective clause? Not sure…)

I’m sure some sentences are wrong, but not sure which ones. Not much information available regarding this on the internet.

Thank you Adam, and love your work. And thanks for the reply on my last question. THANK YOU :)

Hello Adam, Thanks for you lessons. I’d like to ask about putting participles with a conjunction, would that be OK

Hello Adam, Thank you so much for you lessons. I’d like to ask about putting participles with and without a conjunction, would that be OK if we wrote without a conjunction: targeted by media, she refused to cooperate and she, targeted by media, refused to cooperate,

Hello Adam, Thank you so much. But I got 6 out of 9. I’m still a little confused it. I Wanna request you to elaborate it more.

Very important lesson…. Watching the video, I improve my English a lots. Adam Grazie!<3, You Are a Great, Marvellous teacher!

Thanks for the quiz

Would anybody explain this sentence for me 3. Kelly left the interview __________ confident about her chances. the right answer was “feeling” but why?

Hopefully someone could do us a favor answering it.

Oops, looks like I just replied with the same way as it is used for the answer.

I have the same question about this but I guess this is a reduction of the adverb clause ” Kelly left the interview because he feels confident about her chances”. Someone give the correct explanation please?

hi，adam，don’t understand question 8 and 9……….

Hi Adam. I think even without adding anything in the sentence about “Scoring a touchdown,….”, the meaning is still still complete. Am I missing something?

Thanks for this lesson. I have a question for you about Partciple. Can I use: Having realised that the police were on to him, Bernie quickly moved his millions off shore. Will the thanslation of this sentence change? Will it be correct?

Hi Adam, thanks for this intersting lesson. I would like to know in which case “Knowing can be used as adjective.

Thanks in advance for your answer

I just so confused about how this sentence “Being unsure of what to do next, Paul decided to wait for his boss to give him instructions.” is changed from its adjective clause, could you help me with that, thank you.

Sir, I know the logic in this lesson but, is always verb past form will always consider participle?

Although that was a hard lesson, I got 9 out of 9. tnx Adam

Hi Adam! Can you please explain the grammatical fifferece betweet these two sentences. 1. Battered by hail, the car collapsed. 2. Having americanized, de Nomes became “denim”.

why do not we use ‘having’ at the first case?

Thanks Adam.

★A rolling stone gathers no moss. In these sentence rolling is adjective/participle? What’s the correct option? Please reply me.

Hello Adam! I was quite confused about what you said at the beginning when you are rephrasing the sentence, “The Marine, who was dressed in class uniform, looked like a recruitment poster”. should we need to put a comma before the subject if it’s defining adjective clause ? or it isn’t needed. Because base on your previous lesson regarding the adjective clause, I Remembered it clearly that you said no need to put a comma if the subject is being identified by the conjunction who.

Thank you, Adam!

8/9! I got a good mark! But I didn’t understand the whole lesson, I need to learn this one more time.

Hi there! Question about one of the examples: – Realizing that the police were on to him, Bernie quickly moved his millions off shore; I understand that at first he got the information that the police were on to him and after that he moved his money off shore So can I say “Having realized that the police were on to him, Bernie quickly moved his millions off shore”.

I got 8/9.it was a nice lesson. Thank you, Adam.

Dressed in his finest clothes, Cal went to the party. Can I use “Dressing”?

Realizing that the police were on to him… Can I use “reslized”?

What are the rules of using “ed” / “ing” participles?

I have the same question ! hahahaah ! Hopelly, someone can clarify them

Hi Adam, how are you doing? Regarding to the last example of an adjective participle: “The station chief was fired, meaning there’s an open position”. I associated this sentence as an adverb clause, since which is also a conjunction. Isn’t it ? How can I differentiate then ?

Hi Adam.How’s it going?I have been trough this lesson it seemed to me a bit tough however your explanation made me deeper comprehension.I’ll use these tips in writing and communication.Thanks a bunch!

Getting 8 of 9 scor, i need more practic, but thank you So much,

Great lecture. Could you explain the differences between these two sentences: 1) having read the book, John knew how to respond. 2) Reading the book John knew how to respond. More generally, when do we use having plus past participle in a participle phrase. Thank You.

Hi Adam, thank you for your revealing lesson. There’s a question I want to ask you. These are two sentences that I picked from a novel: 1. People were in and out picking up snacks all day. 2.”Excuse me” said a man approaching the table. Can I rewrite each one of them into two ways as following: People were in and out while picking up snacks all day. / People were in and out who were picking up snacks all day. “Excuse me” said a man while approach the table./ “Excuse me” said a man who is approach the table. while reading the novel, I had no problem with these two sentences. But after watching your lecture, I really want to analyse them a bit deeper. I am grateful if you can take some time to read my comment and give your advice.

Hello Adam. My name is MariVi. It is very helpful the youtube video about the participles. I hope I get a excelent grade in the test of this topic. Hope you have an awesome day. MariVi

I saw this sentence in a book. He watched her walk away, his heart broken at the thought of losing her. Is it a adverbial participle or adjective one? Is it possible that the two subjects are different?

Sorry for my last abrupt question. I meant to say that this lesson is very informative and helpful. Thank you.

Hey, Please tell if I am correct or not.

1. Dressed in his class-A uniform, the marine looked like a recruitment poster. 2. Standing near the window, Marie could see the entire village.

Both are examples of adjective phrase and in both of these sentences, the adjective phrase is identifying the subject and not giving more information about the subjects?

I like your teaching way,which is sometime s difficult to understand, but i am watching your video lesson again and again that helps me comprehend. Thanks a lot. I was able to fill my grammarly gap.

8/9 :) yeyy

I have been struggling to learn this subject for a long time, and I finally did. Thank you very much. You’re an awesome teacher. By the way, I got 9/9 ;)

Hi Adam, thanks for giving us beneficial advanced grammar information. Learning new tips from your expertise, at the same time, I am practicing different English issues. I got some advanced grammar topics about “having + V3” from other sources. However, sometimes I am confused about which should I prefer to write correctly in the sentence. I have two sentences that I could not determine which correct is:

*The University of Paris was a famous university in France, and one of the earliest having been established in Europe.

*The University of Paris was a famous university in France, and one of the earliest to have been established in Europe.

If you help me to understand the right one, I will be happy for it.

My score is 8/9.

Yay… 9/9 :D Thanks teacher Adam. Always looking forward to new lessons.

It is very useful for the students.Thank you very much,Adam!

Please tell me if the assessment of the following sentence is correct: “Annoyed by the mosquitos, (adjective phrase) Mr. Smith, Slapping at his neck and face, (adjective phrase) went into his house (adverb phrase) for a while (adverb phrase)” — thank you.

Thank you Teacher Adam. I got 8/9.

The puppy was having a hard time climbing up the stairs. The puppy was having a hard time trying to climb up the stairs.

I’m so happy I found this video because now I understand that the first sentence I wrote (adverb participle) is just a reduction of the second one.

I messed that up.

Let me try again…

The puppy had a hard time climbing up the stairs. The puppy had a hard time while he was climbing up the stairs.

Hi Adam! Pleas I need help i have an exam for TOEFL Structure grammar 60 Skills how i can get video’s for this skills pleas pleas thank you

It is a great informative video, and I am so grateful to have a teacher like you. I got 8/9. Thus, I have an inquiry about the following question:

3. Kelly left the interview __________ confident about her chances

The answer looks intuitively that the participle should be adverbial, so why the option “because feeling” is wrong while the “feeling” option is correct?

I think I have found the reason why the “feeling” option is more accurate. Since “Kelly left the interview (feeling) confident about her chances” describes the relationship between the action (leaving) and how did she leave “feeling confident” while because is only used whenever there is a reason-based relationship where it doesn’t apply in this case!Thanks for your explanation. It gave me the underlying details to master this lesson!

Hello and thanks for the useful lesson. Can you please analyze the use of the present participle in the sentence below: This can also result in them working harder and being more disciplined at school. Thanks in advance!

Thanks so much for this lesson!!! For I while, Im being looking how to use the gerund and the past form without the subject.

However, I am not able to find the “original phrase” from this reduction:

Kelly left the interview feeling confident about her chances.

Could you help me? I can think in … “while she was feeling confident”, but it doesn’t sound natural at all.

Thank you in advance.

Hi, Adams. Thank you for your wonderful English lesson videos. I would like to ask you some questions since i find it very confusing and could not know why they can change the word like this. 1. ” Frances Tiafoe beat him four sets in the fourth round, becoming the first American-born player to beat Nadal at a Grand Slam since he was a teenager.” Source: New York Times –> so “becoming” is technically ” which becomes” or “who became”. If it is “Who became”, should it be placed in the middle? 2. “Djokovic has never been shy about expressing his nontraditional views of science and medicine, and he has stated on multiple occasions his opposition to vaccine mandates, saying vaccination is a private and personal decision that should not be mandated. ” from NYT –> Again, i still find it confusing, because they reduced the clause after the comma and i don’t know which they refer too and since it is from NYT, i still think they are both correct. Please help me explain those sentences. Thank you in advance Adams!

Thank you very much Mr. Adam, I am truly grateful. This course took my English to the next level.

Hi, Adam. Thanks for the lesson on participle phrase, and I appreciate your help in resolving my confusion. However, there is still something I want to reassure.

1) Walking in the park, she saw her old friend. Meaning: She saw her old friend while she was walking in the park. ( adverbial)

2) Talking on the phone, he missed his stop.

In this sentence, the participle phrase “talking on the phone” acts as an adverb modifying the verb “missed” and describes the reason why the subject “he” missed his stop.

3) Sitting on the couch, he read the newspaper. In this sentence, the participle phrase “sitting on the couch” acts as an adverb modifying the verb “read” and describes the position in which the subject “he” was reading the newspaper.

4) Playing in the pool, the children laughed and splashed.

In this sentence, the participle phrase “playing in the pool” acts as an adverb modifying the verbs “laughed” and “splashed” and describes the activity that the children were doing while they laughed and splashed.

However, at the same time, I feel like these participle phrase are identifying the noun as well. So my question is very simple…

Are they adjectival or adverbial?

As per my understanding, they are both depends upon where my focus is. 1) If I emphasis the subject they are modifying, they acts as adjectivals. 2) If my focus is on when/where/how something in the main clause happened, they are adverbials.

I want to know your thought on this. Thanks!

Hi Adam, This lesson is awesome, thank you so much. However, could you help me to clarify the following question. I saw some other teachers said you could remove “being” in the participles, so I am wondering if the below two sentences are correct. (a) Tired out, Jason went to bed early. →from:Because Jason was tired out, he went to bed early. (b) A teacher, I used to ride bike to school. →from: When I was a teacher, I used to ride a bike to school. Highly appreciate your time and effort.

Regards, Shu-Ping.

Got 9/9. Very useful explanation. Thks a lot!

Hi Adam, thanks for the explanation. I have some questions about participle phrases. As she was shocked by the bad news, she didn’t know what to do next. Being shocked by the bad news, she didn’t know what to do next. (shocked is an adjective here) Shocked by the bad news, she didn’t know what to do next. (shocked is past participle here) Are both of them correct? If so, which one is more appropriate here?

Sorry, Adam but i couldn’d understand when i should use active or passive. Can you tell me?

Adam, thanks for your explanation. I would like to understand more about when to use past participle (passive) and when to use present (active) participle. Can you explain that, please?

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Present and Past Participle Phrases

Present and past participle phrases explained.

Both present and past participle phrases function as adjectives , providing more information about a noun or pronoun in a sentence.

The phrases start with either a present participle or past participle.

What are Participles?

Participles are a significant part of English grammar. They are verb forms which function as adjectives, modifying nouns and pronouns. They fall into two main categories: the Present Participle and the Past Participle .  

Present participles end in -ing and past participles have a variety of endings, e.g. - ed, -en, -t, -n etc.  Here are some examples:

Examples of Present & Past Participles

So how do these participles become phrases?

With present and past participle phrases , we are adding further information after the participle, thus making it a phrase. 

Here are some examples using some of the previous participles.

You should see that the phrases do not have subjects or finite verbs , hence why they are phrases and not clauses .

Present Participle Phrases

Present Participle Phrases are groups of words that begin with a present participle and modify nouns or pronouns. 

They can appear after or before a noun, and anywhere in a sentence. In the sentences below, the participle phrase is in red and the modified noun in blue.

Present Participle Phrase Examples

• The student solving complex equations quickly impressed the mathematics professor.
• The hikers traversing steep mountain trails reached the summit with a sense of accomplishment.
• He was laughing at the dog chasing its own tail .
• I was happy to see the runner completing the marathon in record time .

It's also common to place them at the front of the noun, in which case they are called fronted present participle phrases :

Fronted Present Participle Phrases

• Walking home after school , John noticed the sky becoming darker. 
• Sneaking quietly into the room , she surprised her friend with a birthday gift.
• Feeling hot and sticky , I decided to take a refreshing cold shower.
• Attempting to reach the steep summit , the adventurous hiker pressed on.
• Listening to the peaceful sound of the waves , she found herself relaxing.

They are still giving more information about the noun (i.e. the subject in these cases) even though they appear before it. For instance in the first one, John  (the subject) was doing the action:  walking home after school .

Past Participle Phrases

Past Participle Phrases start with a past participle and also function as adjectives. Here are five examples, which can be placed after the noun or as fronted past participle phrases, where the phrase (in red) is modifying the subject (in blue).

• Jane , taken aback by the sudden announcement , sat in stunned silence.
• The students , puzzled by the complex equation , turned to their teacher for help.
• Mike , touched by the kindness of strangers , began to see hope in humanity.

Fronted Past Participle Phrases

• Taken aback by the sudden announcement , Jane sat in stunned silence.
• Puzzled by the complex equation , the students turned to their teacher for help.
• Touched by the kindness of strangers , Mike  began to see hope in humanity.
• Brought up in a well-disciplined family , she learned to respect her elders at a young age.
• Inspired by the motivational speaker , the audience left the event feeling empowered.

A key distinction between past and present participle phrases is that with the former, they are written in the past tense, indicating that the action in the phrase has happened before the rest of the sentence.

We can see the order (1, 2) by looking at two of the above sentences:

• Puzzled by the complex equation
• The students turned to their teacher for help
• Touched by the kindness of strangers
• Mike began to see hope in humanity

Reduced Relative Clauses

Past and present participle phrases are often actually reduced relative clauses. 

Relative Clauses:

• The students, who were  puzzled by the complex equation , turned to their teacher for help.
• I stared at the man who was  taking the photo

Converted to Participle Phrases:

• The students, puzzled by the complex equation , turned to their teacher for help.
• I stared at the man taking the photo

There are various rules on how to do this, so check out the lesson on reduced relative clauses to learn more.

Common Errors with Participle Phrases

Punctuation.

Punctuation with participle phrases varies depending on their placement within a sentence.

• When they are at the beginning of a sentence (fronted participle phrases), we use a comma after them as they apply to the subject immediately following. Shaken by the traumatic news , the woman could hardly stand.
• If they are after the noun in the middle/end of a sentence and they are giving non-essential information, commas are placed around them. The photographs, taken by a professional photographer , captured the essence of the event. The children spent the afternoon in the park, laughing and playing games with their friends .
• If they are after the noun in the middle/end of a sentence and they are giving essential information, no comma is needed. I was really attracted to the woman wearing the blue dres s . The pupil achieving the highest score will receive a prize.

If you are unsure of the difference between essential and non-essential information , check out this lesson on defining and non-defining relative clauses , as the same principles are being followed.

Dangling Modifiers

A common error when using participle phrases is the dreaded dangling modifier. This happens when you start a sentence with a participle phrase, intending for it to modify a certain subject, but then the subject is not in the sentence at all, confusing the reader.

Examples of Dangling Modifiers

• Running for the bus , my bag fell open.
• Exhausted from the long journey , the hotel room was a welcome sight.

Here, ' my bag ' wasn't doing the running, so the phrase is dangling. The past participle phrase " Exhausted from the long journey " is intended to modify the person arriving, but it incorrectly appears to modify the hotel room, resulting in a dangling modifier.

They could be corrected by adding in a subject that is being modified by the present and past participle phrases:

• Running for the bus, I tripped over and my bag fell open.
• Exhausted from the long journey, they found the hotel room was a welcome sight.

Misplaced Modifiers

With misplaced modifiers, the noun being modified is in the sentence, but the participle phrase is not in the correct position to clearly modify that noun.

Examples of Misplaced Modifiers

• Burnt to a crisp , I couldn't eat the pizza .
• Writing in a hurry , the essay was filled with errors by the student .

This sentence could be read to suggest that ' I ' have been ' burnt to a crisp ', rather than the pizza. In the second one, the essay was not writing.

Correct placement or re-organisation would be:

• Burnt to a crisp, the pizza couldn't be eaten / I couldn't eat the pizza, which was burnt to a crisp.
• Writing in a hurry, the student filled the essay with errors.

Using present and past participle phrases correctly and understanding "participles" and "adjectives", can significantly improve your English grammar, allowing you to express a more extensive range of sentiments and render your writing richer and more nuanced.

Now test yourself on what you've learned in this  present and past participle phrases exercise .

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PARTICIPLE CLAUSES

Participle clauses is a big topic, so for this lesson we will only look at a few examples of how these clauses can be used effectively in IELTS writing.

Participle clauses usually start with a participle, which can be either present ( meaning, resulting, showing, proving ), past ( used, made, done, started ) or past perfect ( having tried, having failed, having moved, having read ).

These names are confusing because participles are not verbs and so do not have their own tense. Instead, they use the same tense as the verb in the main clause. This concept is explained below.

PRESENT PARTICIPLE CLAUSES

Present participles are the same as a verb + ing . In the sentence below, the present participle is in bold , and the participle clause is underlined .

This same sentence can be written using a relative clause:

As this sentence shows, verbs in relative clauses need a tense (will result), but participles do not (resulting) as the tense is provided by the main clause:

USE IN IELTS

Present participle clauses are a nice alternative to relative clauses that explain the main clause or show the result of a main clause. The two examples below are from the model essays on this site:

PAST PARTICIPLE CLAUSES

Used carefully, past participle clauses can improve an IELTS essay.

The sentence above starts with a past participle (used). This sentence could be written in a different way:

Past participle clauses usually replace a passive clause. In the previous example and the one below, a passive voice if clause is replaced.

This is a formal style of writing that can be used in IELTS but test-takers must be careful. When using a participle clause, do not omit the noun that the participle clause refers to. This error is called a dangling modifier , and is a common with participle clauses. Read the sentence below:

This sentence does not make sense because the participle clause is not modifying a noun. The noun is missing. We do not know what is or was taken up by enough people. Now read the following sentence:

In this conditional sentence, the activities are the reason for the reduction in healthcare costs. So to include these in a participle clause sentence we need to move the noun activities to the main clause.

Past participle clauses are an effective alternative to some conditional sentences, but they do increase the chances of a grammar mistake. For this reason it is often better to use a more simple construction.

Past participle clauses are useful when describing something in the past and the result of it. If the sentence is in the passive voice, it can often be changed into a past participle clause.

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• Solar Eclipse 2024

What the World Has Learned From Past Eclipses

C louds scudded over the small volcanic island of Principe, off the western coast of Africa, on the afternoon of May 29, 1919. Arthur Eddington, director of the Cambridge Observatory in the U.K., waited for the Sun to emerge. The remains of a morning thunderstorm could ruin everything.

The island was about to experience the rare and overwhelming sight of a total solar eclipse. For six minutes, the longest eclipse since 1416, the Moon would completely block the face of the Sun, pulling a curtain of darkness over a thin stripe of Earth. Eddington traveled into the eclipse path to try and prove one of the most consequential ideas of his age: Albert Einstein’s new theory of general relativity.

Eddington, a physicist, was one of the few people at the time who understood the theory, which Einstein proposed in 1915. But many other scientists were stymied by the bizarre idea that gravity is not a mutual attraction, but a warping of spacetime. Light itself would be subject to this warping, too. So an eclipse would be the best way to prove whether the theory was true, because with the Sun’s light blocked by the Moon, astronomers would be able to see whether the Sun’s gravity bent the light of distant stars behind it.

Two teams of astronomers boarded ships steaming from Liverpool, England, in March 1919 to watch the eclipse and take the measure of the stars. Eddington and his team went to Principe, and another team led by Frank Dyson of the Greenwich Observatory went to Sobral, Brazil.

Totality, the complete obscuration of the Sun, would be at 2:13 local time in Principe. Moments before the Moon slid in front of the Sun, the clouds finally began breaking up. For a moment, it was totally clear. Eddington and his group hastily captured images of a star cluster found near the Sun that day, called the Hyades, found in the constellation of Taurus. The astronomers were using the best astronomical technology of the time, photographic plates, which are large exposures taken on glass instead of film. Stars appeared on seven of the plates, and solar “prominences,” filaments of gas streaming from the Sun, appeared on others.

Eddington wanted to stay in Principe to measure the Hyades when there was no eclipse, but a ship workers’ strike made him leave early. Later, Eddington and Dyson both compared the glass plates taken during the eclipse to other glass plates captured of the Hyades in a different part of the sky, when there was no eclipse. On the images from Eddington’s and Dyson’s expeditions, the stars were not aligned. The 40-year-old Einstein was right.

“Lights All Askew In the Heavens,” the New York Times proclaimed when the scientific papers were published. The eclipse was the key to the discovery—as so many solar eclipses before and since have illuminated new findings about our universe.

To understand why Eddington and Dyson traveled such distances to watch the eclipse, we need to talk about gravity.

Since at least the days of Isaac Newton, who wrote in 1687, scientists thought gravity was a simple force of mutual attraction. Newton proposed that every object in the universe attracts every other object in the universe, and that the strength of this attraction is related to the size of the objects and the distances among them. This is mostly true, actually, but it’s a little more nuanced than that.

On much larger scales, like among black holes or galaxy clusters, Newtonian gravity falls short. It also can’t accurately account for the movement of large objects that are close together, such as how the orbit of Mercury is affected by its proximity the Sun.

Albert Einstein’s most consequential breakthrough solved these problems. General relativity holds that gravity is not really an invisible force of mutual attraction, but a distortion. Rather than some kind of mutual tug-of-war, large objects like the Sun and other stars respond relative to each other because the space they are in has been altered. Their mass is so great that they bend the fabric of space and time around themselves.

Read More: 10 Surprising Facts About the 2024 Solar Eclipse

This was a weird concept, and many scientists thought Einstein’s ideas and equations were ridiculous. But others thought it sounded reasonable. Einstein and others knew that if the theory was correct, and the fabric of reality is bending around large objects, then light itself would have to follow that bend. The light of a star in the great distance, for instance, would seem to curve around a large object in front of it, nearer to us—like our Sun. But normally, it’s impossible to study stars behind the Sun to measure this effect. Enter an eclipse.

Einstein’s theory gives an equation for how much the Sun’s gravity would displace the images of background stars. Newton’s theory predicts only half that amount of displacement.

Eddington and Dyson measured the Hyades cluster because it contains many stars; the more stars to distort, the better the comparison. Both teams of scientists encountered strange political and natural obstacles in making the discovery, which are chronicled beautifully in the book No Shadow of a Doubt: The 1919 Eclipse That Confirmed Einstein's Theory of Relativity , by the physicist Daniel Kennefick. But the confirmation of Einstein’s ideas was worth it. Eddington said as much in a letter to his mother: “The one good plate that I measured gave a result agreeing with Einstein,” he wrote , “and I think I have got a little confirmation from a second plate.”

The Eddington-Dyson experiments were hardly the first time scientists used eclipses to make profound new discoveries. The idea dates to the beginnings of human civilization.

Careful records of lunar and solar eclipses are one of the greatest legacies of ancient Babylon. Astronomers—or astrologers, really, but the goal was the same—were able to predict both lunar and solar eclipses with impressive accuracy. They worked out what we now call the Saros Cycle, a repeating period of 18 years, 11 days, and 8 hours in which eclipses appear to repeat. One Saros cycle is equal to 223 synodic months, which is the time it takes the Moon to return to the same phase as seen from Earth. They also figured out, though may not have understood it completely, the geometry that enables eclipses to happen.

The path we trace around the Sun is called the ecliptic. Our planet’s axis is tilted with respect to the ecliptic plane, which is why we have seasons, and why the other celestial bodies seem to cross the same general path in our sky.

As the Moon goes around Earth, it, too, crosses the plane of the ecliptic twice in a year. The ascending node is where the Moon moves into the northern ecliptic. The descending node is where the Moon enters the southern ecliptic. When the Moon crosses a node, a total solar eclipse can happen. Ancient astronomers were aware of these points in the sky, and by the apex of Babylonian civilization, they were very good at predicting when eclipses would occur.

Two and a half millennia later, in 2016, astronomers used these same ancient records to measure the change in the rate at which Earth’s rotation is slowing—which is to say, the amount by which are days are lengthening, over thousands of years.

By the middle of the 19 th century, scientific discoveries came at a frenetic pace, and eclipses powered many of them. In October 1868, two astronomers, Pierre Jules César Janssen and Joseph Norman Lockyer, separately measured the colors of sunlight during a total eclipse. Each found evidence of an unknown element, indicating a new discovery: Helium, named for the Greek god of the Sun. In another eclipse in 1869, astronomers found convincing evidence of another new element, which they nicknamed coronium—before learning a few decades later that it was not a new element, but highly ionized iron, indicating that the Sun’s atmosphere is exceptionally, bizarrely hot. This oddity led to the prediction, in the 1950s, of a continual outflow that we now call the solar wind.

And during solar eclipses between 1878 and 1908, astronomers searched in vain for a proposed extra planet within the orbit of Mercury. Provisionally named Vulcan, this planet was thought to exist because Newtonian gravity could not fully describe Mercury’s strange orbit. The matter of the innermost planet’s path was settled, finally, in 1915, when Einstein used general relativity equations to explain it.

Many eclipse expeditions were intended to learn something new, or to prove an idea right—or wrong. But many of these discoveries have major practical effects on us. Understanding the Sun, and why its atmosphere gets so hot, can help us predict solar outbursts that could disrupt the power grid and communications satellites. Understanding gravity, at all scales, allows us to know and to navigate the cosmos.

GPS satellites, for instance, provide accurate measurements down to inches on Earth. Relativity equations account for the effects of the Earth’s gravity and the distances between the satellites and their receivers on the ground. Special relativity holds that the clocks on satellites, which experience weaker gravity, seem to run slower than clocks under the stronger force of gravity on Earth. From the point of view of the satellite, Earth clocks seem to run faster. We can use different satellites in different positions, and different ground stations, to accurately triangulate our positions on Earth down to inches. Without those calculations, GPS satellites would be far less precise.

This year, scientists fanned out across North America and in the skies above it will continue the legacy of eclipse science. Scientists from NASA and several universities and other research institutions will study Earth’s atmosphere; the Sun’s atmosphere; the Sun’s magnetic fields; and the Sun’s atmospheric outbursts, called coronal mass ejections.

When you look up at the Sun and Moon on the eclipse , the Moon’s day — or just observe its shadow darkening the ground beneath the clouds, which seems more likely — think about all the discoveries still yet waiting to happen, just behind the shadow of the Moon.

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What Solar Eclipse-Gazing Has Looked Like for the Past 2 Centuries

Millions of people on Monday will continue the tradition of experiencing and capturing solar eclipses, a pursuit that has spawned a lot of unusual gear.

• Share full article

By Sarah Eckinger

• April 8, 2024

For centuries, people have been clamoring to glimpse solar eclipses. From astronomers with custom-built photographic equipment to groups huddled together with special glasses, this spectacle has captivated the human imagination.

Creating a Permanent Record

In 1860, Warren de la Rue captured what many sources describe as the first photograph of a total solar eclipse . He took it in Rivabellosa, Spain, with an instrument known as the Kew Photoheliograph . This combination of a telescope and camera was specifically built to photograph the sun.

Forty years later, Nevil Maskelyne, a magician and an astronomy enthusiast, filmed a total solar eclipse in North Carolina. The footage was lost, however, and only released in 2019 after it was rediscovered in the Royal Astronomical Society’s archives.

Telescopic Vision

For scientists and astronomers, eclipses provide an opportunity not only to view the moon’s umbra and gaze at the sun’s corona, but also to make observations that further their studies. Many observatories, or friendly neighbors with a telescope, also make their instruments available to the public during eclipses.

Fredrik Hjalmar Johansen, Fridtjof Nansen and Sigurd Scott Hansen observing a solar eclipse while on a polar expedition in 1894 .

Women from Wellesley College in Massachusetts and their professor tested out equipment ahead of their eclipse trip (to “catch old Sol in the act,” as the original New York Times article phrased it) to New London, Conn., in 1922.

A group from Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania traveled to Yerbaniz, Mexico, in 1923, with telescopes and a 65-foot camera to observe the sun’s corona .

Dr. J.J. Nassau, director of the Warner and Swasey Observatory at Case School of Applied Science in Cleveland, prepared to head to Douglas Hill, Maine, to study an eclipse in 1932. An entire freight car was required to transport the institution’s equipment.

Visitors viewed a solar eclipse at an observatory in Berlin in the mid-1930s.

A family set up two telescopes in Bar Harbor, Maine, in 1963. The two children placed stones on the base to help steady them.

An astronomer examined equipment for an eclipse in a desert in Mauritania in June 1973. We credit the hot climate for his choice in outfit.

Indirect Light

If you see people on Monday sprinting to your local park clutching pieces of paper, or with a cardboard box of their head, they are probably planning to reflect or project images of the solar eclipse onto a surface.

Cynthia Goulakos demonstrated a safe way to view a solar eclipse , with two pieces of cardboard to create a reflection of the shadowed sun, in Lowell, Mass., in 1970.

Another popular option is to create a pinhole camera. This woman did so in Central Park in 1963 by using a paper cup with a small hole in the bottom and a twin-lens reflex camera.

Amateur astronomers viewed a partial eclipse, projected from a telescope onto a screen, from atop the Empire State Building in 1967 .

Back in Central Park, in 1970, Irving Schwartz and his wife reflected an eclipse onto a piece of paper by holding binoculars on the edge of a garbage basket.

Children in Denver in 1979 used cardboard viewing boxes and pieces of paper with small pinholes to view projections of a partial eclipse.

A crowd gathered around a basin of water dyed with dark ink, waiting for the reflection of a solar eclipse to appear, in Hanoi, Vietnam, in 1995.

Staring at the Sun (or, How Not to Burn Your Retinas)

Eclipse-gazers have used different methods to protect their eyes throughout the years, some safer than others .

In 1927, women gathered at a window in a building in London to watch a total eclipse through smoked glass. This was popularized in France in the 1700s , but fell out of favor when physicians began writing papers on children whose vision was damaged.

Another trend was to use a strip of exposed photographic film, as seen below in Sydney, Australia, in 1948 and in Turkana, Kenya, in 1963. This method, which was even suggested by The Times in 1979 , has since been declared unsafe.

Solar eclipse glasses are a popular and safe way to view the event ( if you use models compliant with international safety standards ). Over the years there have been various styles, including these large hand-held options found in West Palm Beach, Fla., in 1979.

Parents and children watched a partial eclipse through their eclipse glasses in Tokyo in 1981.

Slimmer, more colorful options were used in Nabusimake, Colombia, in 1998.

In France in 1999.

And in Iran and England in 1999.

And the best way to see the eclipse? With family and friends at a watch party, like this one in Isalo National Park in Madagascar in 2001.