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P AR TICIPLE S

Past participles as Identifying a gerund phrase
adjectives Participle phrases act as adjectives, whereas gerund

Past participles can be used on phrases act as nouns, which can be described by
their own as adjectives to modify adjectives. Since gerund phrases are always
nouns. They are placed either singular, it is possible to check whether a phrase
before the noun or pronoun they is a gerund phrase by substituting the pronoun it.
describe, or after it, following
a linking verb.

This past participle is being
used as an adjective before
the noun it describes (skates). The pronoun it has been The pronoun it has been
substituted for the phrase, substituted for the phrase,
and the resulting sentence and the resulting sentence
doesn’t make sense, so the makes sense, so the phrase
phrase is a participle phrase. is a gerund phrase.
It, Josh found them. It was a priority.

Here, the past participle is
being used as an adjective
after the noun it describes This participle phrase is acting as
(skates), following the an adjective, describing Josh.
linking verb were.

Present participles as nouns Present participles as adjectives
When the present participle of a verb is used as Like past participles, present participles can be
a noun, it is called a gerund. Like nouns, a gerund used as adjectives. They can be placed before or
(one word) or a gerund phrase (multiple words) after the noun or pronoun that they modify.
can be used as the subject or object of a sentence.
This present participle is being used as
subject an adjective after the pronoun it describes
(they), following the linking verb were.

The gerund phrase
ice-skating is acting as
the object of this sentence. This present participle is formed
from the verb miss, and is
describing the noun skates.