Past participle: the formation and grammar rules

The formation of the past participle in English - possible forms

The past participle in English corresponds to the past participle in German language. In German it is also called Participle II.

• Don't get confused, as there are two forms of the participle in the English language. These are: Present Participle and Past Participle.
• You know the present participle as the -ing form. "Running water" is then "running water". "The man with the black hat" is described in English as "the man wearing the black hat". The participle describes the man.
• In the past participle, the endings are: -ed, -d, -t, -en, or -n. An example of the formation of the form is: "I have a heart wracked with lovesickness." The participle is "wracked" here.
• When learning irregular verbs, the past participle is always the third form. You have to learn all of these forms by heart, there is no other way to derive them.
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The past participle and the past participle

The past participle (past participle II) is used in the German language in a very similar way as in English.

• In the sentence "Reaching for the glasses, the man begins to read" the past participle is used to shorten it. The long version would be: While he reaches for the glasses, the man begins to read.
• The past particple is also used in the English language: "The woman taken to hospital has survived". The long version would be: The woman who was taken to hospital has survived.
• In addition to being used as an abbreviation, both the past participle and the past participle are used as soon as something is described. The participle is used as an adjective: "The ruined cake made her cry". The participle describes the cake. Other examples would be: broken glass, swollen eyes, sheltered animals (the translation: broken glass, swollen eyes, protected animals).
• The best way to practice the use and formation of the past participle is to read a lot in the English language or to watch DVDs in the original English version.
• There is in Germany also various radio stations with a program in English. You can also watch the English news on TV or online.
• You should also try to write a lot of text in English. Perhaps in the future you will simply write your diary in English.
• However, you will learn the most if you have English-speaking contacts in the U.S.A., Canada, or England. The more you e-mail or chat with these people, the more you learn.
• A longer stay in one of these countries would of course be even better, because people tend to imitate other people. This has a high learning effect when learning a language.

When reading, however, you will most likely notice the Past Particple. Therefore, try to practice as much as possible and use the English language seriously in your everyday life.