Present Participle

The present participle of most verbs has the form base+ing. It is used in many
different ways.

THE PRESENT PARTICIPLE AS PART OF THE CONTINUOUS FORM OF A VERB

EXAMPLES
I am working.
He was singing.
They have been walking.
We will be staying.
She would have been expecting me.

THE PRESENT PARTICIPLE AFTER VERBS OF MOVEMENT & POSITION

This construction is particularly useful with the verb to go.

EXAMPLES
She went shopping.
I go running every morning.
He lay looking up at the clouds.
She came running towards me.

THE PRESENT PARTICIPLE AFTER VERBS OF PERCEPTION

The pattern for this usage is verb + object + present participle. There is a difference in
meaning when such a sentence contains a zero infinitive rather than a participle. The
infinitive refers to a complete action while the present participle refers to an ongoing action.

EXAMPLES
I heard someone singing.
He saw his friend walking along the road.
I can smell something burning!
I watched the birds flying away.

THE PRESENT PARTICIPLE AS AN ADJECTIVE

EXAMPLES
It was an amazing film.
Dark billowing clouds often precede a storm.
He was trapped inside the burning house.
Many of his paintings show the setting sun.

THE PRESENT PARTICIPLE WITH THE VERBS SPEND AND WASTE

The pattern with these verbs is verb + time/money expression + present participle.

EXAMPLES
 My boss spends two hours a day travelling to work.
Don't waste time playing computer games!
They've spent the whole day shopping.
I wasted money buying this game.

THE PRESENT PARTICIPLE WITH THE VERBS CATCH AND FIND

The pattern with these verbs is verb + object + present participle. With catch, the participle
always refers to an action which causes annoyance or anger. This is not the case with find,
which is unemotional.

EXAMPLES
If I catch you stealing my apples again, there'll be trouble!
Don't let him catch you reading his letters.
I caught him going through my bag.
We found some money lying on the ground.
They found their mother sitting in the garden.

THE PRESENT PARTICIPLE FOR TWO ACTIONS AT THE SAME TIME

When two actions occur at the same time, and are done by the same person or thing, we
can use a present participle to describe one of them. When one action follows very quickly
after another done by the same person or thing, we can express the first action with a
present participle.

EXAMPLES
Whistling to himself, he walked down the road. = He whistled to himself as he walked down
the road.
They went laughing out into the snow. = They laughed as they went out into the snow.
Dropping the gun, she put her hands in the air. = She dropped the gun and put her hands in
the air.
Putting on his coat, he left the house. = He put on his coat and left the house.

THE PRESENT PARTICIPLE TO EXPLAIN A REASON

The present participle can be used instead of a phrase starting with as, since, or because. In
this usage the participial phrase explains the cause or reason for an action.

EXAMPLES
Feeling hungry, he went into the kitchen and opened the fridge.
Being poor, he didn't spend much on clothes.
Knowing that his mother was coming, he cleaned the flat.
He whispered, thinking his brother was still asleep.

Rewrite the sentences replacing the italic part with a present participle.

1. She was talking to her friend and forgot everything around her.
→
2. Since we watch the news every day we know what's going on in the world.
→
3. They are vegetarians and don't eat meat.
→
4. The dog wagged its tail and bit the postman.
→
5. While she was tidying up her room she found some old photos.
→
6. He was a good boy and helped his mother in the kitchen.
→
7. As they didn't have enough money they spent their holidays at home last year.
→
8. The man was sitting in the cafe. He was reading a paper.
→
9. Since I didn't feel well I didn't go to the cinema.
→
10. She walked home and met an old friend.
→
Each of the following sentences contains one or more present participles. Underline the subjects once and
the verbs twice. Circle the present participles, and label them as adjectives or verbs. Then indicate if the
sentences are correct (C) or incorrect (I).

1. The crying baby needs to be picked up. (C) ADJ.

2. The clothes are lying the floor should go into the washing machine. (I) VERB
3. The waitress bringing the steaming soup to the waiting diners.
4. Most of the striking workers are walking the picket line.
5. For her birthday, the child is getting a talking doll.
6. The setting sun creating a rainbow of colors in the sky.
7. The ship is sailing to Mexico is leaving tonight.
8. The letters needing immediate answers are on the desk.
9. The boring class just ending a few minutes ago.
10. The fast-moving clouds are bringing freezing rain to the area.
11. The companies offering the lowest prices will have the most customers.
12. Those travelers are completing their trip on Delta should report to Gate Three.
13. The artisans were demostrating various handicrafts at booths throughout the fair.
14. the fraternities are giving the wildest parties attract the most new pledges
15. the first team winning four games is awarded the championship.
16. the speaker was trying to make his point was often interrupted vociferously.
17. The advertisements were announcing the half-day sale received a lot of attention.
Shorten the following sentences by using a Participle.
A. People who live in the country really need their cars.
B. Liz hurt her arm while she was playing tennis.
C. While I was walking home that afternoon, I wondered what I was going to say to her.
D. The fans had come early, because they were hoping to see the band arrive.
E. Because he is a doctor, he knew what to do at the scene of the accident.

Participle Adjectives – Practice

Present Participles end with “ing”

- used to describe someone or something that is doing an action or causing a feeling.
Past Participles end with “ed” if they are regular or sometimes “en” if they are irregular verbs.
– used to describe someone’s feelings or to show something has happened to them.

Example: The teacher is boring the student.

• In this sentence, the subject of the sentence is teacher. The verb is boring, which is the present
progressive form of the verb. The object is student.
• If we wish to make adjectives from the verb, we may use the present and the past participle forms:
boring and bored.

The boring teacher (boring describes the agent, teacher)

The bored student (bored describes the object, or the receiver of the action, student)
Use the participles in the box below to complete the sentences. exciting shocking tiring amazing
frightened endangered bored
shocked surprising tired amazed threatening burning boring
excited surprised upsetting frightening threatened burned/burnt astounding

1. The __________________ news made her cry.

2. The __________________ three-hour class put me to sleep.
3. The panda is an ___________________ species.
4. The volcano made ____________________________ noises as it expelled lava.
5. The __________________ student fell asleep while writing in her journal.
6. She was overjoyed by the __________________ news.
7. The children were ________________ after watching the dull movie.
8. Your decision is _____________________________. I was rather _________________ by your
choice.
9. After three hours in the ____________________ sun, the swimmers were terribly sun-
______________.
10. I was so _______________________ I couldn’t speak.
11. She has shown ______________________ resilience in the face of her difficulties.
12. The tourists were ________________ when they saw the huge waterfall.
Multiple choices

1. ....., the professor asked his students to make a summary.

A. Having finished his lecture
B. To finish his lecture
C. Have finished his lectur
D. After he finishes his lecture
E. He finishes his lecture

2. ......., she was able to achieve what she had dreamed of.
A. Carefully did she plan her future
B. She planned her future carefully
C. Her future was planned with care
D. Her future was carefully planned
E. Having planned her future carefully

3. After students had finished doing the test, they left the room.
We can also say: ...., they left their room.
A. Have finished
B. Finished
C. Being finished
D. Having finished
E. Finishing

4. Being angry with his mother's remarks, he got up and left the house.
The underlined words mean: ..... with his mother's remark.
A. Because he was angry
B. After he was angry
C. Although he was angry
D. Before he was angry
E. In order that he was angry

5. Living in a remote mountainous area in West Java, ......

A. there is Badui people living in simplicity
B. nature resources can be effectively conserved by the Badui people
C. the Badui people are almost completely without by modern life
D. how west java provinc maintains Badui old way of life is amazing
E. modern technology has hardly ever touched the Badui people

6. When we came home last night we saw a man ____ to get on our roof.
A. try
B. tried
C. he tries
D. to try
E. trying

7. The first school day is a frightening experience for many children. The underlined phrase means ;
an experience ____ many children.
A. that frightens
B. it frightens
C. who frightens
D. which will frightens
E. it is frightening

8. Talking excitedly to each other, they forgot to finish the exercises.

The underlined word means ____ , they forgot to finish the exercises.
A. Although they talked excitedly
B. In order that they could talk excitedly
C. Because they were talking excitedly
D. When they had talked excitedly
E. If they talked excitedly
9. Being an outstanding student in our school, he has been offered a scholarship to study in
Australia.
The underlined words means ____ of our school.
A. If he is an outstanding student
B. Although he is an outstanding student
C. When he is an outstanding student
D. As he is an outstanding student
E. Before he is an outstanding studen

10. The young man ____ by this Institute are all good university graduates.
A. employ
B. employed
C. to employee
D. employing
E. be employer

11. A few days after the interview, I received a letter ____ me a job.
A. has offered
B. offered
C. being offered
D. offering
E. it was offering

12. ____ by mountains, the city has a cool climate.

A. Be surrounded
B. Surrounded
C. Surrounding
D. Having surrounded
E. It was surrounded

13. The people ____ during the war were mostly young soldiers.
A. killing
B. killed
C. were killed
D. were killing
E. be killed

14. _____ her mistakes, the stewardess immediately apologized to the passenger.
A. Realized
B. In realizing
C. Realizes
D. She realized
E. Realizing

15. The accident ____ a bus and two cars took the lives of four people and injured numerous others.
A. to involve
B. involving
C. to be involved
D. it involves
E. involved
 16. She was talking to her friend and forgot everything around her.
→ Talking to her friend she forgot everything around her.
17. Since we watch the news every day we know what's going on in the world.
→ Watching the news every day we know what's going on in the world.
18. They are vegetarians and don't eat meat.
→ Being vegetarians they don't eat meat.
19. The dog wagged its tail and bit the postman.
→ Wagging its tail the dog bit the postman.
20. While she was tidying up her room she found some old photos.
→ Tidying up her room she found some old photos.
21. He was a good boy and helped his mother in the kitchen.
→ Being a good boy he helped his mother in the kitchen.
22. As they didn't have enough money they spent their holidays at home last year.
→ Not having enough money they spent their holidays at home last year.
23. The man was sitting in the cafe. He was reading a paper.
→ The man was sitting in the cafe reading a paper.
24. Since I didn't feel well I didn't go to the cinema.
→ Not feeling well I didn't go to the cinema.
25. She walked home and met an old friend.
→ Walking home she met an old friend.

Nomor 1
....., the professor asked his students to make a summary.
A. Having finished his lecture
B. To finish his lecture
C. Have finished his lectur
D. After he finishes his lecture
E. He finishes his lecture

Pembahasan
Soal tersebut memiliki terjemahan '...... profesor meminta para siswa membuat ringkasan', jadi kalimat
yang cocok untuk mengisi titik-titik adalah 'setelah selesai kuliah' atau dalam bahasa Inggris 'Having
finished his lecture'.
Jawaban: A

Nomor 2
......., she was able to achieve what she had dreamed of.
A. Carefully did she plan her future
B. She planned her future carefully
C. Her future was planned with care
D. Her future was carefully planned
E. Having planned her future carefully

Pembahasan
Soal tersebut memiliki terjemahan '....., dia mampu mencapai apa yang dia impikan'. Jadi kalimat
yang cocok untuk mengisi titik-titik adalah 'Setelah direncanakan masa depannya dengan teliti, dia
mampu mencapai apa yang dia impikan', atau dalam bahasa Inggris 'Having planned her future
carefully'.
Jawaban: E

Nomor 3
After students had finished doing the test, they left the room.
We can also say: ...., they left their room.
A. Have finished
B. Finished
C. Being finished
D. Having finished
E. Finishing

Pembahasan
Setelah siswa selesai mengerjakan test, mereka meninggalkan ruangan
Kita juga bisa mengatakan: ......, mereka meninggalkan ruangan.
Karena menggunakan After (setelah) berarti kalimat yang cocok untuk mengisi titik-titik adalah
'Having finished'
Jawaban: D

Nomor 4
Being angry with his mother's remarks, he got up and left the house.
The underlined words mean: ..... with his mother's remark.
A. Because he was angry
B. After he was angry
C. Although he was angry
D. Before he was angry
E. In order that he was angry

Pembahasan
Karena marah dengan perkataan ibunya, ia bangkit dan meninggalkan rumah.
Kata-kata yang digaris bawahi berarti: ......dengan ucapan ibunya.
Sehingga kata yang cocok untuk mengisi titik-titik adalah Because he was angry (Being = Because).
Jawaban: A

Nomor 5
Living in a remote mountainous area in West Java, ......
A. there is Badui people living in simplicity
B. nature resources can be effectively conserved by the Badui people
C. the Badui people are almost completely without by modern life
D. how west java provinc maintains Badui old way of life is amazing
E. modern technology has hardly ever touched the Badui people

Pembahasan
Karena tinggal di daerah pegunungan terpencil di Jawa Barat, .....
Sehingga kalimat yang cocok untuk mengisi titik-titik adalah 'Orang Badui hampir tidak tersentuh oleh
kehidupan modern' atau dalam bahasa Inggris 'the Badui people are almost completely without by
modern life'.
Jawaban: C

Soal No. 1
When we came home last night we saw a man ____ to get on our roof.
A. try
B. tried
C. he tries
D. to try
E. trying
Pembahasan :
Bentuk soal menggunakan participle di tengah kalimat dan bermakna aktif pada pria yang
sedang mencoba (a man trying)
Jawaban : E
=========================================================================
=============
Soal No. 2
The first school day is a frightening experience for many children. The underlined phrase means ;
an experience ____ many children.
A. that frightens
B. it frightens
C. who frightens
D. which will frightens
E. it is frightening
Pembahasan:
Frase a frightening experience bermakna aktif. Letak participle dalam soal an experience ____
many children; menunjukkan penggunaan adjective clause dalam kalimat dan bermakna aktif
juga( an experience that frightens many children)
Jawaban : A
=========================================================================
=============
Soal no. 3
Talking excitedly to each other, they forgot to finish the exercises.
The underlined word means ____ , they forgot to finish the exercises.
A. Although they talked excitedly
B. In order that they could talk excitedly
C. Because they were talking excitedly
D. When they had talked excitedly
E. If they talked excitedly
Pembahasan :
Penggunaan participle dalam awal kalimat bermakna because/ as/ since ( karena). Hubungan
antara klausa pertama dan yang kedua menunjukkan hubungan sebab akibat ; Talking excitedly
to each other, they forgot to finish the exercises. Sehingga untuk melengkapi soal diatas klausa
yang paling tepat adalah Because they were talking excitedly, they forgot to finish the exercises.
Jawaban : C
=========================================================================
=============
Soal No. 4
Being an outstanding student in our school, he has been offered a scholarship to study in
Australia.
The underlined words means ____ of our school.
A. If he is an outstanding student
B. Although he is an outstanding student
C. When he is an outstanding student
D. As he is an outstanding student
E. Before he is an outstanding student
Pembahasan:
Penggunaan participle dalam awal kalimat bermakna because/ as/ since ( karena). Hubungan
antara klausa pertama dan yang kedua menunjukkan hubungan sebab akibat; Being an
outstanding student in our school, he has been offered a scholarship to study in Australia.
Sehingga untuk melengkapi soal diatas klausa yang paling tepat adalah As he is an outstanding
student of our school.
Jawaban : D
=========================================================================
=============
Soal No. 5
The young man ____ by this Institute are all good university graduates.
A. employ
B. employed
C. to employee
D. employing
E. be employer
Pembahasan :
Penggunaan "by" dalam soal menunjukkan ciri- ciri participe bermakna pasif ( Past participle),
sehingga jawabannya adalah; "involved"
Jawaban : B
=========================================================================
=============
Soal No. 6
A few days after the interview, I received a letter ____ me a job.
A. has offered
B. offered
C. being offered
D. offering
E. it was offering
Pembahasan :
Penggunaan participle ditengah bermakna aktif ( present participle). ... I received a letter which
offered me a job. ( beberapa hari setelah interview, saya menerima surat yang menawariku
pekerjaan)
Jawaban : D
=========================================================================
=============
Soal No. 7
____ by mountains, the city has a cool climate.
A. Be surrounded
B. Surrounded
C. Surrounding
D. Having surrounded
E. It was surrounded
Pembahasan :
Penggunaan "by" dalam soal menunjukkan ciri- ciri participe bermakna pasif ( Past participle),
sehingga kalimat lengkapnya adalah "Surrounded by mountains, the city has a cool climate."
Jawaban : B
=========================================================================
=============
Soal No. 8
The people ____ during the war were mostly young soldiers.
A. killing
B. killed
C. were killed
D. were killing
E. be killed
Pembahasan :
Penggunaan Participle ditengah kalimat yang bermakna pasif yaitu "orang- orang yang terbunuh"
( the people killed)
Jawaban : B
=========================================================================
=============
Soal No. 9
_____ her mistakes, the stewardess immediately apologized to the passenger.
A. Realized
B. In realizing
C. Realizes
D. She realized
E. Realizing
Pembahasan :
Hubungan klausa yang pertama dengan yang kedua menunjukkan hubungan sebab dan akibat
dengan subjek yang sama yaitu "the stewardess" (Because/ as/ since the stewardess realized
her mistakes, she immediately apologized to the passenger). karena bermakna aktif, maka
bentuk present participle yang digunakan.
Jawaban : E
=========================================================================
=============
Soal No. 10
The accident ____ a bus and two cars took the lives of four people and injured numerous others.
A. to involve
B. involving
C. to be involved
D. it involves
E. involved
Pembahasan :
Penggunaan participle ditengah kalimat yang bermakna aktif yaitu "kecelakaan yang melibatkan"
( the accident involving)
Jawaban : B