#12 The Order and Usage of Adjectives｜Basic Rules and Example Sentences
Izumi English Days
#65 Present Participles / Past Participles Used as Adjectives｜Expressions That Modify Nouns to Indicate State or Quality
Izumi
Participles in English (present participle -ing / past participle -ed) are derived from verbs but function like adjectives to modify nouns.
By understanding this usage, I can more concretely describe “what kind of person” or “what kind of thing” I am talking about. This greatly expands my ability to express myself in English.
In this lesson, I will explain in detail how present and past participles are used adjectivally, along with example sentences.
Contents
1. The Adjectival Use of Present Participles
A present participle (-ing form) modifies a noun to indicate an active meaning such as “doing” or “causing.”
1-1. Describing an Ongoing Action
Examples
- a crying baby
- a sleeping cat
- a shining star
The key point is that the action is being described directly, as in “in the middle of doing.”
1-2. Expressing Qualities or Characteristics
Examples
- an interesting movie
- a boring lecture
- a surprising result
In this case, the participle expresses a quality that affects people.
1-3. Usage in Sentences
Examples
- The girl standing at the door is my sister.
- The man talking to Tom is our teacher.
Phrases like “standing at the door” or “talking to Tom” describe “the girl” or “the man.”
2. The Adjectival Use of Past Participles
A past participle (-ed form) modifies a noun to indicate a passive meaning such as “done” or “being in a state after an action.”
2-1. Expressing a State
Examples
- a broken chair
- a closed door
- a lost wallet
These express a state resulting from an external action.
2-2. Expressing Emotions
Examples
- an interested student
- a tired worker
- a satisfied customer
With emotions, the past participle refers to “the person who has the feeling.”
2-3. Usage in Sentences
Examples
- The cake made by my mother was delicious.
- The books written in French are difficult to read.
Here, the nouns are described as having “received an action.”
3. The Difference Between Present and Past Participles
Even though they come from the same verb, present and past participles often carry very different meanings.
3-1. interesting / interested
Examples
- an interesting movie
→ The movie entertains people. - an interested student
→ The student has interest.
3-2. tiring / tired
Examples
- a tiring day
→ The day makes people tired. - a tired man
→ The man is in a tired state.
3-3. exciting / excited
Examples
- an exciting match
→ The match excites people. - an excited child
→ The child feels excited.
Key Point: “Active or Passive?”
- Present Participle (-ing):
The noun is actively doing something / has the quality of causing something. - Past Participle (-ed):
The noun has received an external action / is in a resulting state.
4. Summary
Grammar Points
- The present participle (-ing) expresses an active meaning, modifying nouns as “doing” or “causing.”
- The past participle (-ed) expresses a passive meaning, modifying nouns as “done” or “being in a state.”
- With emotion-related participles, the distinction is especially important:
¥1,100 （2026/01/26 11:05時点 | Amazon調べ）
ポチップ
¥1,650 （2026/01/29 13:21時点 | Amazon調べ）
ポチップ
