PARTICIPLES. 127. Participles receive their name from participating, or sharing the nature of a verb with that of an adjective or noun. There are two participles--namely, the present and the past. 128. The Present Participle is formed by adding ing to the infinitive; as-touch, touching; hope, hoping. 129. The Past Participle is generally formed from the verb by adding d or ed to the present infinitive; thus-love, loved; exalt, exalted. There are about one hundred and eighty verbs that do not follow this law, and they are called irregular. These participles are chiefly used with auxiliaries, to form various tenses of principal verbs; but they are sometimes employed alone, as in the following EXAMPLES. Seeing him pass, I called him in. John being in the way, was sent home. Having determined to sail, we entered a ship. Alexander, resolved to conquer the Persians, set out on his march. Each heart exulting, and each look resigned. Youth wasted, mind degraded, honour lost. CONJUGATION OF THE VERB TO BE. Present Infinitive, Past Indicative, Present Participle, Past Participle, * In old writers, we have still the form of the present There be many wide counties in Ireland.-SPENSER. If thou beest Stephano. -SHAKS. If thou beest he.-MILTON. Before the heavens thou wert.-MILTON. Remember what thou wert.DRYDEN. All this thou wert.-POPE. Thou, Stella, wert no longer young.SWIFT. * Till within the last few years, the progressive form of the active voice was used alike for the passive; thus-the house is building; the man was dressing, though another was dressing him. The forms, is being built, was being or getting dressed, are now coming into good use, and are therefore given in this paradigm of conjugation. |