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2.1.3: The Past Participle

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    359367
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    Past Participle Grammar Guide

    What is a Past Participle? The past participle is a verb form typically ending in -ed (for regular verbs) or having irregular forms (like "gone," "written," "seen"). It's used in perfect tenses, passive voice, and as adjectives.
    Regular Past Participles
    Base Form Simple Past Past Participle Example Sentence
    work worked worked David has worked at the hospital for five years.
    study studied studied Maria has studied engineering since 2020.
    finish finished finished The project was finished by the team yesterday.
    cook cooked cooked Ahmed has cooked dinner for his family.
    Irregular Past Participles
    Base Form Simple Past Past Participle Example Sentence
    write wrote written The author has written three novels.
    eat ate eaten The children have eaten all the cake.
    see saw seen Carlos has seen that movie three times.
    go went gone She's gone to Tokyo for business.
    break broke broken The storm has broken several windows.
    Key Points:
    • Regular verbs: Simple past and past participle are the same (both add -ed)
    • Irregular verbs: Simple past and past participle are usually different
    • Past participles are used with "have/has" in Present Perfect tense
    • Simple past shows completed actions at a specific time in the past

    2.1.3: The Past Participle is shared under a not declared license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by LibreTexts.

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