What is Past Participle? How to Use + Example Sentence
- Jul 5, 2023
- 7 min read
Updated: 2 days ago
What Is the Past Participle?
The past participle is a verb form used in many important grammar structures in English.
👉 You often see it in:
Perfect tenses
Passive voice
Adjective forms
📌 Examples:
eat → eaten
go → gone
finish → finished
💡 Regular verbs usually end in -ed, but irregular verbs are different:
write → written
see → seen
take → taken
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What is the difference between Past tense & Past Participle?
Let's look at the verb 'play' in the present, past simple & past participle form:
present past simple past participle
e.g. play ➡️ played ➡️ played
👉Note: (Difference between past participle vs present participle):
✔️ Present Participle = [verb + -ing]
e.g. play ➡️ playing
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🧠 When Do We Use the Past Participle?
✔️Past participle = [regular verb + -ed]
e.g. work ➡️ worked
✔️ We use the auxiliary verb
e.g. 'be', 'have' + (Past Participle) to form:
Perfect tenses ( Present, Past, Future Perfect)
Passive Forms
Adjectives
1️⃣ Present Perfect Tense [have / has + past participle]
We use this to talk about:
Experiences
Actions that happened at an unknown time
Actions that still matter now
✅ Examples:
I have visited Paris.
She has finished her work.
They have never tried sushi.
Related post
2️⃣ Past Perfect Tense [had + past participle]
We use this for:
👉 An action that happened before another past action
✅ Examples:
She had left before I arrived.
We had already eaten dinner.
He had given the book to his daughter.
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👉Note!
Compare : (Past Simple tense)
e.g. I booked the tickets
✔️Past Perfect Simple
= had + (past participle)
3️⃣ Future Perfect Simple [shall / will + have + past participle]
We use this to:
👉 predict an action that will have happened by a certain time in the future.
✅ Examples:
We will have finished this project by next week.
Hurry! The train will have left by the time we reach the station.
This time next year, Sam will have graduated university.
Related post
4️⃣ Passive Voice (be + past participle)
We use this when:
👉 The action is more important than the person who did it
Form = [am /is /are + past participle]
✅ Examples:
Coffee is served fresh at our canteen daily.
Our coffee is made from 100% beans.
Fresh bread are sold at the farmer's market every weekend.
Form = [was / were + past participle]
✅ Examples:
The email was sent this morning.
Her bags were stolen at the airport.
Were those pastries baked by your mum?
Learn more about the Passives
5️⃣ As Adjectives
Past participles can describe nouns 👗
✅ Examples:
a broken phone
a written message
a crowded café
💬 Everyday Dialogue (Natural Conversation)
Scene: Two friends at a café ☕
Lina: Have you tried the new dessert here?
Maya: Yes! I’ve already ordered it twice .
Lina: Really? I’ve never seen it before.
Maya: It’s amazing. It was recommended by the chef.
Lina: Oh, then I’ll try it. I haven’t eaten anything sweet today.
📖 Short Story: The Forgotten Message
Emma walked into her favourite café feeling uneasy.
She had received a strange message that morning.
“Meet me at 10. Everything has been prepared.”
She looked around.
Someone had reserved a table near the window.
A note was placed on it. Her heart raced.
The message had been written in a familiar style.
Suddenly, she remembered.
Years ago, she had promised to return to this café on this exact day.
And now… someone had kept that promise.
3. How to make verb into the Past Participle form?
- Past Participle Word List
*Note the different spelling rules / changes for:
i. regular verb
ii. irregular verbs
✔️REGULAR VERBS
- We form the Past Participles by adding -ed to the base verb.
Present Past Simple Past Participle
splash ➡️ splashed ➡️ splashed
work ➡️ worked ➡️ worked
clean ➡️ cleaned ➡️ cleaned
cook ➡️ cooked ➡️ cooked
wash ➡️ washed ➡️ washed
✔️ Words with last letter 'e': we add 'd':
Present Past Simple Past Participle
rinse ➡️ rinsed ➡️ rinsed
calculate ➡️ calculated ➡️ calculated
close ➡️ closed ➡️ closed
arrange ➡️ arranged ➡️ arranged
change ➡️ changed ➡️ changed
✔️ Words with last letters are *consonant-vowel-consonant:
→ double the last consonant e.g. 'p'
→ add 'ed'
Present Past Simple Past Participle
clip ➡️ clipped ➡️ clipped
mop ➡️ mopped ➡️ mopped
top ➡️ topped ➡️ topped
crop ➡️ cropped ➡️ cropped
plan ➡️ planned ➡️ planned
👉Note!
*Letters of the Alphabet - a to z
- vowel = a, e, i, o, u
- consonant = b, c, d, f, g, h, etc..
✔️Words with last letters are *consonant + 'y':
→ remove '-y'
→ add '-ied'
Word Example:
Present Past Simple Past Participle
dry ➡️ dried ➡️ dried
try ➡️ tried ➡️ tried
cry ➡️ cried ➡️ cried
fry ➡️ fried ➡️ fried
pry ➡️ pried ➡️ pried
Note!
Look out for the irregular Past Participles as they look very different from the base form.
✔️ IRREGULAR VERBS
Present Past Simple Past Participle
(be)
is,am,are ➡️ was, were ➡️ been
break ➡️ broke ➡️ broken
drink ➡️ drank ➡️ drunk
leave ➡️ left ➡️ left
eat ➡️ ate ➡️ eaten
take ➡️ took ➡️ taken
go ➡️ went ➡️ gone
make ➡️ made ➡️ made
write ➡️ wrote ➡️ written
do ➡️ did ➡️ done
put ➡️ put ➡️ put
fly ➡️flew ➡️ flown
know ➡️ knew ➡️ known
catch ➡️ caught ➡️ caught
swim ➡️ swam ➡️ swum
⚠️ Common Mistakes (Watch Out!)
❌ I have went to the store.
✅ I have gone to the store.
❌ She has wrote a letter.
✅ She has written a letter.
🎯 Quick Practice
Fill in the blanks:
She has ______ (finish) her homework.
The movie was ______ (direct) by a famous filmmaker.
I had ______ (see) that show before.
They have ______ (take) the wrong train.
👉 Answers:
finished
directed
seen
taken
💡 Pro Tips for Learners
✨ Learn irregular verbs in small groups
✨ Practice with real-life sentences
✨ Notice past participles in movies, songs, and books
✨ Use them in daily conversation
👉 Want more easy grammar lessons like this?
Check out:
👉 Master All Perfect Tenses in English
🔄 Past Participle vs Present Participle
Many learners confuse these two forms—but the difference is actually simple once you see how they are used.
✨ What’s the Difference?
Feature | Past Participle | Present Participle |
Form | usually -ed or irregular (written, gone) | always -ing (writing, going) |
Main Use | perfect tenses, passive voice, adjectives | continuous tenses, active meaning, adjectives |
Focus | completed action / result | ongoing action / active process |
📌 Side-by-Side Examples
1️⃣ Verb Forms
write → written (past participle)
write → writing (present participle)
2️⃣ In Sentences
✅ Past Participle (completed/result):
She has finished her work.
The door was closed.
✅ Present Participle (happening now):
She is working now.
The baby is sleeping.
3️⃣ As Adjectives (Very Important!)
This is where many learners get confused 👇
✅ Past participle (feeling/result):
I feel tired.
The movie was boring? ❌ (careful!)
✅ Present participle (cause of feeling):
The movie is boring.
I am bored.
💡 Easy trick:
-ed = how you feel
-ing = what causes the feeling
💬 Mini Dialogue (Compare Both Forms)
Scene: After a long day
Anna: I’m so tired today.
Bella: Me too. I’ve been working all day.
Anna: Same here. I’ve finished three reports already.
Bella: That’s impressive. I’m still writing mine!
📖 Short Story: The Exhausting Day
Mia had been running all morning. She was late for work and felt completely stressed.
By the time she arrived, her manager had already sent three emails.
She quickly started replying, feeling more and more overwhelmed.
At the end of the day, she was exhausted—but also proud. She had completed everything.
💬 Try this:
Write 3 sentences using the past participle and share them in the comments below ⬇️ !
Practise more
📩 Download Free PDF here 👉 Past vs Present Participle Worksheet
❓ FAQ: Past vs Present Participle
1. What is the main difference between past and present participles?
The past participle usually shows a completed action or result, while the present participle shows an ongoing action.
2. Why do we say “I am bored” but “The movie is boring”?
Because:
bored (past participle) = your feeling
boring (present participle) = the cause
3. Can both forms be used as adjectives?
Yes!
Past participle: a broken phone
Present participle: a shining star
4. Do all past participles end in -ed?
No. Many are irregular:
go → gone
take → taken
see → seen
5. When should I use the present participle?
Use it for:
Continuous tenses → She is studying
Actions happening now → They are talking
Active descriptions → a smiling child
6. What’s a common mistake learners make?
Mixing forms:
❌ I am boring → (means you make others bored)
✅ I am bored
🚀 Final Thoughts
The past participle is everywhere in English! Once you understand how it works, your speaking and writing will become more natural and confident.
🎥 Related Videos: YouTube Channel Playlist
📖 Prefer Reading?
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Thank you for reading & Happy Learning!
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