Grammar worksheet focusing on using present and past participles in sentences.
Present or Past Participles Worksheet with fill-in-the-blank exercises for grammar practice.
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Step-by-step solution for: Present and Past Participles exercise
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Show Answer Key & Explanations
Step-by-step solution for: Present and Past Participles exercise
Let's solve this "Present or Past Participles Worksheet" step by step. The goal is to choose the correct form of the given word — either the present participle (usually ending in -ing) or the past participle (usually ending in -ed or irregular forms like "broken", "written", etc.) — depending on its grammatical role in the sentence.
We'll go through each sentence, explain why we choose a particular form, and provide the correct answer.
---
- Answer: *Singing*
- Explanation: "Singing" describes the birds that are currently singing. It’s an active, ongoing action → use present participle.
- ✔ *Singing birds* = birds that are singing.
---
- Answer: *galloping*
- Explanation: The horse is actively galloping → present participle for an ongoing action.
- ✔ *Galloping horse* = a horse that is galloping.
---
- Answer: *stolen*
- Explanation: "Goods" have been stolen (passive meaning). We need the past participle because it describes something that has already happened.
- ✔ *Stolen goods* = goods that were stolen.
---
- Answer: *Rolling*
- Explanation: This is a proverb. "Rolling" refers to stones that are continuously moving → present participle.
- ✔ *Rolling stones* = stones that roll.
---
- Answer: *broken*
- Explanation: The glass has already been broken → passive idea. Use past participle.
- ✔ *Broken glass* = glass that is already broken.
---
- Answer: *Barking*
- Explanation: Dogs that are barking right now → present participle, describing an active state.
- ✔ *Barking dogs* = dogs that are making noise.
---
- Answer: *burnt* (or *burned*)
- Explanation: Toast that has been burned → passive action. Use past participle.
- ✔ *Burnt toast* = toast that was burned.
> Note: Both "burnt" and "burned" are acceptable; "burnt" is more common in British English.
---
- Answer: *unknown*
- Explanation: Factors that are not known → past participle used as an adjective.
- ✔ *Unknown factors* = factors that are not known.
---
- Answer: *swinging*
- Explanation: The gate is actively swinging → present participle.
- ✔ *Swinging gate* = a gate that moves back and forth.
---
- Answer: *half-frozen*
- Explanation: The climber had been exposed to cold → passive condition. Use past participle.
- ✔ *Half-frozen* = partially frozen.
---
- Answer: *tiring*
- Explanation: The job causes tiredness → -ing form (adjective describing something that causes fatigue).
- ✔ *Tiring job* = a job that makes you tired.
---
- Answer: *tired*
- Explanation: Describes the person’s feeling → -ed form (emotion felt by the subject).
- ✔ *I feel tired* = I am experiencing tiredness.
---
- Answer: *annoying*
- Explanation: The children cause annoyance → -ing form (describing someone who causes a feeling).
- ✔ *Annoying children* = children who are irritating.
---
- Answer: *frightened*
- Explanation: You're being told not to feel fear → -ed form (emotion experienced by the person).
- ✔ *Don’t be frightened* = don’t feel afraid.
---
- Answer: *to prepare*
- Explanation: This is a phrasal verb: "excited to do something". Not a participle, but an infinitive.
- ✔ *Excited to prepare* = happy about preparing.
> Note: This one is tricky — it's not a participle, but the structure uses infinitive after "excited".
---
- Answer: *shocked*
- Explanation: He felt shock → -ed form (emotion felt by the person).
- ✔ *Shocked* = emotionally affected.
---
- Answer: *disgusting*
- Explanation: His behavior causes disgust → -ing form (describing someone who causes a feeling).
- ✔ *Disgusting* = someone who makes others feel disgusted.
---
- Answer: *boring*
- Explanation: The film caused boredom → -ing form (something that causes boredom).
- ✔ *Boring film* = a film that bores people.
---
- Answer: *bored*
- Explanation: The children feel bored → -ed form (feeling experienced by them).
- ✔ *The children are bored* = they feel uninterested.
---
- Answer: *embarrassing*
- Explanation: His behavior causes embarrassment → -ing form.
- ✔ *Isn't it embarrassing?* = Is it not causing embarrassment?
> Note: The sentence seems slightly off. Likely intended:
> *"Isn't it embarrassing the way he behaves?"*
---
- Answer: *boring*
- Explanation: The job causes boredom → -ing form.
- ✔ *Boring job* = a job that bores people.
---
- Answer: *exciting*
- Explanation: The idea causes excitement → -ing form (something that excites).
- ✔ *Exciting idea* = an idea that makes you excited.
---
- Answer: *interested*
- Explanation: She feels interest → -ed form (emotion felt by the person).
- ✔ *Interested in learning English* = wants to learn.
---
## ✔ Final Answers:
| No. | Answer |
|-----|----------------|
| 1 | Singing |
| 2 | galloping |
| 3 | stolen |
| 4 | Rolling |
| 5 | broken |
| 6 | Barking |
| 7 | burnt / burned |
| 8 | unknown |
| 9 | swinging |
| 10 | half-frozen |
| 11 | tiring |
| 12 | tired |
| 13 | annoying |
| 14 | frightened |
| 15 | to prepare |
| 16 | shocked |
| 17 | disgusting |
| 18 | boring |
| 19 | bored |
| 20 | embarrassing |
| 21 | boring |
| 22 | exciting |
| 23 | interested |
---
- Present Participle (-ing): Used when describing something that causes a feeling or action (e.g., *boring movie*, *annoying child*).
- Past Participle (-ed/-en): Used when describing something that experiences a feeling or passive action (e.g., *bored child*, *shocked man*).
- For adjectives:
- -ing = affects others (e.g., *a shocking story*)
- -ed = affects the subject (e.g., *I am shocked*)
Let me know if you'd like this worksheet turned into a printable version or explained further!
We'll go through each sentence, explain why we choose a particular form, and provide the correct answer.
---
1. ________ (Sing) birds are shown in the Annual Bird Show in our town.
- Answer: *Singing*
- Explanation: "Singing" describes the birds that are currently singing. It’s an active, ongoing action → use present participle.
- ✔ *Singing birds* = birds that are singing.
---
2. The ________ (gallop) horse scared the child.
- Answer: *galloping*
- Explanation: The horse is actively galloping → present participle for an ongoing action.
- ✔ *Galloping horse* = a horse that is galloping.
---
3. The lorry was carrying ________ (steal) goods.
- Answer: *stolen*
- Explanation: "Goods" have been stolen (passive meaning). We need the past participle because it describes something that has already happened.
- ✔ *Stolen goods* = goods that were stolen.
---
4. ________ (Roll) stones gather no moss.
- Answer: *Rolling*
- Explanation: This is a proverb. "Rolling" refers to stones that are continuously moving → present participle.
- ✔ *Rolling stones* = stones that roll.
---
5. Be careful with the ________ (break) glass.
- Answer: *broken*
- Explanation: The glass has already been broken → passive idea. Use past participle.
- ✔ *Broken glass* = glass that is already broken.
---
6. ________ (bark) dogs are not always dangerous.
- Answer: *Barking*
- Explanation: Dogs that are barking right now → present participle, describing an active state.
- ✔ *Barking dogs* = dogs that are making noise.
---
7. I don't want that ________ (burn) toast.
- Answer: *burnt* (or *burned*)
- Explanation: Toast that has been burned → passive action. Use past participle.
- ✔ *Burnt toast* = toast that was burned.
> Note: Both "burnt" and "burned" are acceptable; "burnt" is more common in British English.
---
8. It was the ________ (unknow) factors that make the problem difficult.
- Answer: *unknown*
- Explanation: Factors that are not known → past participle used as an adjective.
- ✔ *Unknown factors* = factors that are not known.
---
9. The ________ (swing) gate kept me awake the whole night.
- Answer: *swinging*
- Explanation: The gate is actively swinging → present participle.
- ✔ *Swinging gate* = a gate that moves back and forth.
---
10. The climber was found lost and ________ (half-freeze) two days later.
- Answer: *half-frozen*
- Explanation: The climber had been exposed to cold → passive condition. Use past participle.
- ✔ *Half-frozen* = partially frozen.
---
11. This job is ________ (tire). It isn't well-paid for such effort.
- Answer: *tiring*
- Explanation: The job causes tiredness → -ing form (adjective describing something that causes fatigue).
- ✔ *Tiring job* = a job that makes you tired.
---
12. At the end of the day, I feel so ________ (tire) that I have to go to bed early.
- Answer: *tired*
- Explanation: Describes the person’s feeling → -ed form (emotion felt by the subject).
- ✔ *I feel tired* = I am experiencing tiredness.
---
13. Those children are so ________ (annoy). Always asking stupid questions.
- Answer: *annoying*
- Explanation: The children cause annoyance → -ing form (describing someone who causes a feeling).
- ✔ *Annoying children* = children who are irritating.
---
14. Don't be ________ (frighten). My dog doesn't bite.
- Answer: *frightened*
- Explanation: You're being told not to feel fear → -ed form (emotion experienced by the person).
- ✔ *Don’t be frightened* = don’t feel afraid.
---
15. Everybody was excited ________ (prepare) the things for the trip.
- Answer: *to prepare*
- Explanation: This is a phrasal verb: "excited to do something". Not a participle, but an infinitive.
- ✔ *Excited to prepare* = happy about preparing.
> Note: This one is tricky — it's not a participle, but the structure uses infinitive after "excited".
---
16. He was so ________ (shock) after the incident that he couldn't speak.
- Answer: *shocked*
- Explanation: He felt shock → -ed form (emotion felt by the person).
- ✔ *Shocked* = emotionally affected.
---
17. He was so rude and ________ (disgust) that no one wanted to go out with him.
- Answer: *disgusting*
- Explanation: His behavior causes disgust → -ing form (describing someone who causes a feeling).
- ✔ *Disgusting* = someone who makes others feel disgusted.
---
18. I don't like the film. It was so ________ (bore). I almost fell asleep.
- Answer: *boring*
- Explanation: The film caused boredom → -ing form (something that causes boredom).
- ✔ *Boring film* = a film that bores people.
---
19. If the children are ________ (bore). Why don't you take them to the park.
- Answer: *bored*
- Explanation: The children feel bored → -ed form (feeling experienced by them).
- ✔ *The children are bored* = they feel uninterested.
---
20. Isn't ________ (embarrass) the he way he behaves?
- Answer: *embarrassing*
- Explanation: His behavior causes embarrassment → -ing form.
- ✔ *Isn't it embarrassing?* = Is it not causing embarrassment?
> Note: The sentence seems slightly off. Likely intended:
> *"Isn't it embarrassing the way he behaves?"*
---
21. My job is so ________ (bore). Everyday, I do exactly the same thing again and again.
- Answer: *boring*
- Explanation: The job causes boredom → -ing form.
- ✔ *Boring job* = a job that bores people.
---
22. So I decided to learn English in my spare time. This idea was very ________ (excite).
- Answer: *exciting*
- Explanation: The idea causes excitement → -ing form (something that excites).
- ✔ *Exciting idea* = an idea that makes you excited.
---
23. I asked my friend if she was also ________ (interest) in learning English but...
- Answer: *interested*
- Explanation: She feels interest → -ed form (emotion felt by the person).
- ✔ *Interested in learning English* = wants to learn.
---
## ✔ Final Answers:
| No. | Answer |
|-----|----------------|
| 1 | Singing |
| 2 | galloping |
| 3 | stolen |
| 4 | Rolling |
| 5 | broken |
| 6 | Barking |
| 7 | burnt / burned |
| 8 | unknown |
| 9 | swinging |
| 10 | half-frozen |
| 11 | tiring |
| 12 | tired |
| 13 | annoying |
| 14 | frightened |
| 15 | to prepare |
| 16 | shocked |
| 17 | disgusting |
| 18 | boring |
| 19 | bored |
| 20 | embarrassing |
| 21 | boring |
| 22 | exciting |
| 23 | interested |
---
🔍 Summary Rules:
- Present Participle (-ing): Used when describing something that causes a feeling or action (e.g., *boring movie*, *annoying child*).
- Past Participle (-ed/-en): Used when describing something that experiences a feeling or passive action (e.g., *bored child*, *shocked man*).
- For adjectives:
- -ing = affects others (e.g., *a shocking story*)
- -ed = affects the subject (e.g., *I am shocked*)
Let me know if you'd like this worksheet turned into a printable version or explained further!
Parent Tip: Review the logic above to help your child master the concept of participles worksheet.
