Past and Present Participial Adjectives M.G 4 U 3

The past participle and the present participle forms of a verb can be used as adjectives.

Past participles generally end in -ed (but can also end in -d, -t, -en, or -n) and describe how someone feels.

The mice were frightened of the cat.

Present participles always end in -ing and describe what causes the feeling.

The cat was frightening.

Participial adjectives can appear after be or in front of nouns.

My grandfather’s stories about his childhood are amusing.

My grandfather tells amusing stories about his childhood.

Get before an adjective or past participle suggests that something is changing or starting to happen.

Get can be followed by an adjective

The grasshopper and the snail got impatient waiting for the centipede.

It’s almost time for me to give my presentation. I am getting nervous

Get can also be followed by a past participle which functions as an adjective.

You should put on sunscreen. You’re getting sunburned.

My mother gets worried if I’m not home by 10:00.

The…the is used with two comparatives to say that the first thing has an effect on the second.

The longer the telephone call, the bigger the telephone bill.

The funnier the joke, the harder the audience laughs.

The more I get to know my classmates, the better I like them.