present participle

[diamondcutter]

The term “present participle” sounds odd to me because it can be also used in past tenses. For example, in the past continuous tense. Could you tell me why the term is so called?

 

[yuliyaon]

That's the definition from 'Practical English Usage' by M. Swan:

I strongly recommend the book. It provides detailed and yet simple explanations of many problem points for ESL learners.

 

[jutfrank]

The dictionary link below seems to be saying that in, say, a past continuous sentence, the participle is present 'in relation to the past'.

Definition of PRESENT PARTICIPLE

a participle that typically expresses present action in relation to the time expressed by the finite verb in its clause and that in English is formed with the suffix -ing and is used in the formation of the progressive tenses… See the full definition

www.merriam-webster.com

 

[Tarheel]

That's the definition from 'Practical English Usage' by M. Swan:
View attachment 5050
I strongly recommend the book. It provides detailed and yet simple explanations of many problem points for English learners.

Hm. You could read that as "explanations of problem points for English people (people from England) who are learners." Perhaps better: "explanations of problem points for ESL learners" or "explanations of problem points for students of English".

 

[PaulMatthews]

The term “present participle” sounds odd to me because it can be also used in past tenses. For example, in the past continuous tense. Could you tell me why the term is so called?

[1] The train to Bath is now approaching platform 3.
[2] The train to Bath was approaching platform 3.

It's called the 'present participle' because the time associated with it is characteristically the same as that expressed or implied in the larger construction containing it. For example, in [1] the time of approaching is simultaneous with the time of speaking.

[2] expresses past time by virtue of preterite "was", but there is no change in the form or meaning of "approaching".

'Present' is thus to be understood in a relative rather than absolute sense: the approaching is present relative to the time given in the larger construction.

 

[diamondcutter]

What about the term “past participle”? What does the word “past” mean in this term? Does “past” mean the action of the verb happened before the time of the auxiliary verb?

 

[PaulMatthews]

What about the term “past participle”? What does the word “past” mean in this term? Does “past” mean the action of the verb happened before the time of the auxiliary verb?

It is its use in the perfect tense that provides the basis for the “past” component in the name, for the perfect is a kind of past tense where a past participle occurs in construction with the past tense auxiliary “have”.