I don't understand Participles

[=Alex=]

Hello everyone! I have a very big problem. I can’t understand participles. I can’t imagine it.
I have read about participles many times. And I know that it is used for creating verb tenses, passive voice. But I am not talking about it. I know it sounds very strange.
If I add -ing or -ed to the verb it becomes Present (-ing) or Past (-ed) Participle.
Jump Jumping Jumped
Stand Standing Stood (irregular verb)
Talk Talking Talked
Colour Colouring Coloured etc.
If somebody says: Do you see the big black cat? or Do you like this small town? Have you already read the new book? or I have seen the very old building in England etc. I can image all these things in my head.
But if somebody says: Do you know jumping man? Or Do you see talking woman? or Give the book lying on the table etc. I don’t understand what it means.
I understand each verb separately (jump, talk, lie etc.) but not participles.

 

[emsr2d2]

But if somebody says: Do you know jumping man? Or Do you see talking woman? or Give the book lying on the table etc. I don’t understand what it means.

Welcome to the forum. :hi:

I wouldn't expect you (or anyone else) to understand those three examples. They are all ungrammatical. Where did you get them from?

 

[=Alex=]

Welcome to the forum. :hi:

I wouldn't expect you (or anyone else) to understand those three examples. They are all ungrammatical. Where did you get them from?

Hello! I did it on my own (or did it my self) I don't know how to say it correctly. But I have many examples from books.

• A few leaves came rustling down to remind them that outside autumn was coming on.
• There was a noise like the kicking of a flabby football, and the enraged spider fell off the branch, only catching itself with its own thread just in time.
• About four days from the enchanted stream they came to a part where most of the trees were beeches.
• The agents had tiny swords; the ghosts looked like little floating sheets.
  
• Meanwhile the basement itself doubled as a scullery, which meant you’d be practising Wessex half-turns in the rapier room with a row of socks hanging from a clothes line beside your head, or filling canisters from the salt box with the washing machine rumbling loudly in your ear.
  
• A shape stood beside the shelves, a hulking figure dressed in black.
  
  

And there are many other examples. They are everywhere. I hope you can understand what I am trying to understand.

 

[slevlife]

I can’t understand participles. [...] I have read about participles many times. And I know that it is used for creating verb tenses, passive voice. [...] I understand each verb separately (jump, talk, lie etc.) but not participles.

Unless you provide more details about what specifically you're struggling with, we are very likely to give you the same information that you've already read about many times. Please try to form a specific question about participles and ask as clearly as possible, preferably with only one or two example sentences.

I can’t imagine it.
[...]
If somebody says: [...] I can image all these things in my head.
But if somebody says: [...] I don’t understand what it means.

Why can't you imagine a man who is jumping or a woman who is talking, if you know what these verbs mean? Are you saying you don't see a picture in your head?

 

[jutfrank]

We use -ing/-ed words as adjectives before nouns they premodify (come before):

a broken watch
a moving car

The blue words both describe the following nouns. The watch is broken and the car is moving.

What I think you're confused about is when an -ing/-ed word or phrase comes after the noun it modifies:

a book lying on the table
a woman talking

The blue words/phrase here postmodify (come after) the nouns they describe. The book is lying on the table and the woman is talking.

 

[=Alex=]

Ok, I will try to explain.
This definition from here: To start, participles are words derived from verbs that can function as adjectives or as parts of verb phrases to create verb tenses.
This definition from Wikipedia: In linguistics, a participle (ptcp) is a nonfinite verb form that has some of the characteristics and functions of both verbs and adjectives.
In this thread I’m not talking about this part of the definition: or as parts of verb phrases to create verb tenses.
I am talking about this: participles are words derived from verbs that can function as adjectives.

Here are some examples from the site:
In the sentence, “She placed the cut flowers in the vase,” the past participle cut modifies the noun flowers.

In the sentence, “The winning athlete gets a trophy,” the present participle winning describes the noun athlete.
I don’t understand how participles describe nouns.

I understand if someone says: Give me the red ball or This is the beautiful flower etc.
In these sentences red is an adjective that describes the noun “ball” and beautiful is an adjective that describes the noun “flower”.
Let’s go back to the examples form the site. I know the meaning of the verbs “cut” and “win”. But I don’t understand “the cut flowers” and “winning athlete”.
And other examples that I gave before.
How do participles relate to the verbs from it is derived when it is used as an adjective.

 

[SoothingDave]

The flowers that had been cut. The athlete who is winning.

 

[Tarheel]

Say:

How do participles relate to the verbs they are derived from?

Don't worry about that. Focus on the meaning of the sentence.

 

[emsr2d2]

This definition from here: To start, participles are words [derived from verbs] that can function as adjectives

I don’t understand how participles describe nouns.

Don't the words in bold in the first quote above help you to understand it? Do you understand that adjectives always modify/describe nouns?

 

[=Alex=]

Don't the words in bold in the first quote above help you to understand it? Do you understand that adjectives always modify/describe nouns?

Don't the words in bold in the first quote above help you to understand it? - Not really.
Do you understand that adjectives always modify/describe? - Yes, I do.

The agents had tiny swords; the ghosts looked like little floating sheets.
Floating is a participle, that are used as adjective and describes the noun sheets.
I know the meaning of the verb float, but I don’t understand “floating sheets”.
I don’t understand how participles describe nouns from the verbs it is derived :-(

I know it sounds very strange and stupid.

 

[emsr2d2]

Don't the words in bold in the first quote above help you to understand it? Not really.
Do you understand that adjectives always modify/describe nouns? Yes, I do.

The agents had tiny swords; the ghosts looked like little floating sheets.
Floating is a participle, that are used as adjective and describes the noun sheets.

I know the meaning of the verb float, but I don't understand “floating sheets”.
I don’t understand how participles describe nouns from the verbs [STRIKE]it is[/STRIKE] they are derived from. :-(

I know it sounds very strange and stupid.

I can see sheets that are floating. Here, "floating" is a verb.
I can see floating sheets. Here, "floating" is an adjective.

If you understand the verb "float", then I'm certain that you understand the meaning of both sentences. Is it possible that you are getting confused because you think a participle (-ing/-ed) can only ever function as a verb?

 

[jutfrank]

You understand it perfectly well, Alex.

The ball is red = It's a red ball.

The ball is rolling = It's a rolling ball.

 

[=Alex=]

I can see sheets that are floating. Here, "floating" is a verb.
I can see floating sheets. Here, "floating" is an adjective.

If you understand the verb "float", then I'm certain that you understand the meaning of both sentences. Is it possible that you are getting confused because you think a participle (-ing/-ed) can only ever function as a verb?

No, I don't think that a participle can only ever function as a verb.
I don't understand how participles describe nouns. I mean…
Floating sheets.
Float is a verb. And I don’t understand how this action can describe a noun.

 

[5jj]

Do you understand 'The sheet is floating'?

If so, then surely you can understand that a floating sheet is a sheet that is floating.

 

[=Alex=]

You understand it perfectly well, Alex.

The ball is red = It's a red ball.

The ball is rolling = It's a rolling ball.

The boy is angry = This is an angry boy.

The girl is smiling(verb) = This is a smiling(participle) girl.
But why are these sentences in Present Continuous tense?

Why not:
The ball rolls or not The girl smiles?

And what about Past Participles?

 

[=Alex=]

Do you understand 'The sheet is floating'?

If so, then surely you can understand that a floating sheet is a sheet that is floating.

If this sentence is in Present Continuous tense, then I understand. I can understand tenses.

But the whole sentence is written in the past tense:
The agents had tiny swords; the ghosts looked like little floating sheets.

 

[=Alex=]

Say:

How do participles relate to the verbs they are derived from?

Don't worry about that. Focus on the meaning of the sentence.

I don't understand how can I focus on the meaning of the sentence if I don't understand participles?

 

[5jj]

Let's go back a step. Alex.

The ball is red = It's a red ball.

The ball is rolling = It's a rolling ball.

Is that clear to you?

 

[=Alex=]

Let's go back a step. Alex.

Is that clear to you?

These three sentences are clear to me:
The ball is red = It's a red ball.
The ball is rolling
But not this: It's a rolling ball

 

[Tarheel]

I don't understand how can I focus on the meaning of the sentence if I don't understand participles.

Well, I don't think about participles much. And I usually have no trouble understanding the sentences I read.

I focus on the sentence as a whole and don't usually worry about grammar.

Now it's time for breakfast. Dunkin' Donuts awaits!