past participle
Definition of past participle
: a participle that typically expresses completed action, that is traditionally one of the principal parts of the verb, and that is traditionally used in English in the formation of perfect tenses in the active voice and of all tenses in the passive voice
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Examples of past participle in a Sentence
The verbs “thrown” in “the ball has been thrown” and “raised” in “many hands were raised” are past participles.
First Known Use of past participle
1798
PAST PARTICIPLE Defined for English Language Learners
past participle
Definition of past participle for English Language Learners
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grammar : the form of the verb that is used with “have” in perfect tenses and with “be” in passive constructions
PAST PARTICIPLE Defined for Kids
past participle
Definition of past participle for Students
: a word that expresses completed action and is one of the principal parts of a verb The words “raised” in “many hands were raised” and “thrown” in “the ball has been thrown” are past participles.
Learn More about past participle
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Spanish Central: Translation of past participle Nglish: Translation of past participle for Spanish speakers
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