participle re-visited

[ellie]

I had posted a question about participles in February and was still generally confused to the Harvey's presentation of the subject. SO, I just skipped that section and went on. Now we have completed our grammar study for the year, and I decided to come back to the dreaded participle.

I am STILL confused. ???I have looked in several reference books and internet sites. It seems to me that everyone uses a different name for the types of participles. Some were listed as imperfect, perfect, and preperfect. Some were 1st, 2nd, 3rd. Some seemed to skip much detail and lumped them all into either present or past. I didn't see "compound participle" anywhere but Harvey's. If the "experts" can't seem to agree on a standard definition, how do I approach this?
Also, I want my children to be up-to-date on terminology, but I can't figure out what "modern term" matches with Compound participle.

Am I making any sense? I guess it boils down to apprehension about using terms that may be antiquated or having to undo something I might teach incorrectly. What do I do? Thank you so much!

[Lene Mahler Jaqua]

Ellie,

I agree, there is much confusion in grammar terminology. And it's not just modern versus older terminology. Many modern texts have abandoned more formal Latin related labels in order to use language more accessible to a dailiy vocabulary, which further increses the confusion.

The short version as I see it is that there are two basic types of participles:

PRESENT PARTICIPLES and PAST PARTICIPLES

A participle is a verbal that is used as an adjective and most often ends in -ing or -ed. The term verbal indicates that a participle, like the other two kinds of verbals, is based on a verb and therefore expresses action or a state of being. However, since they function as adjectives, participles modify nouns or pronouns. There are two types of participles: present participles and past participles. Present participles end in -ing. Past participles end in -ed, -en, -d, -t, or -n, as in the words asked, eaten, saved, dealt, and seen.

The crying baby
Shaken, he walked away.
The burning log
Smiling, she walked away

A compound participle is two participles put together... like


Having slept little, he didn't work very well..

"having slept" is the compound participle consisting of a present and a past participle combination.

HTH,
Lene

[ellie]

I think the fog is starting to lift! So, is a perfect participle the same thing as a past participle? Would it be logical, then, to teach my kids the past/present/compound approach and then when we come across definitions for participles with different names, we decide which category those new names would go under?

I have to say, now that the year is ending, my kids and I are amazed at how much grammar we know. Things that were so confusing six months ago we can do easily. They love to diagram and want "harder"sentences! Thank you for all your answers over the past school year.

[Lene Mahler Jaqua]

Yes, Ellie.

That is about the size of it. These fond grammatical details have many names, unfortunately, depending on your source. You're perfectly right to be frustrated at the ambiguities in terminology. It's most confusing.That is why we choose ONE text and stick wtih it. By the time you know whichever text you choose really well, you also know the terms and their usage so well that when you meet them elsewhere, you recognize them even if they are using aliases.

It's wonderful to hear that the grammar fog is lifting. I commend you for your perserverance. It's all due to your persistence3 and hard work that you're where you're at now. We were just privileged to get to chat with you along the way.

Lene