English grammar - Roger Berry 2012

C5.2 Distinguishing the word class of -ed forms
C5 Distinguishing -Ing and -Ed forms
Section C Exploration

The -ed ending is found with two verb forms: the past tense and the -ed participle, as well as with -ed adjectives, i.e.:

□ past tense: This answer satisfied them.

□ -ed participle: This has satisfied them. (perfect) / They were satisfied by this. (passive). The -ed participle has two functions: in perfect verb forms and passives (see A6), as shown.

□ adjective: I am satisfied. (predicative) / They are satisfied customers (attributive).

The past tense and the -ed participle are identical for all regular verbs (e.g. liked) and for some irregular verbs (e.g. brought), as described in A5. (Remember that we use the term ’-ed participle’ even where the form does not end in -ed.) The basic difference between them is that the past tense is finite (can stand alone), whereas the -ed participle is non-finite. So for example, though it seems that

I tried and I have tried

are only distinguished by the addition of have, in fact they are quite different; the first has the finite past tense -ed, while the second has the non-finite participle -ed (and it is have that is the finite verb). With some irregular verbs this distinction is obvious:

I saw it / I have seen it.

When considering -ed adjectives, it is important to distinguish them from the passive use of the -ed participle (rather than from the perfect use or the past tense). This is because -ed adjectives can be used predicatively and so may look like passives (and there is a historical connection). Thus

The door was closed.

is ambiguous. It could refer to a state (adjective) or to a passive action (participle).

The addition of different types of adverb may clarify:

The door was probably closed. (adjective)

The door was quickly closed. (participle, part of a passive)

Interestingly, if we change the meaning there is no confusion: The door was (probably) open.

The door was (quickly) opened.

This is because there is no adjective ’opened’.

Activity C5.3

Look at these concordance lines for bored and work out whether it is an adjective or -ed participle (in either a passive or perfect construction).

1. So after a while the wolf became bored and decided to go and catch a little pig . . .

2. Mary looked out of the window in a bored way . . .

3. It’s quite a while since I’ve bored you with my observations . . .

4. I began to get bored with my walk-on roles . . .

5. It’s like being lectured to and bored at the same time.

6. I suppose I was bored.

7. ... they had to be carefully marked out so that . . . they would be bored in the right place.

8. The devil always started whispering to him when he was especially bored.

See also Activity C7.4 in C7 on closed.

Another problem occurs with verbs whose three main forms are identical, such as put or set. Here it is not only the past tense and -ed participle that can be confused.

Activity C5.4

Set is a highly irregular verb in that its three forms for memorising are all the same: set-set-set. Look at the concordance lines below and decide whether set represents

a) the present tense b) the infinitive

c) the past tense d) the -ed participle

1. The firm said . . . the bionauts set a new world record . . .

2. Some villas had several rooms set aside just for sleeping . . .

3. ... we will set and communicate targets in these areas . . .

4. ... it could be set against your salary . . .

5. I haven’t set any essays on Napoleon, have I?

6. Although we set ourselves high standards, if we do not meet your expectations . . .

7. One sunny morning recently I set about painting the house

8. ... something which if set in a contemporary context . . .

9. From a crest above the hut we watched the sun set on a line of peaks . . .

10. The science-fiction thriller topped the record set nearly a year ago . . .

Comments

Activity C5.1: One meaning is that it is dangerous to fly planes (verb), the other that planes which are flying - but not those on the ground - are dangerous (adjective). Possible paraphrases would be Flying planes is dangerous and Flying planes are dangerous.

Activity C5.2:

A

Verb (-ing participle): 1, 2, 5, 8

Adjective: 3, 4, 6, 7, B

Adjective: 1, 3, 8 (a minor sentence; see A9), 10, 11 (a case of extraposition; see A11)

Noun: 4, 6, 9 (a premodifier; see A3)

Verb: 5, 7, 12 (intransitive; see C6)

Line 2 could be interpreted as a noun or a verb.

Activity C5.3:

Adjective: 1, 2, 4, 6, 8

-ed participle: 3, 5 (a passive), 7 (a passive, = ’drill a hole’)

Activity C5.4:

a) the present tense: 6

b) the infinitive: 3, 9

c) the past tense: 1, 7

d) the -ed participle: 2, 4, 5, 8, 10. Lines 2, 8 and 10 contain ’reduced passives’ (see A6) which can be expanded: . . . rooms which were . . .; . . . if it is/was . . .; . . . record which was . . .