T6 Participles

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participle A verb form showing present tense (dancing, freezing) or past tense (danced, frozen) that can also act as an adjective.

Use the present form of the participle (-ing) if it describes someone or something causing or producing a mental state. Use the past form (-ed) if it describes someone or something experiencing the mental state. Problem participles include the following pairs:

annoying/annoyed exhausting/exhausted
boring/bored pleasing/pleased
confusing/confused surprising/surprised
disappointing/disappointed terrifying/terrified
exciting/excited tiring/tired

Change a participle to its present form (-ing) if it describes someone or something causing or producing a situation.

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Change a participle to its past form (-ed) if it describes someone or something experiencing a situation.

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