Death of the Participle?

[glynndah]

The new 6th grade Language workbooks have a section called the past-progressives and the present-progressives. As far as I can tell from the examples given am watching, were watching, these are supposed to be the new names for the participles. Did I miss the memo?

 

[Misty_Morning]

deleted

 

[CrimsonMaiden]

glynndah's right. It's participle.

 

[Misty_Morning]

deleted

 

[Misty_Morning]

deleted

 

[SweetPrettyAss]

The new 6th grade Language workbooks have a section called the past-progressives and the present-progressives. As far as I can tell from the examples given am watching, were watching, these are supposed to be the new names for the participles. Did I miss the memo?

I thought a participle was a word that that is usually a verb being used as an adjective, such as: The RUNNING man was chased by the cops. am watching and were watching are present progressive and past progressive tenses, in that order. Will be watching is a future progressive tense.

 

[3113]

The new 6th grade Language workbooks have a section called the past-progressives and the present-progressives. As far as I can tell from the examples given am watching, were watching, these are supposed to be the new names for the participles. Did I miss the memo?

*Sigh* We sent out that memo ages ago! Doesn't anyone read their e-mail?

 

[Jenny_Jackson]

I thought a participle was a fruit. But then, what do I know?

 

[Pure]

past progressive is a *tense*. it's the same as always.

it employs an 'ing' form, which *on its own* (i.e., apart from a verb)would be a participle or gerund (n.)

 

[rgraham666]

Why does the word gerund sound so, so dirty?

 

[Xelebes]

Why does the word gerund sound so, so dirty?

I lay the blame on the Germans.

 

[Pure]

here are the official defs from merriam webster

1 : a word having the characteristics of both verb and adjective; especially : the English verbal adjective ending in -ing or in -ed, -d, -t, -en, or -n that has the function of an adjective and at the same time shows such verbal features as tense and voice and capacity to take an object -- see PAST PARTICIPLE, PRESENT PARTICIPLE

Main Entry: past participle Pronunciation Guide
Function: noun
: 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 and has a perfect active meaning when the verb sense is intransitive (as arrived in "the ship, arrived at last, signals for a tug") and usually a passive meaning when the verb sense is transitive (as buffeted in "the ship, buffeted by waves, comes shoreward") and with participial auxiliaries may take a present passive form (as in being written), a perfect active form (as in having written), or a perfect passive form (as in having been written) -- called also perfect participle


Main Entry: present participle
Function: noun
: a participle that typically expresses present action in relation to the time expressed by the finite verb in its clause and that in English is traditionally one of the principal parts of the verb, is formed with the suffix -ing, and is used in the formation of the progressive tenses

 

[deliciously_naughty]

I think that the best way to develop an ear for grammar is to read as much as you can. I don't have a lot of grammar rules commited to memory, but I can read something and tell you if it "sounds" right. I am infrequently wrong, but for the most part I'm correct.

I think that it's silly to try and force 10 and 11 year olds to commit hundreds of grammar rules to memory just long enough for a test.

 

[rgraham666]

I think that the best way to develop an ear for grammar is to read as much as you can. I don't have a lot of grammar rules commited to memory, but I can read something and tell you if it "sounds" right. I am infrequently wrong, but for the most part I'm correct.

I think that it's silly to try and force 10 and 11 year olds to commit hundreds of grammar rules to memory just long enough for a test.

I quite agree with you.

Writing is as much a craft as an art, and you get good at both by doing.