21.10 Forming Participles

Participles are verb forms that combine with auxiliary verbs to create different tenses.

• To form perfect tenses, use had, has, or have with the past participle.Example: My dog has eaten twice today.
• To form progressive tenses, use a form of the verb to be with the present participle, or gerund.Example: My dog is eating a treat.
• To write in passive voice, use a form of the verb to be with the past participle.Example: The treat was eaten by my dog.

  See Chapter 15 “Sentence Building,” Section 15.2 “Choosing Appropriate Verb Tenses” for a more extensive overview of the relationships between participles and verb tenses, and see Chapter 16 “Sentence Style,” Section 16.3 “Using Subordination and Coordination” for more on passive voice constructions.