Hello, little word artist! Do you like to paint and draw? Some words are like little pots of paint. They can color other words and make them more exciting! These special words are called Participles. A Participle is a form of a verb. It often ends in "-ing" or "-ed". It acts like an adjective to describe a noun. Your guides are Percy and Patty the Paint Pots! Percy holds "-ing" paint. Patty holds "-ed" or "-en" paint. They help you paint vivid pictures with your words at home, the playground, school, and in nature.
What is a Participle? A Participle is a word from a verb. It puts on a costume to describe a thing or a person. Think of the verb "run". Percy can use it to make "running" paint. We can say "the running boy". Here, "running" describes the boy. Patty can use the verb "break" to make "broken" paint. We can say "the broken toy". Here, "broken" describes the toy. They are some of the most common Participles for Kindergarten students. They add action and detail to your sentences.
Why are Participles Your Word Paint? Using Participles makes you a super describer. It helps your ears listen. You hear more exciting details in stories. It helps your mouth speak. You can tell better stories. "I see a sleeping cat." It helps your eyes read. You can spot describing words that end in -ing or -ed. It helps your hand write. You can write sentences that paint a picture. Participles help you show what is happening or what has happened to something.
What Paint Colors Do Percy and Patty Have? Our paint pots have two main colors. Each color has a different job.
Percy's "-ing" Paint (Present Participle). This paint shows action that is happening now. It often describes what someone or something is doing. At home: "Look at the sleeping baby." At school: "I hear a singing bird." On the playground: "The swinging girl is happy." In nature: "I see a flying butterfly."
Patty's "-ed" or "-en" Paint (Past Participle). This paint often shows a completed action or a state. It describes how something is because of something that happened. At home: "I have a broken toy." (The toy is broken now). At school: "The door is closed." On the playground: "I found a lost ball." In nature: "The fallen leaf is brown."
How Can You Spot Word Paint? Percy and Patty have special artist glasses. Look for these clues.
Look for "-ing" or "-ed" Endings. Find a word that ends with "-ing" or "-ed" (or sometimes "-en"). Is it describing a person, place, or thing right before it? It might be a participle! "The crying baby." "The excited dog."
Ask the "What Kind?" Question. Find a noun. Ask "What kind of [noun]?" The answer might be a participle. "What kind of cookie?" "A chocolate chip cookie." (Not a participle). "What kind of cookie?" "A baked cookie." (Yes! 'Baked' is a participle from 'bake').
The "Is/Are/Was/Were" Test. Often, participles work with "is", "are", "was", "were". "The toy is broken." "The children are playing." The word after the 'be' verb is often a participle.
Feel the Action. Does the word make you feel the action of the noun? "The barking dog" (the dog is barking). "The closed window" (the window is closed). If yes, it's likely a participle.
How Do We Paint with These Words? Using a Participle is like adding a splash of color. Follow the artist's rule.
Formula 1: [Noun] + [Participle]. This is the most common. The participle describes the noun. "I see a smiling face." "She has a colored picture."
Formula 2: [Noun] + [is/are/was/were] + [Participle]. This describes the state of the noun. "The book is interesting." "The cookies were eaten."
The Paint Goes Before the Canvas. Usually, the participle (the paint) comes right before the noun (the canvas) it is coloring. "The laughing boy." Sometimes it comes after a 'be' verb. "The boy is laughing."
Let’s Fix Some Painting Mistakes! Sometimes we use the wrong paint color. Let's help Percy and Patty.
Confusing "-ing" and "-ed" Feelings. Wrong: "I am boring." This means you make other people feel bored. You are a boring person. Right: "I am bored." This means you feel bored. Patty's "-ed" paint is for how you feel. Wrong: "The movie is excited." Right: "The movie is exciting." (The movie makes you feel excited). "I am excited." (I feel excited).
Using the Wrong Verb Form. Wrong: "I am look at the bird." After "am/is/are", we use the "-ing" form for actions happening now. Right: "I am looking at the bird." Wrong: "The window is break." Right: "The window is broken."
Forgetting the "-ed" for Finished Actions. Wrong: "I am finish my work." For a completed state, we use the past participle with 'am/is/are'. Right: "I am finished with my work." or "I have finished my work."
Can You Be a Word Artist? Let's play. I will say a noun. You paint it with a participle. "A dog" (what is it doing?). Good! "A barking dog." "A cookie" (what happened to it?). Good! "An eaten cookie." "A girl" (how does she feel?). "An excited girl." Great job, artist!
Percy and Patty's 100 Common Word Paints. Here are one hundred colorful participles. They are common Participles for Kindergarten students.
Percy's "-ing" Paints (Happening Now): a sleeping baby a crying child a laughing girl a running boy a jumping dog a playing kid a singing bird a flying kite a rolling ball a spinning top a walking man a talking parrot a working mom a cooking dad a reading book a drawing picture a coloring page a writing hand a building block a falling rain a shining sun a blowing wind a growing plant a swimming fish a barking dog a meowing cat a chirping bird a buzzing bee a moving car an interesting story an exciting game a boring lesson a tiring day an amazing trick a surprising gift a smiling face a frowning face a waiting bus a coming train a leaving friend
Patty's "-ed" or "-en" Paints (Finished Action/State): a broken toy a closed door an open window a lost ball a found coin a colored picture a painted fence a baked cake a cooked meal a washed car a cleaned room a finished puzzle a torn page a ripped shirt a wet dog a dry towel a dirty hand a clean plate a hungry boy a thirsty girl a tired child a scared cat an excited dog a surprised face a bored student an interested listener a worried mom a loved toy a wanted pet a needed break a closed book an opened present a turned page a folded paper a cut shape a pasted sticker a mixed color a locked gate a fallen leaf a picked flower a planted seed a watered plant a built tower a written letter a spoken word a heard sound a seen movie a known fact a done job a gone time a come visitor an eaten apple a drunk milk a taken bath a worn shirt a chosen toy a given gift a frozen lake a melted ice cream a hidden treasure a seen bird a felt texture a held hand a kept promise a learned lesson a made bed a paid bill a read story a said hello a sold lemonade a sent letter a shown picture a sung song a sat chair a stood guard a stolen cookie a sworn oath a taken photo a taught lesson a torn paper a told secret a understood idea a woken baby a worn shoe a written name
You Are a Word Painter Now! You did it! You know that Participles are like word paint. Percy and Patty give you a shiny artist badge. You have learned one hundred common Participles for Kindergarten students. You can use "-ing" words to show action happening now. You can use "-ed" or "-en" words to show a finished state. Your sentences will be colorful and full of life.
Here is what you learned from our painting adventure. You know a participle is often a verb with "-ing" or "-ed" added. It describes a noun. The "-ing" form (present participle) often shows current action. The "-ed" form (past participle) often shows a completed state or how someone feels. You can spot them by their endings. You can use them before a noun or after "is/are". You can fix common mistakes like using "boring" when you mean "bored".
Now, let’s do some life practice! Your mission is today. Be a Participle Detective. Look around your room. Find three things and describe them with a participle. Say: "I see a closed door. I see a sleeping cat. I see a colored picture." Or, describe how you feel. Say: "I am excited. I am tired." You are a wonderful word artist.