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The term present participlerefers to an action in the present.
As we move to the next principal part, you will find that the
word past in the term past participle indicates an action that
already took place. Keep this distinction in mind when we cover
verb tenses.

4.9 The Fourth Principal Part: Past Participle

Walked and written are two examples of past participles.
As past participles, they need a helping verb to be complete.
For past participles, the helping verb is to have. The forms
used with the examples above are have and has. As the second
example shows, the third-person singular verb form changes
from have to has when it connects to he,she, or it.

Have walked and have written are two examples of verb
phrases. They each have a helping verb and a main verb.

Here is a short overview of the four principal parts based on
the two verbs used throughout Part One.

Helping Verb Past Participle

4

Ihave walked

around the pool.

Base form: walk

The past participle of a regular verb

follows a pattern: Add -edto the base

form of the verb.

Base form: write

The past participle of an irregular verb

follows no apparent pattern: The past

participle must be memorized.

Hehaswritten

a book.

Ihavewalkedaround the pool.

Helping Verb Past Participle

Hehaswrittena book.

Base Form

walk

write

Past Form

walked

wrote

Present

Participle

walking

writing

Past

Participle

walked

written

Regular
Verb

Irregular
Verb
(needs helping
verbto be)

(needs helping

verbto have)