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Quizzes > English & Grammar

Participle Quiz: Master Present and Past Participles

Quick, free participle test with instant results and helpful tips.

Editorial: Review CompletedCreated By: Hima TomUpdated Aug 28, 2025
Difficulty: Moderate
Grade: Grade 8
Study OutcomesCheat Sheet
Colorful paper art promoting a trivia quiz on mastering participles for high school students.

This participle quiz helps you spot and use present and past participles correctly in real sentences. After you finish, check how they differ from gerunds with our gerund vs participle quiz, try extra practice on forms with a present participle quiz, or review the bigger picture in a verbals test. Get instant feedback to see which rules to review before class.

Choose the sentence where the present participle functions as an adjective.
The teacher smiled during the class.
To smile is important during presentations.
Smiling, the teacher handed back the tests. [Correct: "Smiling" modifies "the teacher" as an adjective participle]
The teacher is smiling at the class.
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Select the sentence that correctly uses a past participle as an adjective.
The broken window let in a draft. [Correct: "broken" is a past participle modifying "window"]
The window breaks easily.
To break the window was a mistake.
The window breaking startled us.
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Identify the sentence where the participial phrase correctly modifies the subject.
Covered in mud, the bath was necessary for the puppy.
Covered in mud, the puppy needed a bath. [Correct: "Covered in mud" modifies "the puppy"]
Covered in mud, it was the puppy that needed a bath.
Covered in mud, a bath was given to the puppy.
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Identify the sentence that uses a participle, not a gerund.
Laughing can be contagious in crowds.
The laughing child waved at us. [Correct: "laughing" modifies "child" as a participle]
Laughing is healthy for you.
She enjoys laughing with friends.
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Choose the sentence where the participle forms part of a passive construction.
The cake was baked by my aunt. [Correct: "baked" is a past participle in passive voice]
To bake a cake, my aunt bought eggs.
Baking a cake, my aunt hummed a tune.
My aunt baked a cake yesterday.
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Which option contains a dangling participle that needs revision?
Running down the street, I waved to my friend.
While I was running, I waved to my friend.
Running down the street, the backpack fell off. [Correct: "Running" seems to modify "backpack"; subject mismatch]
I waved to my friend as I ran down the street.
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Choose the option that contains a reduced relative clause using a participle.
Students to take AP Biology often study late.
Students will take AP Biology and study late.
Students taking AP Biology often study late. [Correct: "taking AP Biology" reduces "who are taking..."]
Students who they take AP Biology often study late.
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Select the sentence where the perfect participle is used correctly.
Has finished her homework, Maya went for a run.
Finished her homework, Maya is going for a run.
Having finished her homework, Maya went for a run. [Correct: "Having finished" shows completed action before "went"]
Finish her homework, Maya went for a run.
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Which sentence correctly punctuates a nonessential participial phrase with commas?
Mr. Lee holding a stack of papers, entered the room.
Mr. Lee holding a stack of papers entered, the room.
Mr. Lee, holding a stack of papers, entered the room. [Correct: Nonessential participial phrase is set off by commas]
Mr. Lee, holding a stack of papers entered the room.
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Select the sentence that avoids a misplaced participial phrase.
The bus had left, glancing at the clock, she realized.
She realized the bus had left, glancing at the clock.
Glancing at the clock, the bus had left when she arrived.
Glancing at the clock, she realized the bus had left. [Correct: Modifier is next to the noun it modifies]
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Select the sentence where the participial phrase clearly modifies the entire clause (absolute phrase).
Her arms folded, Mia listened in silence. [Correct: Absolute construction modifies the whole clause]
Mia listened in silence folding her arms.
Mia listened, which folded her arms, in silence.
Folding her arms, Mia listened in silence.
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Which sentence correctly reduces an adverbial clause using a perfect participle?
To have finished the lab, we cleaned our stations.
Finished the lab, we cleaned our stations.
Finishing the lab, we had cleaned our stations.
Having finished the lab, we cleaned our stations. [Correct: Reduces "After we had finished the lab" clause]
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Select the sentence that avoids a squinting modifier with a participial phrase.
The class finished the chapter reading silently.
The class finished reading silently the chapter.
Reading silently, the class finished the chapter. [Correct: Modifier clearly attaches to "the class"]
Reading, the class finished the chapter silently unsure.
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Which sentence uses a participial phrase to show concession (although...)?
She knows the risks, volunteering anyway, although.
To know the risks, she volunteered anyway.
She known the risks, she volunteered anyway.
Knowing the risks, she volunteered anyway. [Correct: Participial phrase implies concession]
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Identify the sentence that avoids an ambiguous reference with its participial phrase.
While jogging, a podcast was listened to by Aria.
While jogging, it rained and Aria listened to a podcast.
While jogging, the trail seemed longer to Aria.
While jogging, Aria listened to a podcast. [Correct: Modifier clearly refers to Aria]
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Select the sentence where the participle follows a noun to form a fixed expression.
Time permitting, we will take questions. [Correct: Fixed absolute-like expression]
Permitting time, we will take questions.
Time permitted, we will take questions.
Time permits, we will take questions permitting.
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Select the sentence where the participle forms a concise definition-like appositive.
Photosynthesis, occurs in chloroplasts occurring, converts.
Photosynthesis occurring in chloroplasts converts is.
Photosynthesis, occurring in chloroplasts, converts light to energy. [Correct: Participial appositive adds defining detail]
Photosynthesis to occur in chloroplasts converts energy.
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Identify the sentence where the participle is part of a fixed reporting pattern.
The suspect was see leaving the building.
The suspect was seen to leaving the building.
The suspect was seen leaving the building. [Correct: Passive reporting verb + present participle]
The suspect seen leaving was the building.
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Choose the sentence that correctly varies participle forms for stylistic balance.
Startled, she pausing, glance back once.
Startledly, she pause, glancing back once.
Startling, she paused, glanced back once.
Startled, she paused, glancing back once. [Correct: Mix of past and present participles used clearly]
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Select the sentence that uses a participial phrase to condense a conditional idea.
To give more time, we could finish the project.
Gave more time, we could finish the project.
Giving more time, we could finish the project.
Given more time, we could finish the project. [Correct: "Given" condenses "If we were given..."]
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Study Outcomes

  1. Understand the definition and function of participles.
  2. Identify present and past participles in various sentence structures.
  3. Analyze sentences to determine the role of participles as modifiers.
  4. Apply the rules of participle usage to construct correct sentences.
  5. Evaluate the impact of participle placement on sentence clarity and meaning.

Participle Practice Cheat Sheet

  1. What is a participle? - Participles are chameleons in grammar, blending the power of verbs with the descriptive flair of adjectives. They come in two flavors: present participles ending in -ing and past participles with endings like -ed or -en.
  2. Spot present participles - Present participles end in -ing and paint vivid pictures of ongoing action or state. They modify nouns to bring energy into sentences, like "the glowing ember" shining with warmth.
  3. Spot past participles - Past participles often end in -ed for regular verbs or have unpredictable endings for irregular ones, and they describe actions that are complete. For example, "broken" in "broken toy" tells you the toy is no longer whole, giving your writing a clear snapshot.
  4. Build participial phrases - When a participle teams up with its modifiers, you get a phrase that functions as an adjective. These phrases pack more detail by including objects or descriptors, but make sure they hug the noun they're describing to avoid confusion.
  5. Avoid dangling participles - Dangling participles wander aimlessly without a clear noun to modify, causing hilarious (and confusing) mishaps. Always anchor your phrase next to the correct noun to keep your meaning on point and your reader chuckling for the right reasons.
  6. Build tenses with participles - Present participles power continuous tenses, like "she is dancing on stage right now." Past participles drive perfect tenses, such as "they have finished their homework." Mastering them means you can paint timelines with your verbs.
  7. Participles as adverbs - Sometimes participles moonlight as adverbs, tweaking verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs for extra flavor. In "She left crying," the word "crying" doesn't describe a noun but tells how she left, giving motion to the scene.
  8. Master spelling rules - Forming participles has a few spelling hacks, like dropping the final -e before adding -ing ("write" to "writing") or doubling a short-vowel consonant ("run" to "running"). Learning these rules keeps your grammar game strong and your spelling error-free.
  9. Participles vs. gerunds - Both may rock the -ing ending, but gerunds act like nouns, as in "Running is fun," while participles act like adjectives, like "running water." Once you keep their secret identities straight, you'll spot them instantly in any sentence.
  10. Practice makes perfect - The fastest way to own participles is to hunt them down in your favorite books and sneak them into your own writing. Regular workouts with these verb-adjectives will turn you into a participle pro faster than you can say "participating."
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