语法结构

List:

1. Prefix: sub-

2. Suffix: -ish

3. Suffix: -age

●Grammar

Past participle as attributive modifier

●A past participle and participle phrases always function as adjectives, adding description to the sentence, and indicating a past or completed action or time.

●(Note: only transitive verbs can use their past participles as adjectives)

Examples:

●The water drained slowly in the pipe clogged with dog hair. (Clogged with dog hair modifies the noun pipe.)

●Eaten by mosquitoes, we wished that we had made hotel, not campsite, reservations. (Eaten by mosquitoes modifies the pronoun we.)

1. Misplace participle phrases

In clear, logical sentences, modifiers are right next to the words they describe.

X Draped neatly on a hanger, William borrowed Grandpa's old suit to wear to the interview.

The suit, not William, is on the hanger! The modifier must come closer to the word it is meant to describe:

√ For the interview, William borrowed Grandpa's old suit, (which was) draped neatly on a hanger.

2. Dangle participle phrases

If the sentence fails to include a target, the modifier is dangling.

X If properly installed, you shouldn’t be able to open the door without first pressing the safety button.

Whatever item is actually being installed, you certainly aren‘t.

√ If it is properly installed, you shouldn’t be able to open the door without first pressing the safety button.

3. Forms of past participles –t / -ed

●Both forms of ending are acceptable in British English, but the -t form is dominant-burnt, learnt, spelt-whereas American English uses -ed: burned, learned, spelled.

●British English uses -ed for the past participle of certain verbs-quitted, sweated-while American English uses the infinitive spelling-quit, sweat.

●Some verbs have a different form of past tense and past participle, eg, the past tense of dive is dived in British English but dove in American English.