Participles – Free Exercise

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Exercises

Construct the participles of the following verbs.

Infinitive Present Participle Past Participle
tanzen to dance    weak verb: ge…t
arbeiten to work    weak verb: ge…t
denken to think    mixed verb: denken-dachte-gedacht
schlafen to sleep    strong verb: schlafen-schlief-geschlafen
fliegen to fly    strong verb: fliegen-flog-geflogen

Do we need to use the present participle or the past participle? Choose the correct form.

  1. Den Briefträger böse , rannte der Hund am Zaun hin und her.If the actions take place at the same time, we use the present participle.The dog ran back and forth along the fence, growling angrily at the postman.
  2. Einmal die Treppe , hielt sich das Kind fortan immer am Geländer fest.If the action with the participle took place before the action in the main clause, we use the past participle.Having fallen down the stairs once, the child has held firmly on to the banister ever since.
  3. Die Führerscheinprüfung , konnte er nun mit dem Auto zur Arbeit fahren.If the action with the participle took place before the action in the main clause, we use the past participle.Having passed his driving test, he could now drive to work.
  4. Mit ihrer Freundin , lag sie auf dem Sofa.If the actions take place at the same time, we use the present participle.She lay on the sofa while chatting to her friend on the phone.
  5. Die Hausaufgaben , schnappte er seinen Fußball und ging zum Spielen hinaus.If the action with the participle took place before the action in the main clause, we use the past participle.Having finished his homework, he grabbed his football and went out to play.