Page 179 - Advanced English Grammar in Use

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Some present participles (-ing forms) and past participles (-ed forms) of verbs can be used as
adjectives. Most of these participle adjectives can be used before the noun they describe or
following linking verbs (see Unit 82A):
• She gave me a welcoming cup of tea.
• I found this broken plate in the kitchen cupboard.
• The students' tests results were pleasing.
• My mother appeared delighted with the present.

D We can use some participles immediately after nouns in order to identify or define the noun.
This use is similar to defining relative clauses (see Units 70 and 74):
• A cheer went up from the crowds watching, {or ...the crowds that were watching.)
• We had to pay for the rooms used, {or ...the rooms that were used.)

A few participles are used immediately after nouns, but rarely before them (see Unit 82D):
• None of the candidates applying was accepted, {but not ...the applying candidates...)
k • My watch was among the things taken, {but not ...the taken things. )
• Other participles like this include caused, found, provided, used.

Some participles can be used before or immediately after nouns. For example, we can say:
• Rub the area infected with this antiseptic cream, or
• Rub the infected area with this antiseptic cream.
Other participles like this include affected, broken, chosen, identified, interested, remaining,
resulting, stolen.

Remember the differences between the following pairs of adjectives: alarmed - alarming,
amazed - amazing, bored - boring, excited - exciting, frightened - frightening, pleased -
pleasing, surprised - surprising, tired - tiring, worried - worrying. When we use these adjectives
to describe how someone feels about something, the -ing adjectives describe the 'something' (e.g.
a surprising decision) and the -ed adjectives describe the 'someone' (e.g. I was surprised).
Compare:
• I'm pleased with the result. and • It's a pleasing result.
• The bored children started to get restless. and • The play was really boring.

We often form compound adjectives with a participle following a noun, adverb, or another
adjective, and connected by a hyphen:
• I hope it will be a money-making enterprise. • A worried-looking lawyer left the court.
• They are well-behaved children. • We walked past an evil-smelling pond.
• The newly-built ship is on its maiden voyage. • A slow-moving lorry was causing the
delays.
Notice that we can use some participle adjectives only when they are used in this pattern. For
example, we can't say '...a making enterprise', '...behaved children', or '...a built ship' as the
sense is incomplete without the adverb or noun.

In formal English, that and those can be used before a participle adjective:
• The office temperature is lower than that (= the temperature) required by law.
• Here is some advice for those (= people) preparing to go on holiday.
In examples like this, those normally means 'people'.

Compound nouns = Participle clauses