IS: Lesson - Participles - The Present Active Participle

The Present Active Participle

The present active participle is used when the action of the participle occurs at the same time as the action of the independent clause. The noun being modified is the performer of the action. Of the three main participles, the Present Active Participle is the only one formed on the present stem. The present participle is translated in English using the ending -ing. For instance, this image shows a meeting place.

Present Stem Review

To be able to successfully form the Present Active Participle, please review the methods required to obtain the present stem.

Obtaining the Present Stem

Conjugation	Obtaining the Stem	Examples
1st, 2nd, 4th	2nd principal part - re	amo, amare, amavi, amatus amare - re = ama- video, videre, vidi, visus videre - re = vide- audio, audire, audivi, auditus audire - re = audi-
3rd, 3rd -io	1st principal part -o	duco, ducere, duxi, ductus duco - o = duc- capio, capere, cepi, captus capio - o = capi-

Formation

The nominative form of the present participle is formed by adding the following endings to the present stem:

• 1st/2nd conjugation: -ns
• 3rd/4th conjugation: -ens

That creates the nominative form, which is used for all three genders (the present participle is a single termination adjective).

To form the genitive, from which the base can be obtained, add the following to the present stem:

•  1st/2nd conjugation: -ntis
• 3rd/4th conjugation: -entis

The dictionary entry for the present active participle can be written in two different ways:

• amans, amantis - loving
• amans (gen. amantis) - loving
  • This is the preferred method, as it demonstrates that the participle is a single termination 3rd declension adjective

To obtain the base for a present active participle, remove -is from the genitive form.

Forming the Present Participle

Conjugation	Present Active Participle	Present Participle Base
1st Conjugation: amo, amare, amavi, amatus 2nd Conjugation: video, videre, vidi, visus	add -ns (gen. -ntis) to the present stem 1st Conjugation Present stem: ama- ama + ns (gen. ama + ntis): amans (gen. amantis) 2nd Conjugation Present stem: vide- vide + ns (gen. vide + ntis): videns (gen. videntis)	Remove -is from genitive form amantis - is amant- videntis - is vident-
3rd Conjugation: duco, ducere, duxi, ductus 3rd-io Conjguation: capio, capere, cepi, captus 4th Conjugation: audio, audire, audivi, auditus	add -ens (gen. -entis) to the present stem 3rd Conjugation Present stem: duc- duc + ens (gen. duc + entis): ducens (gen. ducentis) 3rd-io Conjugation Present stem: capi- capi + ens (gen. capi + entis): capiens (gen. capientis) 4th Conjugation Present stem: audi- audi + ens (gen. audi + entis): audiens (gen. audientis)	Remove -is from genitive form ducentis - is ducent- capientis - is capient- audientis - is audient-

N.B. PreseNT participles have an adjective stem ending in -NT. If you see -nt, think present. In fact, the English word present is a derivative of a Latin present participle: praesens, praesentis, from the verb praeesse - to be present.

Present Participle Endings

Present participles use 3rd declension adjective endings. These endings are added to the base.

Reminder: 3rd declension adjective endings use the i-stem forms:

• -i for ablative singular (participles will sometimes end in the regular -e)
• -ium for genitive plural
• -ia for neuter nom and acc plural

The chart below contains a full list of forms of the present participle for amo, amare, amavi, amatus - to love

Present Active Participle Example

Gender	Masculine/Feminine		Neuter
Number	singular	plural	singular	plural
Nominative	amans	amantes	amans	amantia
Genitive	amantis	amantium	amantis	amantium
Dative	amanti	amantibus	amanti	amantibus
Accusative	amantem	amantes	amans	amantia
Ablative	amanti (amante)	amantibus	amanti (amante)	amantibus

Practice Activity

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