1. Present participles: These are formed by adding "-ing" to the base form of the verb. They are used as adjectives, adverbs, or parts of verb phrases.
* Example: "The *running* water splashed over the rocks." (adjective) "He is *singing* a song." (part of a verb phrase) "They walked *smiling*." (adverb)
2. Past participles: These are typically formed by adding "-ed" to the base form of the verb (for regular verbs) or using an irregular past participle form. They are used as adjectives, parts of verb phrases, or in perfect tenses.
* Example: "The *broken* vase lay on the floor." (adjective) "The story was *told* by the grandmother." (part of a verb phrase) "She has *eaten* all the cookies." (part of the perfect tense)
3. Perfect participles: These are formed by combining "having" with the past participle of a verb. They are used as adverbs or parts of verb phrases.
* Example: " *Having finished* the book, she put it down." (adverb) "She is *having eaten* all the cookies." (part of a verb phrase)
It's important to note that perfect participles are often used in conjunction with other verbs, like "having" or "being."