Participles and Adjectives: Confusing Verbs and Their Forms

Bind means to tie or secure.

Past: I bound the package tightly.

Past Participle: The ropes were bound securely.

Adjective: The bounden duty of every citizen.

Cleave means to split or adhere firmly.

Past: He cleft the log in two.

Past Participle: The rock had cleft.

Adjective: The cloven hooves of the goat.

Drink means to consume liquid.

Past: She drank the water quickly.

Past Participle: He has drunk all the milk.

Adjective: The drunken sailor sang loudly.

Engrave means to carve or etch.

Past: She engraved his name on the ring.

Past Participle: The names were engraved on the plaque.

Adjective: The engraven images were beautiful.

Get means to receive or obtain.

Past: I got a new job.

Past Participle: She has gotten better at math. (AmE)

Past Participle: She has got the flu. (BrE)

Melt means to turn from solid to liquid.

Past: The ice melted quickly.

Past Participle: The chocolate has melted.

Adjective: The molten lava flowed.

Seethe means to boil or be agitated.

Past: She seethed with anger.

Past Participle: The pot had seethed over.

Adjective: The sodden ground was difficult to walk on.

Shear means to cut or clip.

Past: They sheared the sheep.

Past Participle: The wool has been sheared.

Adjective: The shorn sheep looked cold.

Shrink means to reduce in size.

Past: The clothes shrank in the wash.

Past Participle: The sweater has shrunk.

Adjective: The shrunken heads were displayed.

Sink means to descend or go down.

Past: The ship sank quickly.

Past Participle: The treasure is sunk deep in the sea.

Adjective: The sunken ship was discovered.

Strike means to hit or attack.

Past: The workers struck for better pay.

Past Participle: The clock has struck twelve.

Adjective: He was stricken with grief.