Tense/Aspect

1. Aspect - Aspect refers to the type of action.
   1. Continuous action is reflected by use of the present tense stem. [See Example VP-E1]
   2. Undefined action is reflected by use of the aorist tense stem [See Example VP-E3]
   3. Completed action is reflected by use of the aorist or perfect tense stem. [See Example VP-E4 and Example VP-E5.]
2. Time – As a Verbal-adjective, the time of the action is relative to the time of the main verb. Therefore:

1. The perfect tense generally corresponds to action completed before the time of the main verb.
2. The aorist tense is undefined, but may indicate action completed prior to the time of the main verb or contemporaneous with the time of the main verb. [See Example VP-3 and VP-3a}
3. The present tense may be used to refer to action that is contemporaneous with the main verb or the future. However, there are exceptions. [ See Example VP-E2]
4. The future tense refers to action that occurs after the time of the main verb. [ see Example VP-E5]

Adjectival Usage - Participles may be used to modify a noun or a pronoun.

In this sense, they qualify or limit the noun. Like other adjectives the participle can take the place of a noun.

1. The Participle will agree with the noun that it is modifying in case, number, and gender.

   a) Attributive – The attributive use refers to a participle that is used to modify a noun or pronoun. It is “attributing” some characteristic to the noun or pronoun that makes it distinctive, by assigning some quality or characteristic to the noun. [See Example VP-E6]

   b) Substantive - Participles may also be used in place of a noun just like any other adjective. If it is being used as a noun (substantive use), it will be in the case that a noun would be. If it is functioning as the subject of the sentence, it will be in the nominative case. If it is functioning as the direct object of the verb, it will be in the accusative case.

   If the participle is being used as a noun there will probably not be another noun in the sentence that agrees with the participle in case, number, and gender unless it is part of a series. [See Example VP-E7]

   If a definite article precedes the participle, the emphasis of the participle is adjectival.

   If the definite article is absent, the emphasis may still be adjectival. In this case it may still be used attributively or substantively.

Adverbal usage - Participles may be used to modify a verb.

In this sense they describe an action or the time of an action that takes place related to the verb.

1. Adverbal participles are never preceded with the definite article.
2. Participles never take the place of the main verb in a sentence.
3. Participles can function as an adverb modifying a verb. When their meaning is directed toward a verb, it will agree with a word (most likely the subject of the verb) in case number and gender.
4. Even though it is adverbial, it will still agree with a related noun in case number and gender. However, that noun may be implied or in a previous sentence.
5. Adverbal Participles may be classified as:

1. Temporal Adverbs – Adverbal participles are often translated temporally with the use of the helping word (while- present tense, or after -aorist, imperfect, perfect, or pluperfect tense). If the participle is in the imperfect tense continuous action is implied.

This is also often the case with the present tense. Therefore a translation of while making, or before making may be appropriate to reflect the continuous nature of the action. Temporal participles answer the question of “When?” for the verb it is modifying. [ See Example VP-E8]

2) Adverbs of Manner (or Means)- A participle may describe the manner or the means by which an action is carried out. They answer the question, How. As such it could reflect an emotion or attitude or how the action was carried out. In this case, the time of the participle is usually contemporaneous with the main verb (present tense or sometimes aorist tense). It usually follows the main verb. [See Example VP-E9 ,]

3. Adverbs of Cause – indicates the reason or cause for the action of the participle. It answers the question (Why?)

The causal since of the participle may be brought out by using the word “because” or “since”. The causal participle usually precedes the verb it modifies. [See Example VP-E10]

4. Adverbs of Condition – describe a condition for which the fulfillment of the main verb depends. [See Example VP-E11]
5. Adverbs of Concession- are used when the action of the main verb is true or occurred even though the action of the participle were present.

The concessive tone of the participle can be conveyed with the words (even though, although, in spite of, or despite). [See Example VP-E12]

6) Adverbs of Purpose - are used to indicate the purpose for a given action. They express the intent of the person carrying out the action. It is similar to the adverb of cause in that both answer the question why?)

Adverbial participles of purpose can be translated with the phrase “for the purpose of” or as an infinitive. [See Example VP-E13]

7) Adverbs of Result – indicates the results of the action of the main verb. An Adverbial Participle of Result is similar to the Adverbial Participle of Purpose. However, rather than indicating the purpose for the action, it gives the results of the action. [ See Example VP-E14]

8. Attendant Circumstance – describes an action that occurs at the same time as the action of the main verb, but is somehow related to the action of the main verb.

   • This category should only be chosen if the participles does not fit into any other category.
   • A participle of attendant circumstances describes (1) an action that is dependent upon the main verb; (2) the emphasis is on the main verb; and, (3) the action described by the participle is simply incidental to the main verb.
   • Generally the participle will precede the main verb in both word order and time of the event, but not necessarily. [ See Example VP-E15]

Participle Diagnostic Chart

Table VP-2 Participle Morpheme Chart

Table VP-3 Present (Continuous) Active Participle

The Present (continuous) Active participle is formed by:

[NOTE] – There is no case ending for the nominative masculine singular. Therefore the final tau (τ) drops off and the omicron lengthens to omega (ω).

• The case endings follow the 3-1-3 pattern for adjective case endings.
• The case endings may be found in Master Table 1 and Master Table 2.

Table VP -4 Present Active Participle

Notes:

1. * There is no case ending for the nominative masculine singular. Therefore, the final tau (τ) drops off and the omicron lengthens to omega (ω).
2. ** Similar to the nominative masculine singular, there is no case ending for the nominative (and accusative) neuter singular participle. Therefore, the final tau (τ) drops off. However, in the neuter the omicron does not lengthen resulting in λῦον.
3. *** Because the ντ is followed by a sigma (σ), the ντ drops out. λυ ο ντ σι -> λυ ο σι The omicron (ο) then lengthens to ου to compensate for the loss. λυ ο σι -> λυ ου σι.

Table VP-5 Formation of Present Middle/Passive Participle

The present Middle and Passive participle is formed by:

Table VP-5a Present Middle/Passive Participle

Table VP-6 Formation of 1st Aorist Active Participle

The first Aorist Active Participle is formed by:

First aorist tense stem + tense formative (σα) + participle morpheme(ντ/ουσα) + case ending. The σα+ουσα contracts to σασ in the aorist λυ + σα +ντ + ες-> λύσαντες

Note: [ There is no augment. The augment for the aorist indicative tense indicates an event that occurred in past time. With participles, the emphasis is on the aspect of the action and not the time of the action.] Therefore, there is no augment.

Table VP-6a First Aorist Active Participle

[Note]

1. * Tthe ντ drops off because it is followed by a sigma λυ + σα+ντ + ς -> λυ +σα + ς
2. ** There is no case ending and the final tau (τ) drops off.
3. *** The changes that result in dropping the ντ are complicated as the feminine form involves adding what William Mounce describes as adding a Consonantal Iota found in classical Greek to the participle morpheme (ντ). This results in the combined tau-iota becoming a sigma which then causes the ν to drop off resulting in λυσας. It is much easier, just to think of the feminine form marker as σας.

Table VP-7 Formation of 1st Aorist Middle Participle

Therefor the First Aorist middle participle is formed by:

Table VP-7a First Aorist Middle Participle

Table VP-9 Formation of Second Aorist Active Participle

Table VP-9a Second Aorist Active Participle

Note:

* Similar to the Present Active Participle, there is no case ending in the nominative masculine singular causing the tau to drop off because it cannot stand at the end a word. The omicron then lengthens to omega to compensate for the missing tau resulting in Βαλών.

Table VP-10 Formation of Second Aorist Middle Participle

The Second Aorist Middle Participle is formed by:

Second aorist tense stem + connecting vowel + participle morpheme (μενο/μενη) + case ending. There is no need for an Aorist form marker because the use of the Second Aorist stem serves this purpose. The second aorist active participle will therefore look just like the present active participle except for use of the second aorist stem.

Table VP-10a Second Aorist Middle Participle

Built on the verb γίνομαι ( I am, I become, I am born)

Table VP-11 Formation 2nd Aorist Passive Participle

The second Aorist Passive participle is formed with:

the Second Aorist stem + connecting vowel (ε) + participle morpheme (ντ) + case ending

Table VP-11a Second Aorist Passive Participle

Based on στρέφω (I turn)

Note:

* There is no case ending in the first person nominative singular with the result that the word ends with the participle morpheme. the nu tau (ντ) then drops out because it cannot stand at the end of the word. The epsilon (ε) then lengthens to (ει) to compensate for the missing letters.

** There is no case ending in the first person nominative singular. However only the tau drops out. We have seen this before with neuter verbs.

VP-E2 Example of Present Participle Undefined Action

While the basic rule is that use of a participle in the present tense indicates continuous action (or on going action) at the time of the main verb, there are exceptions.

One of the clearest exceptions is found in Mark 6:14. John the Baptist could not have been continually baptizing people after he was killed, and certainly there were times when he paused from his activities to eat and sleep. He was simply known as John the one who baptizes because this was a regular part of his ministry when he was alive. In addition, because John the Baptist was already dead, he could not have been baptizing people at the time the speaker was speaking. This should serve as a reminder for the need to take into account the context of the participle.

VP-E2

and some were saying, “John the Baptist has been raised from the dead.

Table VP-E-10

Jesus, having grown weary from the journey, was sitting

or

Table VP-E10a

many believed … seeing his signs that he was doing. Or this could be translated many believed …. Because they saw his signs (which) he was doing.