PARTICIPIAL ADJECTIVES --
AFTER THE VERB BE -- and WITH PREPOSITIONS

PARTICIPIAL ADJECTIVES * PRACTICE: (Ebert) * (fall texts) * (spring texts)

BE + PARTICIPLE

Of course, when participial adjectives follow the verb be they look just like progressive or passive verb phrases. This can be particularly confusing with adjectives formed from past participles : It's not usually necessary to decide whether a phrase is a verb or be plus an adjective, and sometimes the line is very unclear. But note that the tense of the auxiliary/verb be is affected by whether the past participial is part of a passive verb phrase ("dynamic") or simply an adjective following the stative verb be : Other differences between participial adjectives after be (states) and dynamic passive or progessive verb phrases include:
adjectives:
(states)
  • MODIFICATION: She was very ___
                They were more ___ than X.
  • "LINKING" VERBS: She seemed ___
  • TIME: refers to duration of state
  • PREPOSITIONS: (a great variety - see below)
    • verb phrases:
    (events)
  • OBJECTS: She was ____ing it.
  • AGENTS: She was ____ by X.
  • TIME: refers to an event (beginning of a state?)

    • ADJECTIVES + PREPOSITIONS*

    Another difference between passive verbs and adjectives following be is what preposition (if any) follows the participle. The agents of passive verbs are often indicated in " by- phrases" (the preposition by and the agent of the verb). However, adjectives (participial adjective and others) can be followed by many different prepositions, which give different meanings. These combinations need to be memorized, as vocabulary items.

    SOME ADJECTIVES + prepositions

    accustomed to
    acquainted with
    amazed at
    angry about/with
    annoyed about/with
    ashamed of
    associated with
    aware of
    based on    		 bored with
    committed to
    concerned about
    connected to
    covered with/in
    dedicated to
    defined as
    devoted to
    disappointed in/with    		 divided into/from
    divorced from
    done with
    eligible for
    engaged to/in
    excited about/for
    exhausted from
    familiar with
    fed up with    		 filled with
    finished with
    found in/on/at ..
    frightened of
    good at/with
    happy about/with/for
    impressed with
    interested in
    jealous of    		 known as/for
    located in/on/at ..
    made of/from
    married to
    opposed to
    pleased with
    preoccupied with
    prepared for
    proud of    		 qualified for
    referred to (as)
    related to
    satisfied with
    scared of
    terrified of
    tired of/from
    used to/for
    worried about

    Of course, any sentence -- with or without adjectives -- can have prepositional phrases showing time, place, etc: She was married on Tuesday.
    They were married in Chicago.
    They were married for three years.
    They were married until 1997.
    They were married with two other couples.
    They were married by the fountain.
    They were married in traditional costumes
    etc.

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    Ann Salzmann
    Intensive English Institute
    University of Illinois