Lesson 3 | Present Participles

[3] Present Middle or Passive Participles

Present middle participles and present passive participles take the same form. So, we will refer to them as present middle or passive participles here. When you parse a present middle or passive participle in context, you should specify whether it is middle or passive. Context and the verb’s lexical meaning will help you do this.
Now, learn the three key features for present middle or passive participles. Then, study the chart to help you see how they work.




You should notice two things about this paradigm. First, the masculine and neuter forms follow the second noun pattern, and the feminine forms follow the first noun pattern. 
Second, the tense former (ομεν) is the same in every present middle or passive participle form. Thus, if you know the noun patterns and remember the ομεν tense former, then you do not need to memorize this chart.
Example

  λυ+ομεν+ην

  [Stem]
  [Tense Former]
  [Ending]

The tense former shows that this is not a present active but a middle or passive participle. The ending is from the First Noun Pattern, and thus it must be feminine, and it is the accusative, singular ending. So, we can put that all together and parse λυομένην as a present, middle or passive, participle, accusative, feminine, singular from λύω.
Use the quizlet below to practice parsing λύω as a present middle or passive participle.

Examples from the Greek NT
εἰσερχόμενοι δὲ εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν ἀσπάσασθε αὐτήν. (NA28)

Now, as you are entering the house, greet it.

—Matthew 10:12
Can you parse εἰσερχόμενοι? 

  εισερχ+ομεν+οι

  [Stem]
  [Tense Former]
  [Ending]

Note the present stem, the ομεν tense former, and the second pattern noun ending. εἰσερχόμενοι is a present, middle, participle, nominative, masculine, plural from εἰσερχόμαι. Remember, present middle and passive participles have the same form. Only context and the verb’s lexical form can help us determine the voice of this participle. Since this verb normally occurs in the middle voice and only makes sense as a middle voice verb, we should parse it as a middle voice participle.  It is an adverbial participle that provides us with more context for the main command: “Greet the house as you are entering it."

...τὸν λόγον λαλούμενον… (NA28)

...the speech being spoken...

—Mark 5:36
Can you parse λαλούμενον? 

  λαλε+ομεν+ον

  [Stem]
  [Tense Former]
  [Ending]
We see the present stem, the ομεν tense former, and the second pattern noun ending. Therefore, λαλούμενον is a present, passive, participle, accusative, masculine, singular from λαλέω. The ομεν tense former changed to ουμεν because λαλε + ομενον  = λαλούμενον. (Note the vowel merger.)
This is an adjectival participle. It matches τὸν λόγον in case, gender, and number. (This is how we know it is not a neuter nominative or neuter accusative, which have the same form.) The author used the imperfective aspect to describe the speech as it is being spoken. 
καὶ οὗτος μὴν ἕκτος ἐστὶν αὐτῇ τῇ καλουμένῃ στείρᾳ· (NA28)

and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren.

—Luke 1:36
Can you parse τῇ καλουμένῃ? 

  καλε+ομεν+ῃ

  [Stem]
  [Tense Former]
  [Ending]

We see the present stem, the ομεν tense former, and the first pattern noun ending. Therefore, τῇ καλουμένῃ is a present, passive, participle, dative, feminine, singular from καλέω. Again, the ομεν tense former changed to ουμεν because καλε + ομενῃ  = καλουμένῃ. 
This is an adjectival participle that describes αὐτῇ.

As a side note, you might wonder why στείρᾳ, in the dative feminine singular form, is diagrammed as a predicate nominative. First, the verb καλέω takes a predicate nominative whenever it is used as a declaration of being. (Elizebeth was called barren because she was barren.) Secondly, predicate nominatives are actually not in the nominative case as a rule. Rather they match the case of the subject. Here, this adjectival participle has the borrowed subject of αὐτῇ, which is dative.


πορευόμενοι δὲ κηρύσσετε... (NA28)

Now, as you are going, preach...

—Matthew 10:7
Can you parse πορευόμενοι? 

  πορευ+ομεν+οι

  [Stem]
  [Tense Former]
  [Ending]
We see the present stem, the ομεν tense former, and the second pattern noun ending. Therefore, πορευόμενοι is a present, middle, participle, nominative, masculine, plural from πορευόμαι. 
It is an adverbial participle that describes the main verb. The participle's imperfective aspect describes the participle as occurring during the main verb: Preach as you are going.
To help you practice parsing present participles, enjoy the present participle bonanza in the quizlet below!