Active adjectival participles modify nouns. They are adjectives made from the verbs that describe the action of the subject in the sentence. The present active participle describes action carried out in the present. The past active participle describes action that was carried out in the past.

To form the present active participle, remove the final -t from the third person plural form of the verb and add the suffix -shch- plus an adjective ending that agrees in gender, number, and case with the noun it modifies.

To form the active past participle, add the suffix -vsh- to the verbal stem, and then add an adjective ending depending on the gender and number of the noun the participle modifies.

Exercise 1: Forming Active Present Participles

Use the verbs and nouns to form present active participles phrases. Remember to agree each participle with the gender and number of the noun. The first phrase has been done for you.

1. govorit' / popugaigovoriashchie popugai

2. sidet' / muzhchina

3. rabotat' / zhenshchina

4. idti / avtobus

5. goret' / kostior

6. pit' / zhivotnye

7. shumet' / more

8. igrat' / deti

Exercise 2: Forming Active Past Participles

Use the verbs and nouns to form active past participles phrases. Remember to agree each participle with the gender and number of the noun. The first phrase has been done for you.

1. zhit' / chelovekzhivshij chelovek

2. lezhat' / sobaka

3. guliat' / koshka

4. rabotat' / drug

5. pisat' / uchenitsa

6. spat' / turist

7. risovat' / studenty

8. letet' / ptitsa