# BBG Chapter 27 — Imperfective (Present) Adverbial Participles

## Files

### Exercises

Exercise | Description
--- | ---
exercises/ch27-present-participle-parsing/ | "Spot the Present Participle" — 15-item passage drill: parse form, identify use, translate
exercises/ch27-participle-use-sort/ | Participle Use Classification Drill — 20 phrases: classify ADV / ADJ / SUB, identify key signal, translate

### Flashcards

File | Description
--- | ---
ch27-vocab-deck.md | Human-readable card list — 14 vocabulary words
ch27-vocab-deck.txt | Anki import file (File → Import)
ch27-vocab-deck-fd.txt | Flashcards Deluxe import file

### Notebooks

Notebook | What it shows
--- | ---
Greek Participles | Present participle frequency; adverbial role count; genre comparison
Genre Comparison | Present participle distribution by genre and function

Basics of Biblical Greek Grammar, Mounce, 4th Edition
Data: MACULA Greek TAGNT (~3,200 present participle tokens NT-wide)

## 1. The Present Participle — Aspect and Formation

The present participle expresses imperfective aspect: ongoing, continuous, or repeated action. As an adverbial participle it indicates action contemporaneous with the main verb.

The present participle is built on the present stem (the same stem as the present and imperfect indicative).

> Note: "Present" participle does not mean "happening right now." In an adverbial participle, it means at the same time as the main verb, regardless of the main verb's tense. Translate: "while [verb]-ing."

## 2. Present Active Participle

### 2.1 Formation

Component | Description
--- | ---
Present stem | λυ-
Connecting vowel | ο
Participial morpheme | ντ
Endings | 3rd declension (masc/neut), 1st declension (fem)

The masculine nominative singular drops the τ and compensatorily lengthens: λυ + ο + ντ → λύων (not λύοντ).
The feminine is formed with -ουσα (the ντ shifts to σ before α): λύουσα.

### 2.2 Paradigm — Present Active Participle (λύω)

Case | Masculine | Feminine | Neuter
--- | --- | --- | ---
Nominative sg | λύων | λύουσα | λύον
Genitive sg | λύοντος | λυούσης | λύοντος
Dative sg | λύοντι | λυούσῃ | λύοντι
Accusative sg | λύοντα | λύουσαν | λύον
Nominative pl | λύοντες | λύουσαι | λύοντα
Genitive pl | λυόντων | λυουσῶν | λυόντων
Dative pl | λύουσι(ν) | λυούσαις | λύουσι(ν)
Accusative pl | λύοντας | λυούσας | λύοντα

> Note: The masculine nominative singular λύων looks like a 3rd-declension noun. The key marker is the -οντ- stem that appears in all other forms. In the dative plural, ντ drops before σι with compensatory lengthening: λύουσι(ν).

## 3. Present Middle/Passive Participle

### 3.1 Formation

Component | Description
--- | ---
Present stem | λυ-
Connecting vowel | ο
Participial morpheme | μεν
Endings | 2-1-2 declension (like regular adjectives)

Result: λυόμενος, λυομένη, λυόμενον

### 3.2 Paradigm — Present Middle/Passive Participle (λύω)

Case | Masculine | Feminine | Neuter
--- | --- | --- | ---
Nominative sg | λυόμενος | λυομένη | λυόμενον
Genitive sg | λυομένου | λυομένης | λυομένου
Dative sg | λυομένῳ | λυομένῃ | λυομένῳ
Accusative sg | λυόμενον | λυομένην | λυόμενον
Nominative pl | λυόμενοι | λυόμεναι | λυόμενα
Genitive pl | λυομένων | λυομένων | λυομένων
Dative pl | λυομένοις | λυομέναις | λυομένοις
Accusative pl | λυομένους | λυομένας | λυόμενα

> Note: The -μεν- morpheme is the unmistakable signature of every middle/passive participle in Greek (present, imperfect, perfect). Once you know it, you will never confuse middle/passive with active.

## 4. The Adverbial Participle

The adverbial participle has no article and modifies the main verb of its clause, describing the circumstances of the main action. It agrees with the subject of the main verb in gender, case, and number — and appears in the nominative case (since the main verb's subject is nominative).

### 4.1 Translation Methods

Method | Example
--- | ---
While + present participle | "While teaching in the synagogue, he healed…"
Because / Since + clause | "Because he knew the law, he answered…"
Although + clause | "Although seeing the crowds, he remained…"
By + gerund | "By preaching, he gathered disciples…"

### 4.2 Identifying the Adverbial Use

- No article before the participle
- Nominative case (matches subject of main verb)
- The participle adds circumstantial information to the main clause

### 4.3 GNT Examples

> Ἐκπορευόμενος δὲ εἶδεν ἄλλους. (Matt 20:3)
> "While going out, he saw others."
> — Present middle/passive participle, nominative masculine singular, contemporaneous action

> Ἀκούων δὲ ὁ Ἰησοῦς εἶπεν. (Matt 9:12)
> "But hearing [this], Jesus said."
> — Present active participle, nominative masculine singular, contemporaneous action

> Προσευχόμενος δὲ μὴ βατταλογήσητε. (Matt 6:7)
> "When praying, do not babble."
> — Present middle participle, adverbial/temporal

## 5. εἰμί Participle: ὤν, οὖσα, ὄν

The participle of εἰμί ("to be") is ὤν (masc), οὖσα (fem), ὄν (neut) — "being."

Case | Masculine | Feminine | Neuter
--- | --- | --- | ---
Nominative sg | ὤν | οὖσα | ὄν
Genitive sg | ὄντος | οὔσης | ὄντος
Dative sg | ὄντι | οὔσῃ | ὄντι
Accusative sg | ὄντα | οὖσαν | ὄν
Nominative pl | ὄντες | οὖσαι | ὄντα
Genitive pl | ὄντων | οὐσῶν | ὄντων
Dative pl | οὖσι(ν) | οὔσαις | οὖσι(ν)
Accusative pl | ὄντας | οὔσας | ὄντα

> Note: ὤν is one of the most common participles in the GNT. It functions substantivally in key theological passages — e.g., ὁ ὢν ἐν τῷ κόλπῳ τοῦ πατρός (John 1:18, "the one who is in the bosom of the Father").

## 6. Aspect: Present Participle = Contemporaneous Action

The present participle's defining characteristic as an adverbial modifier is contemporaneity:

> πορευόμενοι δὲ κηρύσσετε. (Matt 10:7)
> "As you go, preach."

The going and the preaching happen at the same time.

Compare with aorist (Ch28), where the participle's action precedes the main verb:

Participle | Aspect | Adverbial Meaning
--- | --- | ---
Present (λύων) | Imperfective / ongoing | while loosing
Aorist (λύσας) | Perfective / completed | after loosing / having loosed

## 7. Key Diagnostic Summary

Feature | Present Active | Present Mid/Pass
--- | --- | ---
Stem | Present stem | Present stem
Masc nom sg | -ων | -όμενος
Fem nom sg | -ουσα | -ομένη
Neut nom sg | -ον | -όμενον
Key morpheme | -οντ- | -μεν-
Declension pattern | 3rd decl (m/n), 1st decl (f) | 2-1-2