Meaning & use
participating in
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“participating in” is a form of “participate”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
verbintransitive
Taking an active part in an activity, event, or group effort with other people.
Grammar: No direct object: you participate in something. You cannot 'participate a race'.
Patterns
- participating in something
- be interested in participating in something
- prevent someone from participating in something
More than two hundred students are participating in the science fair this year.
She was praised for participating in the debate even though she was nervous.
Anyone participating in the survey can remain anonymous if they prefer.
verbintransitive
Being involved in a shared activity such as a sport, class, or program.
Grammar: Still takes 'in'; common in official or written descriptions of programs and events.
Patterns
- participating in a program
- participating in a study
- actively participating in something
The clinic is looking for adults participating in a sleep study.
Teams participating in the tournament must register by Friday.
He enjoys participating in community events on weekends.
Word forms
| base form | participate |
|---|---|
| third person singular | participates |
| past tense | participated |
| past participle | participated |
| -ing form | participating |
Common combinations
- actively participating in
- She is actively participating in the new training program.
- participating in an event
- Over fifty runners are participating in the charity event.
- participating in a study
- Volunteers participating in the study were given free check-ups.
- participating in a discussion
- He rarely speaks, but he is always participating in the discussion in some way.
- interest in participating in
- Please let us know if you have any interest in participating in the project.
Synonyms and how they differ
- taking part in
- The everyday, informal way to say the same thing; 'participating in' sounds more formal and is common in writing.
- joining in
- Suggests entering an activity that is already going on, often casually; 'participating in' is broader and more neutral.
- engaging in
- Often used for activities you start or carry out yourself, and it can sound more deliberate or formal than 'participating in'.
Opposites
Word family
- participant noun
- A person who takes part in something.
- participation noun
- The act of taking part in an activity.
- participatory adjective
- Describing a system or activity in which everyone takes part.
Commonly confused: participating in or participate?
participating in vs participate
'Participating in' is the -ing form used after 'be', 'enjoy', or a preposition: 'She is participating in the race.' Use 'participate' after 'to', 'can', or 'will': 'She wants to participate.'
Practice
Which sentence uses 'participating in' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Participate' is always followed by 'in' plus the activity: 'participating in the choir'. The other prepositions do not fit this verb.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “participating in”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.