what part of speech are words ending in ing

Definition and Examples of -ing Forms in Grammar

Glossary of Grammatical and Rhetorical Terms

• An Introduction to Punctuation
• Ph.D., Rhetoric and English, University of Georgia
• M.A., Modern English and American Literature, University of Leicester
• B.A., English, State University of New York

In English grammar , " -ing form" is a contemporary linguistic term for the present participle and gerund : any verb form that ends in -ing .

In the book International English Usage (2005), Hancock and Todd note that the term " -ing form" is "neutral as to the function of a verb-derived -ing form." 

Examples and Observations

• "When -ing forms are used as verbs, adjectives or adverbs , they are often called 'present participles.' (This is not a very suitable name, because these forms can refer to the past, present, or future.) When they are used more like nouns , they are often called 'gerunds.' In fact, the distinction is not really as simple as this, and some grammarians prefer to avoid the terms 'participle' and 'gerund.'" (Michael Swan, Practical English Usage , 2nd ed. Oxford University Press, 1995)
• "Avoid running at all times." (Satchel Paige)
• "Democracy is the art and science of running the circus from the monkey cage." (H. L. Mencken)
• "A hospital bed is a parked taxi with the meter running ." (Groucho Marx)
• "I suppose all writers worry about the well running dry." (Richard Russo)
• "The barrel was kept full of cold, running water. Dad said it was best to have the water running in at the top and out an opening at the bottom of the barrel; this way it circulated around and over the copper worm." (Sidney Saylor Farr, My Appalachia: A Memoir . University Press of Kentucky, 2007)
• "[L]ike so many substantial Americans, he had married young and kept on marrying , springing from blonde to blonde like the chamois of the Alps leaping from crag to crag." (P.G. Wodehouse, Summer Moonshine , 1937)
• "Sir, I would like to say, It is hard to think of the good woman Presenting you with children, like cakes, Granting you the eye of her needle, Standing in doorways, flinging after you Little endearments, like rocks, or her silence Like a whole Sunday of bells." (W.S. Merwin, "Sire." The Second Four Books of Poems . Copper Canyon Press, 1993)
• "One wanders through life as if wandering through a field in the dark of night, wearing a blindfold and very heavy shoes, with a poisonous toad waiting patiently beneath a clump of weeds, knowing full well that eventually you will step on him." (Lemony Snicket, Horseradish: Bitter Truths You Can't Avoid . HarperCollins, 2007)
• Adjective and Verb Functions "In the following cases the -ing forms are clearly not gradable and are therefore much closer to verb forms: her dying wish an ailing friend a falling star the skidding vehicle A sentence like He was entertaining is ambiguous out of context . Its meaning depends on whether entertaining is treated as an adjective or as a verb. In He was very entertaining we have an adjective--note the presence of the intensifier very --and in He was entertaining his friends we have a verb-- was entertaining is actually the full verb form taking a grammatical object his friends ." (Ronald Wardhaugh, Understanding English Grammar: A Linguistic Approach , 2nd ed. Wiley-Blackwell, 2003)
• Verbs ending in -ing can act as the main verb of a verb phrase , and may be followed by a noun or an adjective . . .: e.g. is eating lunch ; becoming misty overnight .
• Nouns ending in -ing can sometimes have a plural form (e.g. paintings ), and can usually be a head noun after a, the , or some other determiner : e.g. [the banning of some chemicals] , [her dancing ] .
• Adjectives ending in -ing can appear before a noun, and can also occur after verbs such as be and become : e.g. the travelling public; it was (very) confusing . They are very often gradable, and can be preceded by degree adverbs such as very, so, and too : very forgiving, so interesting, too boring.
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'-ing' forms

Level: beginner

We can use the - ing form of a verb:

• as a noun :

I love swimming . Swimming is very good for your health. You can get fit by swimming regularly.

• as an adjective :

The main problem today is rising prices. That programme was really boring . He saw a woman lying on the floor.

- ing forms as nouns

- ing nouns are nearly always uncount nouns . They can be used:

• as the subject of a verb :

Learning English is not easy.

• as the object of a verb :

We enjoy learning English.

Common verbs followed by an - ing object are:

admit like hate start avoid suggest enjoy dislike begin finish

• as the object of a preposition :

Some people are not interested in learning English.

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- ing forms as adjectives

The - ing adjective can come:

• in front of a noun :

I read an interesting article in the newspaper today. We saw a really exciting match on Sunday.

• after a link verb  like be , look or sound :

Your new book sounds very interesting . The children can be really annoying .

• after a noun :

Who is that man standing over there? The boy talking to Angela is her younger brother

• especially after verbs of the senses like see , watch , hear , smell , etc.:

I heard someone playing the piano. I can smell something burning .

The commonest - ing adjectives are:

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Patterns with - ing forms

Because an - ing noun or adjective is formed from a verb, it can have any of the patterns which follow a verb. For example:

• it can have an object :

I like playing tennis . I saw a dog chasing a cat .

• it can be followed by a clause :

I heard someone saying that he saw you .

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Hello sir. I wonder which of the following is correct? "to get the car started" or "to get the car starting". I personally prefer "started", but the given answer is "starting" Does it make sense?

Thanks for your time~

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Hi Radioheady,

I would also say the first option, with "started". "Get X started" is a fixed phrase and you can say it about other things too (e.g. Let's get the party started ). 

LearnEnglish team

Thank you. Could you specify the reasons why "started" is better?

The - ing form indicates a continuous or ongoing action. However, since starting a car normally involves just turning a key or pressing a button and then the engine starting, it doesn't have a significant duration. If you say "get the car starting", it seems to mean that the action of "starting" will need some time. (But you could say "I'll get the computer starting up", for example, if the computer needs a long time to start up). 

Instead, the usual meaning would be the car being ready to drive (i.e., the action of starting it is already complete - so "started").

Hello 

Could you tell me about this? Is being in human being noun? like human and being or adjective? like human who is being alive?

Hello englishlearningenglish,

Human being is an example of a compound noun. You can see more examples and read about compound nouns here:

https://dictionary.cambridge.org/grammar/british-grammar/nouns-compound-nouns

The LearnEnglish Team

Hello, dear teachers and team!

Could you please help me with the following:

Which ones are correct:

1. In spite of being not a good person, he is very dedicated

2. In spite of not being a good person, he is very dedicated.

3. Thank you for informing/understanding ! (Could this ones be correct?)

4. Thank you for informing/understanding me!

I am and will always be grateful for your precious help and thank you very much for your answer to this post beforehand!

Hello howtosay_,

In #3 if you use 'informing' then you need to add an object:  Thank you for informing me/us/them  etc. Other than that, all the sentences are grammatically fine.

Hello, Could you explain how and when we use "to" before a verb with the -ing ending? Classic case: "I look forward to hearing from you" I have doubts about the grammar structure, which verbs use that and how it works. Thank you.

"To" is actually two different words.

• I want to hear from you ("to" is part of the infinitive verb)
• I look forward to hearing from you ("to" is a preposition; like all prepositions, if "to" is followed by a verb it must be in the - ing form)

In case 1, the infinitive with  to  is used after many verbs and adjectives.

• I need to wake up early in the morning. (See  this page (linked) for more info about verbs followed by "to" + infinitive.)
• This book is easy to understand . (Also hard , happy , pleased and some other adjectives.)

You can also put "to" + infinitive after a noun to show what action is done to that noun, e.g.  I have a book to read . / There is no food to eat .

In case 2, some verbs, nouns and adjectives require the preposition "to", and therefore an - ing form for any verb after it.

• I got used to waking up early in the morning.  (Other verbs: be used to , object , respond ...)
• Listening to what customers say is the key to understanding them.  (Other nouns: response , approach , dedication ...)
• His whole life was dedicated to helping other people.  (Also many other - ed adjectives, e.g. addicted , devoted , accustomed , opposed ... )

There may be cases where both the - ing  form and the  to  + infinitive seem possible.

• Listening to what customers say is the key to understanding them.
• Listening to what customers say is the key to understand  them.

Both of these sentences are grammatical. There is a slight difference in meaning - in the first one, the phrase "the key to understanding them" is meaningful together and it can't be divided. In the second one, the phrase "to understand them" (an infinitive of purpose, meaning "in order to understand them) modifies "the key" but it is separable from it. We can see this more clearly if we reorganise the sentence:  To understand them, listening to what customers say is the key .

I hope that helps.

Hi Jonathan, Thanks for your help. Actually, my doubts regard the second case: The preposition "to", and an -ing form for any verb after it. Your example: I got used to waking up early in the morning. I would use that form: I got used to wake up early in the morning. Why isn't my sentence correct? For me, it is difficult to figure out the preposition "to", and a -ing form for any verb after it. Thank you

Hi User_1,

Firstly, don't confuse  get used to  (+ - ing ) with  used to , which does take an infinitive after it:  I used to wake up early in the morning . The word  used  is a verb in that sentence (while in get used to , it's an adjective).

As for why  I got used to wake up early ... isn't correct, the simple answer is that get used to is followed by an - ing form and not an infinitive. That's the accepted grammatical form.

In more detail, in  get used to  + - ing , the word  to  is a preposition and its basic meaning is movement towards something. That's the underlying meaning of  to  in get used to + -ing , a movement towards doing the - ing activity (e.g. waking up early).

But  get used to + infinitive isn't grammatical because  used  is not one of the group of adjectives (e.g. easy , hard , happy , pleased ) that are followed by  to + infinitive. It also isn't meaningful as an infinitive of purpose (e.g.  to buy  in the example  I went to the shop to buy some food ), because  to wake up early  is not the purpose of  I got used . Also, as we know,  to  is a preposition here and the verb following any preposition is always in the - ing  form.

Grammar is confusing at times but I hope this explanation somehow helps to see what's going on here.

Hi Jonathan Thank you, I got it. I have not known about the grammatical form where the word "used" in "get used to" is an adjective.

Hello teachers,

Is it possible and correct to say this?

I saw him crossing the street and entering the building

A person told me that the only correct option would be :

I saw him cross the street and enter the building

To me they're both possible with a slight different meaning. Maybe the presence of two Ing verbs in the same sentence might sound awkward but I'm not sure.

I look forward to hearing your kind response.

Thanks Alex

Hello Ax45,

In theory it's possible to use two continuous forms after a verb of perception, but I agree with your colleague who said they don't work in this sentence.

After verbs of perception, we generally use a bare infinitive ('cross', 'enter') to speak about a completed action that we witnessed or a continuous form ('crossing', 'entering') to talk about an action we witnessed happening over a period of time. So from that point of view, your sentence should be fine. The reason that your sentence sounds odd is because we don't use the verb 'see' in this way.

We don't use 'see' to talk about actively observing something; for a more active observation of an action, we generally use 'watch'. This is why it's not really correct to say 'we're seeing a film now', because a film is something that lasts longer than a moment. We can saw 'we saw a film' because it refers to a completed action from beginning to end; it's not an action in progress, but a discrete event.

To return to the sentence you ask about, the actions of crossing the street and entering the building last more than a moment and say it sounds unnatural to use 'saw'. If you changed the verb to 'watched', you could use the continuous forms.

Does that make sense?

All the best, Kirk LearnEnglish team

Hello Kirk,

How about "I saw him crossed the street", is that incorrect?

Hello Kat2712,

'I saw him cross the street' is correct, but it's not correct to use 'crossed'. We use a base form (or '-ing' form) in cases like this, not a past participle.

Best wishes, Kirk LearnEnglish team

Hello instructors! I have a question about affixes or derivation (suffix and prefix): How do I know the right affix to add to a word. For example: I want to transform these words “ direct, enjoy, decide” If I don’t know the noun of these words, how can I choose the right suffix? There is a rule? Or I have to consult a dictionary? I know that there are rules for spelling, but here I want to know if there are rules to know the right affix to add to any new word I come across?

I will be thankful for you if you help me know about this topic.

Hi AboodKh9,

You need to check a dictionary. To form a noun (for example), there are many possible suffixes. You can refer to this Cambridge Dictionary page (linked) for a full list.

The reason for choosing some suffixes is related to the meaning of the word. For example, adding - ism  to a word (e.g.  capitalism ) makes the noun for a way of thinking or philosophy, and adding -er/-or  makes the noun for a person (e.g. painter/actor ). However, this does not mean that those suffixes can be added to any word (e.g. a person who makes art is an  artist , not  arter ), so although knowing these meaning patterns can help you to remember the nouns, it is not a predictable system and it's best to refer to a dictionary.

tHANKS fran chana

Dear team, Hello, All that is required is a computer with internet access, making expanding one's social circle uncomplicated and efficient. Please tell me how the "making" has become shorter, I mean, what has been deleted. Thank you Thank you

Hello Hosseinpour,

You could rephrase the sentence as follows:

All that is required is a computer with internet access, which makes expanding one's social circle uncomplicated and efficient.

Note that the comma is important here as it is a non-defining relative clause.

Thank you sir for the help and time. Thank you

Hey, I've been wondering what grammar there is behind this dialogue: " – I make mestakes all the time. – That spelling BEING one such instance". Namely, why is the verb "to be" used like that? What grammar rule does it follow?

Hello Fenris,

I guess the dialogue is humorous as 'mestakes' is a (presumably deliberate) spelling error.

'Being' here is a participle, which is a non-finite verb form (see here for information on non-finite verbs). Generally, a sentence requires a finite verb rather than a non-finite verb, and so this sentence should really be part of the previous sentence, as follows:

I make mestakes all the time, that spelling being one such instance.

Now the sentence is harmonious grammatically: the non-finite verb is not part of an independent clause and takes its time reference from the finite verb in the earlier clause. In your example, the second line is best understood as the second speaker finishing the first speaker's sentence for him/her as an ironic comment.

0I. have already started following a course.

There are two verbs in thise sentence.what are the grammar rules for thise?

Hello Araliya,

There are a number of verbs (like 'start') that can be followed by a verb in the '-ing' form. Actually, there are a small number of verbs, like 'start', that can also be followed by an infinitive form (for example, 'it started to rain'). But most verbs are not so flexible.

There are several pages here on LearnEnglish that you can read to learn more about this:

• Verbs followed by '-ing' or infinitive
• Verbs followed by '-ing' or infinitive to change meaning
• Verbs followed by the infinitive
• Verbs followed by the '-ing' form

The sections on 'go' and 'do' on our Delexical verbs page might also be useful.

Hope this helps you. Please let us know if you have other questions.

Hello teacher, I have seen the following sentence somewhere online, but I'm not clear about it. Could you explain it what kind of pattern they have used it? Example: I’m going to go see a movie tonight. go see = What kind of pattern it is? Thanks, Khoshal

Hello Khoshal,

This is a very informal form used in spoken English, and it is a reduction of another informal form. Let me explain the second informal form first.

1. In informal speaking, people often use 'and' like after the verbs 'go' and 'come'. For example, sentences like the following are very common:

I need to go and get some milk. Can you come and help me with my homework? You should go and ask her!

Note that this can be used with any tense (not just 'be going to' + verb), but only with the verbs 'go' and 'come'.

2. In very informal speaking, people sometimes omit the word 'and' (after 'go' or 'come'):

I'm going to go see a movie tonight.

Thank you so much for the explanation. Yes, I do understand now. Thanks, Khoshal

Hello there, I go swimming everyday. Is swimming here is a gerund or a participle? Thanks in advance for your explanation.

Hello BellaDunst,

This is a more complicated question than you might think, and you could argue either way. You can read such a discussion here:

https://english.stackexchange.com/questions/124492/is-swimming-a-gerund-in-i-went-swimming

In modern English grammar we generally don't distinguish between gerunds and infinitives and see them as terms not really appropriate to English. Instead, we use a term like -ing form which covers all uses (this is referred to in the discussion I linked to). So my answer is that this is the -ing form :)

Hello I would very appreciate if you explain the next sentence: I do the cooking. As I know, the verb cooking in this sentence as a noun. In some cases it is possible. Could you , please provide more explanation in what situations the verb will become a noun and , particularly with DO? Thank you.

Hi mikrobik,

"Do" in this sentence is a delexical verb (that's a technical term). We have a page all about this topic - please see this page (linked) for more about delexical verbs . I hope you find it useful.

Hi teachers, I recently met a sentence ,it says like this: It shows the complete process of the leading actors finding out possible criminals. I can't understand the phrase after "of" , is that sentence correct? can we use structure : prepositions+nouns+verb ing ? In the sentence above ,it seems "the leading actors" is not an object of the preposition 'of" Could you please give me a reply ? Thanks, Shirley

Hi Shirley,

I'm not sure where this is from, but this sentence sounds a bit unnatural to me, so I'm not sure I'd look to it as a model. Having said that, the structure you ask about is correct and it is correctly used in this case.

'of' is the head of a prepositional phrase. The prepositional phrase could be short (e.g. 'the complete process of cellular development') or, as in this case, more complex. The complex phrase here is subject noun phrase + verb-'ing' + object noun phrase ('the leading actors finding possible criminals'). Another example of a similarly structured phrase is 'of how the protagonist successfully navigates a complex and difficult situation'.

Hope this helps.

I read here such an example 'I love watching my son play football'. Could you explain me, please, why don't we use in this sentence 'plays' instead of 'play'?

Thanks in advance.

Hello khomychvitaliia,

The pattern here is watch (see, hear, observe etc) someone do something , where 'do' is not a present simple form but is rather the base form (infinitive without 'to'). You can see this is you use the verb 'be':

I love seeing him be so happy.

You can read more about various verb patterns here:

https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/grammar/english-grammar-reference/clause-structure-and-verb-patterns

Dear Peter,

Thanks a lot for your response and reference attached below.

Kind regards, Vitaliia Khomych

Hello Sir.Relating to the same issue ,I saw in adverts: If you are looking for a free course all you need to do is sign up in our website and enroll for the course. Shouldn't it be like: all you need to do is signing up in our website ... Thank you already.

Hello Sajatadib,

What you suggest makes sense, but I'm afraid what people actually say is what the adverts say. In other words, when a verb comes after 'All you need to do is', it goes in the base form.

All the best, Kirk The LearnEnglish Team

Hello sir, in the news I heard : My priority is making sure we deliver the economic stability that our country needs. Could you please help me understand the difference between the following? My priority is to make sure ... My priority is make sure ... My priority is making sure ...

Hi Sajatadib,

Good question. Here are some comments:

• "To + verb" is often used to show the purpose of something (i.e., something that the speaker intends to do). This fits the meaning of this sentence well because this speaker is explaining his/her purpose (i.e., delivering economic stability).
• "make sure" - this would probably be considered a grammatical mistake.
• The -ing form of the verb ("making sure") makes the verb function like a noun. Unlike the "to + verb" structure, it does not by itself show a purpose. It just shows an action. However, in the context of this sentence, the action is clearly the speaker's purpose.

I hope that helps to understand it.

Hello sir , I have a question and i’m sorry it’s out of this topic it’s about grammar itself .

My question is do i need really learning English grammar so deeply like where is the place of object and clause in sentence to speak and read English fluently please answer my question .

Hi g-ssan,

Understanding this aspect of grammar will help you to understand the meaning of what you read better. It will also help you to speak in grammatically standard ways and communicate more clearly. Also, some books, websites and other learning materials will use these ideas when they explain grammar structures. So, if you want to extend your learning, I would definitely recommend trying to learn at least some basic ideas.

However, it's hard for me to answer this question without knowing why you are learning English. If you are learning because you want to pass a difficult exam, for example, then it's probably useful to learn, because accurate understanding/speaking is important in exams. But if you do not have any particular target, or if you feel you already communicate and understand well enough, then it might not be necessary - or at least, it may not be a high priority.

So I guess an important question is: how important is grammatical accuracy for you, in the situations where you use (or want to use) English?

Hello Teachers my teacher wrote this sentence "I can't afford buying this car ". is it correct to use a gerund after the verb afford?

Hi Ahmed Hassan,

I'm sorry to disagree with your teacher but I would use "to" + infinitive after "afford" (e.g. I can't afford to buy this car).

Hello The LearnEnglish Team,

We're all taught that the "-ing" form of a verb can function as a noun (in this case, it is a gerund).

But sometimes, I don't know whether I should choose a gerund or a noun. For example, in this question:

> "Sign language is a visual means of ____ using gestures, facial expression and body language. (communicate)"

My teacher told me that the blank should be "communication", but when I goolged the whole sentence, I saw the word "communicating" was used.

Grammatically speaking, I think both "communication" and "communicating" can be used here. But are there any nuances between "communicating" and "communication"?

And so, when it comes down to choosing between a noun and a gerund, is there a good rule of thumb to tell us which one we should pick?

Thank you, Hieu Nguyen.

Hello HieuNT,

In general, the -ing form (gerund) tends to refer to the activity (speaking, communicating) while the noun refers to the subject or concept (speech, communication). Often both forms are possible, as in your example, and sometimes only one form exists (writing, reading etc).

Hi Mr. Peter M.,

Thank you for your answer. So, I understand that the choice of words (a gerund or a noun) will depend on what writers want to emphasise (the action or the subject), right?

In my example, the meaning of the sentence is literally the same for a non-native speaker like me, regardless of whether "communicating" or "communication" is used. Does it sounds the same for you as a native speaker?

Hieu Nguyen

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Gerunds and -ing words in English

Gerunds, verbal nouns, present participles all ending in -ing, 1. the different types of word ending in - ing : .

Definitions

• The gerund is a verb which is used as if it were a noun (Examples 1 & 2 below). Since it is a verb, it can not be qualified by an adjective , nor preceded by an article , but, like other forms of the verb, it can be modified by an adverb and take a complement .
• A verbal noun (Examples 3 & 4)  is a noun formed  from a verb; some verbal nouns end in - ing . Verbal nouns, like other nouns,  can take a determiner , and be qualified by adjectives.  
• A participle is an adjective or part of a participial phrase qualifying a noun or a pronoun.  (Examples 5 et 6). The present participle is also used in the progressive aspect of verb tenses (Examples 7 & 8).
•    Seeing is believing.
•    Living cheaply in New York is quite possible.
•   The book was easy reading !
•    He managed to make a good living.
•     Smiling, the lady told them they'd won the big prize.
•    I heard them arguing last night.
•    I'm taking my brother to the station tonight
•    The man was phoning his friend, when the lights went out.

2. The gerund in English: the verb used as a noun

•    Reading that book was very interesting.
•    Drinking is essential
•    Drinking too much pop can make you fat.
•    Taking the bus was rather a good idea.
•    Swimming regularly is very good exercise.
•    Taking too many aspirins is dangerous.
•    I really like sailing .
•    This article really needs completely rewriting.
•    He drove two hundred miles without ever stopping.
•    I look forward to seeing  you again next week.
•    I'm thinking of painting my house.
•    I started by carefully turning off the electricity
•    Do you mind shutting the window, please ?
•    Will you consider taking the job?
•    I've really enjoyed meeting you.

Gerund or infinitive?

3. verbal nouns: nouns that are derived from verbs.

•    That is a very nice painting
•    We're going to see the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace.
•    After a slow beginning, the show got a bit more lively.
•    This story has a rather unexpected ending..
•    The commission demanded the breaking up of the company into two separate units.
•    Our last meeting was not very productive.

4. Areas of possible confusion

• For musicians, practising  is essential.
• For musicians,  practising an instrument is essential
• For musicians, regular practising   is essential.
• For musicians, regular practising an instrument is essential . NO !
• For musicians, regular ly practising  an instrument is essential.
• For musicians, the regular  practising of an instrument is essential.

5. Present participles

• Looking out of. .. is an ellipsis or contraction of As I was looking out of. ..,
• ... I saw the tornado coming is a contraction of ... I saw the tornado that was coming.
• Looking out of the window, I saw the tornado coming . 
• In the course of the coming week, I have three interviews to go to.
• I saw the child standing in the middle of the road.
• The people living next door are very friendly.      4b The living next door people are very friendly is impossible.
• This is a seriously interesting book.
• The winning team will go through to the finals.
• The team winning in the first round will go through to the finals.
• I was looking out of the window when I saw the tornado.
•  At the moment, he's living in Bristol.
• The company has been doing very well for the past two years.

Active and passive

• Being seen is more important than being heard.
• Dominic drove three hundred miles without ever being stopped.
• They began their holiday by getting hopelessly lost .
•  Everyone watched the building getting demolished.
•  At the moment they 're being sold at half price.

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Definition of -ing suffix from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

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Present participle - the -ing verb, this grammar.com article is about present participle - the -ing verb — enjoy your reading.

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These ‑ing verbs always show up in a powerful writing style, and we’ll return to study them further in the Grammar eBook Developing a Powerful Writing Style . Hard Copy You may download our entire discussion of the Parts of Speech. Simply download the Grammar eBook Understanding the Parts of Speech .   Previous: Finite Verb - Tense, Person, Number, Mood Next: Past Participle - The -ed Verb

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Present participle / ing -form

(use and formation of the present participle or ing -form of the verb in english), table of contents – present participle.

On this page you will find the following:

• Use of the present participle
• Formation of the present participle
• Differences between British and American English
• Further explanations and exercises

What is the present participle and how is it used (explanation)?

The present participle (sometimes also called ing-participle ) or simply ing-form can be used in different ways. It is not limited to a specific word category! In general, it is often utilised as follows:

• “She is singing a song.”
• “I have been waiting for two hours.”
• “Max was repairing his car.”
• “We had been walking for 30 minutes before a friend picked us up.”
• “Next week, I will be flying to Italy.”
• “They will have been travelling around the world by the end of the year.”
• “My trip to South America was an exciting experience .”
• “The movie was very interesting .”
• “My brother is taking driving lessons.”
• “ Running a marathon is very difficult.”
• Two clauses are joined by the conjunction ‘and’ .
• two separate sentences
• here with a relative pronoun
• “The woman ran screaming down the street.”
• “The postman saw the dog sleeping in front of the house.”
• “In the city centre, there was a car driving too fast.”
• “ There are a lot of people waiting in line at the bank.”
• “The teacher continued showing the video.”
• “Sue has just finished painting .”
• “Finally, it stopped raining .”

How is the present participle formed (particularities)?

The present participle is generally formed by adding the suffix ‘- ing ’ to the word stem (therefore, it is sometimes called ing-participle ). In spite of that, there are some distinctive peculiarities about spelling, which need to be taken into account when forming it. Compare the formation in detail:

• talk → talk ing
• spy → spy ing
• take → tak ing
• move → mov ing
• see → see ing
• r un → run n ing
• f it → fit t ing
• pref er → prefer r ing
• r e n der → r e nder ing
• r e ck on → r e ckon ing
• conc eal → conc eal ing
• t ie → t y ing
• l ie → l y ing
• pan ic → pan ick ing

Spelling differences of the present participle in American and British English

There are slight differences between British and American English concerning the formation of the present participle ( ing-form ) and accordingly its spelling. The following needs to be considered in detail:

• The last syllable contains an unstressed vowel; ‘- l ’ is doubled.
• Here, the last syllable contains a stressed vowel, and so the ‘- l ’ is doubled here too.
• Here, an unstressed vowel appears inside the last syllable; accordingly no doubling occurs.
• Stressed vowel at the end, and so the ‘- l ’ is doubled.

Further explanations relating to the ‘Present participle’

The following explanations are related to the topic ‘ Use and formation of the present participle ( ing-form )’ and may also be helpful:

• Use and formation of the past participle
• Participle clauses
• Exercise 1: spelling present participle
• Exercise 1: use present continuous
• Exercise 1: use of past continuous

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Words ending in -ing

• 3 contributors

A word ending in –ing can be a verb, a noun, or an adjective. Use –ing words with care. The sentence should make it clear which role the word plays.

For example, we don’t know whether the heading, Meeting requirements, will be a discussion of how to meet requirements or the requirements for a meeting. These examples are clearer:

• The meeting requirements
• Meeting the requirements
• The requirements for the meeting
• How to meet the requirements

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Additional resources

All “ing” Verbs (List, Examples, Grammar)

What are common “ing” verbs? Before we dive into the list of words (or verbs) that end in “ing,” understanding the meaning of the two words is the first necessity. What does “ing” mean? What does it denote? Why are they added to verbs?

What are verbs? And “ing” verbs? 

First, it’s crucial to understand what verbs are. To put it simply, verbs are words that show action. Any word which denotes an action is called a verb . Some examples of verbs are run , swim, sleep, talk, walk, etc. 

These words show that an object is doing something. They are either running, swimming, going for a walk, etc. They tell us about the current state or the action that the object is performing. Verbs are an essential part of many languages that exist around the world.

However, some verbs can get confusing because they also act as a noun.

Some examples include: 

• Bat: Bat is a type of animal, but it is also an act of hitting a ball when playing a game
• Fish : Fish are animals, and at the same time, it also refers to the activity of hunting fish (to fish). 

What does adding the suffix “ing” mean? 

“Ing” is a popular suffix added after nouns and verbs. When added to a verb, “ing” is often used to form a present participle of the verb. It is also used to show an instance of a process or an action. Some examples of verbs ending in ing are:

• Running, Swimming, Walking, Talking, Sleeping. 

These words now show that the object is in the process of doing an action. The most important thing to remember here is that “ing” transforms the verb into a “present participle” form.

List of common verbs ending in “ing”

Now that we have an understanding of the two words and why they are used, let’s look at a list of verbs ending in “ing”:

Swim- Swimming 

Run- Running

Write- Writing

Drink- Drinking

Walk- Walking

Talk- Talking

Sleep- Sleeping 

Marry- Marrying

Work- Working

Rest- Resting

Hunt- Hunting

Bowl- Bowling

Play- Playing 

Sit- Sitting

Smoke-Smoking

Ride- Riding

Hop- Hopping

Dance- Dancing

Sing- Singing

Yell- Yelling

Shout- Shouting

Break- Breaking

Fall- Falling

Jump- Jumping

Leave- Leaving

Tease- Teasing

Read- Reading

Bake- Baking 

Wash- Washing

Research- Researching

Find- Finding

Eat- Eating

Beat- Beating

Hate- Hating

Like- Liking

Shop- Shopping

Enjoy- Enjoying

Cook- Cooking

Speak- Speaking

Watch- Watching

Fix- Fixing

Jog- Jogging

Flee- Fleeing

Spell- Spelling

Peel- Peeling

Fly- Flying

Type- Typing

Answer- Answering

Offer- Offering

Listen- Listening

Rub- Rubbing

Massage- Massaging

Interrupt- Interrupting

Guess- Guessing

Clean- Cleaning

Paint- Painting

Draw- Drawing

Repair- Repairing

Moan- Moaning

Mourn- Mourning

Sign- Signing

Cut- Cutting

Tear- Tearing

Wear- Wearing

Catch-Catching

Tap- Tapping

Stroke- Stroking

Meet- Meeting

Sink- Sinking

Grow- Growing

Win- Winning

Gamble- Gambling

“ing” verbs list (images)

When added to the end of a verb, “ing” transforms the verb form into a present participle . This shows that the action is currently under process, or to put it simply, that the object is currently performing that action. 

Like “ing” shows that an action is being performed or “is in process.” It needs to be transformed into a past participle form to show that it has been completed. This is shown by using a past form of the verb. Different verbs can have different past participle forms. For instance: Swim- Swam, Walk: Walked, Run- Ran, etc. 

Verbs are an essential part of the English language. This is because they show action. When an object is performing some act, it is denoted by a verb.

Verbs are also an integral part of other languages worldwide for the same reason.

• Collins: Definition of “Ing” 
• Cambridge Dictionary: Verb Patterns
• Collins: Which verbs are followed by “ing” form in English
• Walden University: Verb Forms: “ing”

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Dalia Y.: Dalia is an English Major and linguistics expert with an additional degree in Psychology. Dalia has featured articles on Forbes, Inc, Fast Company, Grammarly, and many more. She covers English, ESL, and all things grammar on GrammarBrain.

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Words with the ending -ing in English sentences – Exercise

Task no. 8049.

How is the underlined word in each sentence used? Select the correct form from the drop down menu.

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English Grammar Explanations

• Jack likes reading . → adjective noun verb
• We are sitting on a bench. → adjective noun verb
• I love sparkling water. → adjective noun verb
• Parking is expensive in cities. → adjective noun verb
• They read an interesting article yesterday. → adjective noun verb
• Look! The boy is catching crabs. → adjective noun verb
• The crying child was taken to hospital. adjective noun verb
• She has been watching videos the whole evening. → adjective noun verb
• I'm good at telling stories. → adjective noun verb
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An -ing form or gerund-participle is the form taken by a verb with -ing added to the base form (occasionally with some minor spelling changes). These can function used as verbs , nouns or adjectives , and with the addition of -ly as adverbs :

The boundaries between the parts of speech described above are fuzzy. It is often the case that for an example sentence, differing but equally valid analyses are possible. For example: “You are boring" (unclear verb or adjective), “You are very boring" (adjective) “You are boring me" (verb).

Apart from the obvious monosyllables , such as sing , king , etc., not all words ending -ing are gerunds or participles: thing , something , ceiling , whiting and duckling , etc.

• 2 Spelling rules
• 3 Present participle
• 5 -ing form or infinitive
• 6 Adjectives

Usage [ edit | edit source ]

One of the very few strict rules in English, i.e. no exception (or debate), is that of the need to use the -ing form of a verb, not its infinitive, after all prepositions . The only possible complication is deciding whether that to in the sentence is a preposition or an infinitive marker , in which case it obviously goes with an infinitive.

Spelling rules [ edit | edit source ]

• Most verbs add - ing to the infinitive form. See Default below.
• Verbs ending in e replace e by ing : lik e - lik ing ; reciev e - receiv ing
• Verbs “dye" and “singe" don’t drop the e : dye ing , singe ing /ˈsɪndʒɪŋ/
• In British English the "-ing" form of “age" is spelled “aging" or “ageing" BrE
• Verbs ending in one stressed vowel + one consonant (except w, x or y ) double the consonant and add - ing : plan ning ; stop ping ; refer ring ; control ling ;
• This rule also applies to the verb "program,” even if it doesn’t end in a stressed syllable: program ming
• In British English, the letter "l" is doubled after a single unstressed vowel: level ling BrE - leveling AmE ; travel ling BrE - traveling AmE
• Verbs ending in - c add king : picknic king ; traffic king ;
• Verbs ending in ie change their ending to "ying": die - d ying ; lie - l ying ; tie - t ying ;
• Default. All other verbs add - ing .
• Ending in one or more vowels (except final e ): moo ing ; ski ing ;
• Ending in two or more consonants: depend ing ; push ing ; start ing ;
• Ending in two or more vowels + one consonant: explain ing ; rain ing ;
• Ending in one unstressed vowel + one consonant: edit ing ; offer ing ;
• See exceptions above (program, and verbs ending in "l")
• Ending in w, x or y : play ing ; enjoy ing ; copy ing ; fly ing ; show ing ; tax ing ;

Present participle [ edit | edit source ]

See main article present participle .

Gerund [ edit | edit source ]

See main article Gerund .

A gerund is a noun, corresponding in most cases to an action or activity, such as smoking , reading or many sports (not games), such as swimming , weightlifting and fencing .

-ing form or infinitive [ edit | edit source ]

• There are a number of verbs that can be followed by an -ing form or an infinitive, but there may be, in some cases, differences in meaning:
• There are a number of verbs that are normally followed by an -ing form :
• There are a number of verbs that are normally followed by an infinitive:

Adjectives [ edit | edit source ]

There are a number of frequently used adjectives that students should be made familiar with: amusing - annoying - boring - disappointing - exciting - frightening - interesting - shocking - surprising - terrifying - tiring - worrying. Care should be taken to avoid eventual confusion between, for example, be worrying and be worried , and, most especially be bored vs be boring , as in I’m bored …

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