When do we use the -ing verb form in English?
Note: This is also called the verb + -ing form and the verb-ing form.
The -ing form is used for present participles and gerunds.
1. The Present Participle
The present participle is the -ing form of a verb when it is used:
1) as an adjective
For example:
- The movie was interesting.
- It’s a boring book.
- Watch out for moving vehicles.
2) in continuous tenses (also called progressive tenses)
For example:
- I’m reading.
- She was working.
- It has been raining.
3) in participle clauses
A participle clause is a shorter clause that uses the present participle, past participle or present perfect participle to give extra information about the subject in the main clause.
For example:
- Walking through the park, Frank saw a kangaroo.
- I stood there waiting for an answer.
- The children ran inside laughing loudly.
2. The Gerund
The gerund is the -ing form of a verb when it is used as a noun.
For example:
- Swimming is good exercise.
- They love reading.
- She is good at cooking.
Note: A gerund phrase is a phrase with a gerund that is used as one noun.
For example:
- Swimming in the ocean is good exercise.
- They love reading crime novels.
- She is good at cooking curries.
- Learning English takes time.