How to use ing verbs ?

How to use ing verbs ?

 

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In this lesson about the -ing form in English we will see its formation and use (ex: playing, living, washing…)

What is the purpose of -ing in English?

The English -ing is used for the English gerund and for the present participle. That’s why the gerund and the present participle are called “-ing form”. However, there are differences between the two. -Ing is mainly used to talk about activities.

1. Used as the subject of a sentence:

  • Flying makes me nervous.
  • Eating fast food is bad for your health.

2. Used as a complement:

  • He likes playing soccer.
  • I love watching anime.
  • I enjoy reading books.

3. Used as an adjective:

  • it’s disgusting
  • this TV program is interesting
  • it’s discouraging
  • she is boring
  • my job is tiring
  • running water

4. Used as a name:

  • a wedding
  • a painting

5. For activities:

  • swimming
  • surfing
  • fishing
  • skate-boarding
  • traveling
  • reading

6. We can use it withwith while or by :

  • I listened music while going to the supermarket
  • He reads a book while watching TV
  • You should find it by using internet

7. Used after a preposition:

  • I’m interested in teaching french to foreigners.
  • He’s good at playing video games.

8. With the progressive form of a verb :

  • present progressif → I am watching TV
  • present perfect progressive → I have been watching TV
  • past progressive → I was watching TV
  • past perfect progressive → I had been watching TV
  • futur progressive → I will be watching TV
  • futur perfect progressive → I will have been watching TV

9. After some phrasal verbs:

  • I look forward to hearing from you soon. (at the end of a letter)
  • He wants to give up smoking.

10. In compound names:

  • bird-watching
  • a swimming pool
  • a developing country
  • shaving cream
  • good looking
  • a washing machine
  • a driving lesson
  • a frying pan
  • a sleeping bag

11. After some expressions :

can’t stand, can’t help, don’t mind, it’s no use/good, be + worth:

  • He couldn’t help falling in love with her.
  • I can’t stand being late for the movie.
  • I don’t mind waiting for her.
  • It’s no use/good lying to her.
  • It might be worth visiting the park at night.

or expressions that end with a preposition:

  • There’s no point in driving to the party, the road is jammed.
  • In spite of missing the plane, she arrived on time.
  • what about having dinner now ?

12. After No… to express the prohibition:

You may have already seen those signs:

  • No smoking
  • No parking
  • No skateboarding
  • No littering

How the verb & ing is formed in English

The -ing can be added to the verbal base:

  • be → being
  • do → doing
  • want → wanting
  • ski → skiing
  • call → calling
  • read → reading
  • say → saying

Verbs that end in a silent -e- lose it if you add a -ing:

  • love → loving
  • come → coming
  • make → making
  • dance → dancing
  • dive → diving
  • have → having
  • move → moving

If the verb ends in -ie, it must be replaced by -ying:

  • die → dying
  • tie → tying
  • lie → lying

If the verb ends in consonant – vowel – consonant, and is fully accented or at the end, the end consonant must be doubled and -ing added:

  • begin beginning
  • stop stopping
  • sit sitting
  • get getting
  • plan planning
  • run running

If the accent is not on the end, simply add -ing:

  • happen happening
  • listen listening
  • open opening
  • visit visiting

If the verb ends in w, x or -y, we simply add -ing:

  • play → playing
  • snow → snowing
  • fix → fixing
  • spy → spying
  • spray → spraying

Beware of verbs ending in -c (there are not many of them):

  • panic → panicking
  • mimic → mimicking

 

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