Hello there,

In English, the ~ing form can be either a 'gerund' or 'present participle'

Although a gerund and a present participle are both in the -ing form, there are differences between them. A GERUND is a noun derived from the verb as in (read-reading; write- writing) AND this noun can behave as the following:

1-Noun as a subject
-Reading English is important.
2-noun as an object
-I like reading English.
3-As a complement of a sentence
-The most important thing is reading.
4-Noun as an object of preposition (as usual after preposition we add v~+ing)
- I use my glasses for reading
- He is fond of reading
- He is good at reading
5-As a complement of a prepositional phrase (phrasal verbs or prepositional verb)
- I am looking forward to reading this book.
- I am addicted to reading.
- Don't give up reading

Some Gerunds which apparently do not look to be doing the preceding functions as in:
- It's no use+ v~ing
- It is no good+ v~ing
-I can't help reading

Now, If you find a verb with -ing form in other places, it must be a 'present participle.'

In short, What is the 'present participle.'? The present participle has the following functions:

(a) as a main verb form in ALL continuous tenses.
-I am reading a book.
-I have been reading a book for hours.
-I was reading a book.
-I had been reading a book yesterday. Since morning
-I shall be reading a book. Future continuous.
-I shall have been reading this book tomorrow for an hour.

(b) as an Adjective
- That's an amazing book.

(c) as an Adverb (sometimes introductory adverbial sentences or dangling participles or hanging modifiers or participles) a dangling participle comes at the beginning of a sentence and it can be used instead of a phrase starting "as, since, because," and it explains the cause or reason for an action:

- Feeling hungry, he went into the kitchen and opened the fridge.
=(Because he felt hungry)
- Walking in the grass, I was bitten by a snake

(d) as a Preposition.
Words such as 'regarding, concerning, excepting' that function as prepositions
- He does not read any book excepting English grammar.
- I know almost nothing regarding his character.

(e) as a Conjunction(rarely)
Considering that it was snowing, I gave up my idea of outing.

You can also find it in the pattern :
verb + object + present participle
I saw him playing football.

expressions with go:

to go shopping
to go fishing
to go walking
to go swimming
to go running
etc...

One more last thing I might add, a Present participle sometimes acts like ' a relative clause'

Who is the boy sitting next to you?
Who is the boy (that sits) next to you ?
(defining relative clause)


Written By: EnglishTipsandTools

Now, this will make you enter into an absolute nightmare world of no return..

Sometimes, I mean in some of the rare ones, it is hard to say!

it is a matter of interpretation whether an -ing form is a gerund or a present participle:

-Hunting tigers can be dangerous.

Hunting as a present participle functions as an adjective and describes tigers. The sentence means:

=Tigers that hunt can be dangerous.

If hunting is a gerund, 'tigers' is its object and the sentence means:

=To hunt tigers can be dangerous.
=It can be dangerous to hunt tigers.

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