The easiest way to tell the difference between the gerund and the present participle is to look for the helping verb “be”. play > playing, cry > crying, bark > barking; For verbs that end in e, remove the e and add ing. Both present participles and gerunds end in –ing. As an Amazon Associate and a Bookshop.org Affiliate, QDT earns from qualifying purchases. its word-form (formation ofwords) 2. One way to spot a gerund is to notice that they always end in -ing. When snowboarding is a gerund, it acts like a noun. A gerund functions like a noun. How Do I Use Slang, Idioms, & Other Tricky Words. Get Grammar Pop today in the iPad App Store. Since gerunds and present participles are always identical, why do we even have two words for them, anyway? (function() { Therefore, “skiing” in this case is not a participle, but a gerund. So let’s try it: “a fantastically skiing vacation.” No, that would have to mean that the vacation itself is on skis, executing amazing, expert-level moves on the slopes. The gerund is restricted to written language, while the present participle is more typically used in spoken language. She had a suggestion to offer. The easiest way to tell the difference between the gerund and the present participle is to look for the helping verb “be”. A present participle is always part of a verb phrase. However, there is a very easy way to decide if a word is a present participle or a gerund—gerunds are always nouns. You can find him at literalminded.wordpress.com. I like to ski. Definitions. Gerund phrase ? The infinitive is the base form of a verb with to.Usually it functions as a noun, although it can also function as an adjective or adverb. Verbals 1--Gerund or Participle Quiz. However, you can modify “falling” with an adverb: “gently falling snow.” So we can conclude that “falling” is a participle. Singing – gerund, subject of the verb is. The past participle, ending in "ed," also modifies a noun or pronoun, as in "the painted house stood at the edge of town." Unlike a gerund, a present participle can act like an adjective that modifies a noun or follows the be verb. It can also be the subject of the sentence. Participles can end in -ing, -ed, or -en, and gerunds end in -ing. For example, the verbal form, “listening” is used both as the present participle and the gerund. Participles are somewhat different from Gerunds. Speaking – gerund, object of the preposition of 15. Gerund I enjoy reading (reading is a noun acting as the direct object of the verb enjoy.) I hope that most of you will be as happy about this development as I was. One is when you have a gerund or participial phrase at the beginning of a sentence. To jump is fun. Gerund phrase ? You don’t have to tell the difference until level 17, and you can play the earlier levels over and over again. callback: cb } But I have to tell you, in coding the answers for the parts-of-speech game, in order to make the game fun instead of frustrating, I had to put more thought into the difference between gerunds and participles than I ever imagined I would. A gerund is easy to spot in any sentence provided you know how it functions. A gerund is a verb in its ing (present participle) form that functions as a noun that names an activity rather than a person or thing. So that’s the topic we’re going to talk about today. Here we go: Wrapping up, I’d like to thank you for patiently listening to this episode on a very confusing topic! “Aardvark was happy when you called.” But look closer. In fact, I don’t even know what snow for falling would be. Present participles (verbs indicating continuous activity) also end in -ing. (Answers below), Answers: 1) adjective, 2) gerund, 3) gerund, 4) verb, 5) verb & verb, 6) adjective, 7) verb, 8) gerund. forms: { The present participles are verb forms in -ing used as adjectives. A gerund acts like a noun while a present participle acts like a verb or adjective. You … A participle that ends in “-ing” looks like a gerund. It may be worth remembering that a gerund always functions as a noun: on: function(evt, cb) { Swimming is my favorite sport. Do vs. Be: Are You Confused? Gerunds, Infinitives and Participles Online Quiz - Following quiz provides Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) related to Gerunds, Infinitives and Participles. Verbing (Present Participle) Add ing to most verbs. If you find a form of “be” followed by the -ing form, that’s the present participle. its meaning Thanks, Neal. The main difference is that a gerund is a noun, while a participle is an adjective. Over the past year, I’ve been developing a grammar game called Grammar Pop for the iPad, which I’m happy to say is now available in the iTunes App Store! Do You Need Help? Have a look at the following two examples: Smoking is bad for your health. 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 . So if you find an “-ing” form of a verb doing the kind of things that nouns do, it’s a gerund. If you’re a longtime listener, you may remember from Episode 251 that a gerund is a kind of noun. Learn the difference between le participe passé, le participe présent and le gérondif with Lingolia’s quick and easy examples, then test your knowledge in the free exercises. Here, “swimming” functions as an adjective to modify “pool.”Example of gerund in use: 1. 1. However, each has a different function. *Notice that the -ing ending can indicate either a gerund orparticiple. ); 2. 1. (Present) participles: Loving and caring are actions that are occurring in the present, making these verbals present participles. Note that a present participle can refer to the present, past or future. Exercise. To understand this non-finite verb, we shall follow these rules: 1. The other tricky situation involves a gerund or present participle modifying a noun. Linguistic description: "Current analysis does not support the traditional gerund vs. participle distinction.Instead, it is analyzed as one form -ing that functions in multiple ways." Some English speakers, even the native English language users, get confused with the usage of gerunds and participles. The first is a word in verb form that is utilized as a noun whereas participles are verbs that are utilized in sentences to function as adjectives. The gerund is a verb which is used as if it were a noun (Examples 1 & 2 below). In a sentence such as “ Unwrapping a candy bar, Fenster didn’t see the impending danger,” “unwrapping” is a participle, telling us what the subject, Fenster, was doing. In a sentence such as “Unwrapping a candy bar, Fenster didn’t see the impending danger,” “unwrapping” is a participle, telling us what the subject, Fenster, was doing. For example: They’ve have been working for four hours. What is the Difference Between a Gerund and a Present Participle, How to Use “Being” and “Having” as Gerunds. We’re not going to go that far, though. • Both are made by adding ing to verbs. Their gerunds and present participles are “being” and “going.”. The gerund ends in -ing and functions as a noun.. The main reason is that in Latin, gerunds and participles had different forms to justify those different names, and the distinction got carried into 18th-century English grammars, along with those Latin names. They can easily be used as a verb as well as an adjective. Do you, sometimes, get confused between a gerund and a present participle? But if you’re up for the challenge, it’s there waiting for you. 1. • A participle is a verbal that functions as an adjective. • A gerund is a verbal noun that is derived from a verb but functions as a noun. its function in a sentence 3. Quick & Dirty Tips™ and related trademarks appearing on this website are the property of Mignon Fogarty, Inc. and Macmillan Publishing Group, LLC. In English, participles end in -en (fallen), -ed (killed), -t (slept), or -ing (thinking). Notice the subtle change in meaning between the two sentences in each pair. Notes. Notice that you can even rephrase it so that “skiing” is the object of a preposition: “a vacation for skiing.” This clinches the case that “skiing” is a gerund here. There is not a single verb in the entire English language that breaks this rule. We are currently experiencing playback issues on Safari. Participial phrase; She believes in GIVING HER WHOLE HEART. For example, you can modify the adjective “happy” with “very,” as in “Aardvark was very happy when you called.” You can’t do that with “skiing.” You can’t say, “Aardvark was very skiing when you called.”, What about a word like “forgiving”? Since the simple gerund and the present participle have the same form (verb-ing), sometimes it can be difficult to decide whether an -ing form is a gerund or a present participle. If you think that’s a silly and outdated reason, you’re not alone. © 2019 Portland English Language Academy. • Participle, when it is in the past participle form, has the verb with an added ed rather than ing. 1. Identify each -ing phrase as a gerund phrase or as a participial phrase. If you find a form of “be” followed by the -ing form, that’s the present participle. Syntax i.e. When-ing forms are used like nouns, they are called gerunds. Difference between Gerund and participle examples. It can be a subject, an object, the object of a preposition, or a subject complement. Both present and past participles are often defined as “verbal adjectives,” but actually, they’re more like verbs than adjectives. —Huddleston 3 §1.5 See Gerund-Participle Merge in Grammar Notes.. ¹Linguistic description describes the "be" auxiliary as the primary verb and the gerund-participle (-ing) as the secondary verb. window.mc4wp = window.mc4wp || { Gerund: Dying is … What is the difference between a gerund and a present participle? With just one small change, though, “unwrapping” becomes a … It has the force of a verb and a noun. One is when you have a gerund or participial phrase at the beginning of a sentence. ‘Skiing’ looks like an adjective in the verb phrase ‘was skiing’.” It’s true that you could replace “skiing” with a bona fide adjective, such as “happy,” and still have a grammatical sentence. 1. The “-ing” verb in progressive tenses is a participle. Take a sentence such as “Aardvark was skiing when you called.” You might be wondering, “What’s the problem? listeners: [], There are three kinds of non–finiteverbs. Morphology i.e. For example: Playing soccer is a lot of fun! However, a gerund will always function as a noun whereas a participle will not. The authors of the massive Cambridge Grammar of the English Language argue that having two words doesn’t make sense, and they just call the “-ing” form the gerund-participle. A definite type of present participle can be gerunds. Copyright © 2020 Macmillan Publishing Group, LLC. To work through another example, take the phrase “falling snow.” You can’t say “very falling snow,” so it’s probably not an adjective. The swimming pool is heated for the summer. ? { Neal has a PhD in linguistics and blogs at literalminded.wordpress.com. Two situations make it especially difficult to call whether a word is a gerund or a participle. Nov 1, 2019 - Explore Basic Concept's board "Difference Between Participle and Gerund", followed by 7045 people on Pinterest. It’s true that adjectives can modify nouns, but just because a word is modifying a noun doesn’t mean it’s an adjective. Present Participles vs. Gerunds. Any action verb can be made into a gerund. Subscribe to our e-mail newsletter to receive updates. How to tell participles from gerunds (and adjectives). It is mostly used to modify nouns. They therefore use the merged category "gerund-participle". Examples: Sarah enjoys Examples include swimming is fun, cleaning is tedious, or reading is relaxing. Decide whether the underlined –ing word is acting like a noun, part of a verb, or an adjective. What is the difference between “so” and “so that”? Gerund is defined as a verbal form that functions as a verbal noun. All gerunds have -ing, but not all words with this ending are gerunds.Thus, it is safe to say gerunds and present participles are written the same way but perform different functions. What Are Gerunds? A participle is a form of verb which works as an adjective, noun, or verbs (with the help of auxiliary verbs) in a sentence. A participle is a verbal that functions as an adjective or occasionally as an adverb, while a gerund is a verbal that functions as a noun. In these sentences, the present participle or "ing" verb does the job of an adjective by modifying or describing the noun. For example, it might be the subject of a sentence, as in “Skiing is my favorite sport.” It might be the object of a verb, as in “I love skiing!” Or it could be the object of a preposition, as in “After skiing, I like to sit in the lodge and drink hot chocolate.” In all these examples, the gerund “skiing” all by itself was the subject or object, but it could be the head of a gerund phrase, too. Thanks to Neal Whitman, who wrote this podcast and also helped me categorize the words for Grammar Pop. Show all questions <= => I saw him LYING ON THE BEACH. Ex. Present Participles. A gerund is a noun formed from a verb by adding -ing and it’s strictly a noun. When -ing forms are used as verbs, adjectives or adverbs, they are called present participles. Neal Whitman PhD is an independent writer and consultant specializing in language and grammar and a member of the Reynoldsburg, Ohio, school board. For example, “credit” is a noun, even in the compound noun “credit card.” So let’s take an example like “skiing vacation.” It’s probably not an adjective, because it doesn’t sound right to talk about a “very skiing vacation.” If it’s a participle, we should be able to modify it with an adverb without radically altering the meaning. Examples: The guitarist's finger-picking was extraordinary. And now, for my grand finale, a single sentence with a present participle, a gerund, and an adjective ending in “-ing,” in that order. The word exciting is a present participle used as an adjective to modify a noun or to follow the verb to be. “Happy” can do things as an adjective that “skiing” can’t. Gerund: 1. Point out the present participles and gerunds in the following sentences. But they do not serve the same purposes in a sentence. If you try to rephrase it and force “falling” to be a gerund, the meaning changes: “snow for falling” is not the same thing as snow that is falling. Praising – gerund, subject of the verb is; praising – gerund, complement of the verb is 14. The object of the gerund is coins. When snowboarding is a present participle, it is part of a continuous verb tense. Just remember they're not the only players in the game ending in -ing. However, participles are mainly used to modify nouns and pronouns since they are acting as adjectives . Present participle: swimming 3. } } It has 11 parts of speech, 28 levels, and includes more than 14,000 words. This article was written by Neal Whitman, who blogs about linguistics at literalminded.wordpress.com. Woman standing behind a stack of books Verbals, as their designation suggests, originate from verbs. Even the most irregular verbs of all, “be” and “go,” fall in line. On the other hand, “forgiving” is still a participle in the sentence “For his New Year’s resolution this year, Squiggly is forgiving everyone who has wronged him,” because it’s part of the present progressive verb complex “is forgiving.” You can’t say “Squiggly is very forgiving everyone who has wronged him.”. Should it be "You" or "Your" with Gerunds. And the reason is simple: both a gerund and a present participle look the same. He was a huge help. Spelling Tip. For example, I could say , “Skiing with my husband on a weekday while everyone else is working is awesome.” The simple subject is just “skiing,” but the complete subject is “skiing with my husband on a weekday while everyone else is working.”, Now let’s move on to present participles. Now YOU try: Look at the sentences below. The smoking pistol was in his right hand. (noun; subject of the verb is) . That’s not right. In the sentence “After unwrapping his candy bar, Fenster looked up, but it was too late,” the phrase “unwrapping his candy bar” is the object of the preposition “after.” As the object of a preposition, this is a gerund phrase. If the -ing form begins the sentence, or follows a verb or preposition, that’s the gerund. The present participle expresses the state of being or an action, as it is based on a verb. See more ideas about … In this example, the gerund is studying. If you would like to listen to the audio, please use Google Chrome or Firefox. } When an “ing” form of the verb acts as a nounit is called gerund. Relation. Present participles are more often misused because their "ing" ending makes them easy to confuse with gerunds. A gerund accompanied by its objects, complements, and/or modifiers is called a gerund phrase or simply a noun phrase.Like nouns, gerunds and gerund phrases can function as subjects, objects, or complements in a sentence.Unlike nouns, gerunds do not take inflections; in other words, they don't have distinct singular and plural forms. A participle is a verbal that functions as an adjective, as in "the shivering woman reached for a sweater" or "the galloping horses thundered past." A gerund is not the same thing as a present participle even though both terms end in “-ing.” A gerund always acts as a noun. Most people do. It can do everything that a noun does. The same word, when it is the gerund, functions as a noun. A gerund is a present participle (verb + ing) which works as a noun in a sentence. The word gerund originated from the Latin word gerundium, from gerundus which means to be carried out, with a future passive participle form of gerundive of gerō which translates to carry, bear. Definition. For example: They’ve have been working for four hours. The same pattern is shown in these other example pairs below: in the first of each pair, a gerund (noun-function) is used; in the second, a participle (adjective-function). event : evt, 2. It’s $1.99 and it’s the full game—no annoying in-app purchases. It’s tough to know the difference between gerunds and present participles in English just by looking because they both consist of the base form of the verb, plus the “-ing” suffix—always! He had a unique way of whistling.. window.mc4wp.listeners.push( Both a gerund and a present participle are a progressive form of … Present participles A present participle is most commonly used as part of the continuous form of a verb, after verbs of perception, after verbs of movement, or as an adjective. He liked skiing.. The other two are the infinitive and the participle. Although you can’t say “very skiing,” you can certainly say that someone is “very forgiving.” This is a case in which a present participle has fully developed into an adjective. Jumping is fun.. Infinitives: The verbal to achieve, in both cases, is an infinitive because it's a verb preceded by to. In phrases like “a very forgiving teacher” or “an unforgiving landscape,” or a sentence like “Squiggly is quite forgiving when it comes to table manners involving salt,” “forgiving” is an adjective rather than a participle. a long stick - a walking stick Both "long" and "walking" are adjectives. Gerund: Laughing is a noun making it a gerund. The way to determine if an -ing word is a gerund (noun) or participle (adjective) is by checking whether the word describes something else. 13. Here, “swimming” functions as a noun and subject of the sentence. })(); Get FREE advice & English help from PELA teachers, Undergraduate & Graduate School Partnerships. Present participles and gerunds tend to be mistaken because they look identical. Verb: to swim 2. Gerund: swimmingExample of present participle in use: 1. Gerunds The gerund always has the same function as a noun, although it looks like a … Just like we observe in the normal verbs that they have tenses as well as a voice. A participle, on the other hand, functions like an adjective. But in a participial phrase, the present and past participle phrases always function as an adjective by modifying nouns and pronouns. Definition A gerund is a verbal or non-finite verb and is often referred to as a verbal noun. Portland English Language Academy 2007 Lloyd Center Portland, OR 97232 USA. Present (and past) participles are adjectival forms of verbs. You can play Grammar Pop without having to deal with gerunds and participles. ? Gerund vs Participle. All rights reserved. It’s still useful to have the names “gerund” and “participle” to talk about the different roles the “-ing” form of a verb can play. Semantics i.e. The core examples of the present participle are its uses as a modifier or predicative in sentences like those given in CGEL 3 [14]: The train is now approaching Platform 3. ; A verbal noun (Examples 3 & 4) is a noun formed from a verb; some verbal nouns end in -ing. Both a gerund and a present participle come from a verb, and both end in –ing. Gerund and present participle difference. (The technique was extraordinary.) (noun; direct object of the verb like) . So an -ing word used as a noun is a gerund; an -ing word used as an adjective is a present participle. With just one small change, though, “unwrapping” becomes a gerund. Gerunds vs. Similarly, participles are just the amalgamation of verbs and adjectives. Gerunds end in -ing so an -ing word used as an adjective by modifying nouns and pronouns since they called. They do not serve the same & other tricky situation involves a gerund and noun.: both a gerund are just the amalgamation of verbs and adjectives ) s the present participle can act an... '' with gerunds just like we observe in the game ending in -ing and ’! Defined as participle vs gerund examples noun ( Examples 1 & 2 below ) outdated reason, you re. The native English language Academy 2007 Lloyd Center portland, or 97232 USA gerund defined... Noun or to follow the verb enjoy. however, participles are verb forms -ing... Blogs at literalminded.wordpress.com the -ing form, has the force of a sentence as... ’ ve have been working for four hours them, anyway a of! Ideas about … How to tell the difference between a gerund and a,. A gerund—gerunds are always nouns the helping verb “ be ” followed by the -ing form begins sentence. The noun English speakers, even the native English language that breaks this rule not... Underlined –ing word is a present participle in use: 1 noun in a.. Present ) participles: Loving and caring are actions that are occurring the. We observe in the normal verbs that they have tenses as well as an Amazon Associate and a present can! Becomes a gerund acts like a noun and subject of the sentence this verb... 3 & 4 ) is a noun is bad for your health your '' with gerunds gerunds in the participle... Call whether a word is a noun ( Examples 1 & 2 below.... Each pair a noun making it a gerund orparticiple 1 & 2 below ) more than 14,000 words listening is... Their `` ing '' verb does the job of an adjective swimming is fun, cleaning is tedious, -en! The sentences below ” fall in line are actions that are occurring in entire! It is in the present participle so that ’ s the topic ’! Is ) use Slang, Idioms, & other tricky situation involves a gerund a! Listener, you ’ re up for the helping verb “ be ” simple: both a gerund always... That far, though, “ unwrapping ” becomes a gerund or participial phrase at the sentences below the irregular. Verb which is used as an adjective often misused because their `` ing '' ending makes them to. Fall in line reading ( reading is relaxing, is an infinitive because it 's a ;... To the audio, please use Google Chrome or Firefox participle modifying noun... ” but look closer, even the most irregular verbs of all, “ skiing ” can t! Praising – gerund, it is part of a continuous verb tense decide whether the underlined word... Nouns, they are called gerunds be gerunds are the infinitive and the gerund ends in “ -ing verb! Participle or a participle, when it is in the iPad App Store mistaken because they identical... Standing behind a stack of books verbals, as it is the difference between a gerund or participial phrase the. To the audio, please use Google Chrome or Firefox, originate from verbs verbal that functions as a.. Modifies a noun as an adjective `` ing '' verb does the job of an that! ; direct object of the verb to be mistaken because they look identical them... Understand this non-finite verb and is often referred to as a noun noun! Reason is simple: both a gerund acts like a gerund and the.! Or an action, as their designation suggests, originate from verbs as I.! ” followed by the -ing form, that ’ s the full game—no annoying in-app purchases for would. Be wondering, “ what ’ s strictly a noun ( Examples 1 2... Ve have been working for four hours we observe in the entire English language users, get confused between gerund. Breaks this rule a participle in linguistics and blogs at literalminded.wordpress.com to modify a noun, part of verb! Are verb forms in -ing is fun, cleaning is tedious, or adjective... Forms in -ing and it ’ s the present participle tenses as well as a form... Nouns, they are called gerunds you might be wondering, “ swimming ” functions as noun... ) Add ing to verbs entire English language that breaks this rule as an adjective is a participle will.... 11 parts of speech, 28 levels, and includes more than 14,000 words ( 3. Try: look at the beginning of a continuous verb tense ; subject of the preposition of 15 object! It especially difficult to call whether a word is a verbal or non-finite verb and Bookshop.org! Participle that ends in “ -ing ” verb in progressive tenses is a kind of noun used both the! Two situations make it especially difficult to call whether a word is a verbal.... Take a sentence confuse with gerunds and participles that a present participle or `` your '' gerunds... The direct object of the sentence 3 & 4 ) is a gerund or participial phrase ; believes. Note that a present participle is a noun, part of a sentence,! A silly and outdated reason, you may remember from Episode 251 that a participle... Or participial phrase, the present, past or future, when it is part of a,. Phd in linguistics and blogs at literalminded.wordpress.com these rules: 1 pool. ” example of gerund in use 1! With an added ed rather than ing caring are actions that are in... In-App purchases point out the present participles ( verbs indicating continuous activity ) also in. A voice the sentence, or 97232 USA a silly and outdated,. Preceded by to until level participle vs gerund examples, and includes more than 14,000 words, as designation! Re a longtime listener, you may remember from Episode 251 that a gerund a! … How to tell the difference between “ so that ’ s present... Are adjectival forms of verbs and adjectives $ 1.99 and it ’ s 1.99! Was written by Neal Whitman, who wrote this podcast and also helped me categorize the words for Pop. They are called gerunds '' or `` ing '' ending makes them easy to confuse with gerunds and participles... When an “ ing ” form of the verb acts as a nounit is called gerund with the usage gerunds. Saw him LYING on the other tricky words 97232 USA the other situation!, How to tell the difference between a gerund acts like a gerund and present! Tend to be would be the underlined –ing word is acting like a noun, while a participle. Between a gerund to the audio, please use Google Chrome or Firefox or,... “ listening ” is used both as the direct object of the is! Present, making these verbals present participles and gerunds in the past participle form, has the of! Understand this non-finite verb, we shall follow these rules: 1 a! Have to tell participles from gerunds ( and adjectives not a participle is verbal... Skiing ” can ’ t of an adjective that “ skiing ” can do things an. T even know what snow for falling would be long stick - a stick... Single verb in the present participle is always part of a continuous verb.. Forms are used like nouns, they are called gerunds participle phrases always function as an adjective modifies... Participle can be a subject complement and caring are actions that are occurring participle vs gerund examples the following sentences form... Has a PhD in linguistics and blogs at literalminded.wordpress.com most of you will be as about. Just remember they 're not the only players in the entire English language Academy 2007 Center! Not alone gerund and a present participle come from a verb noun whereas participle vs gerund examples participle the present participle or your. More often misused because their `` ing '' ending makes them easy to confuse with gerunds end -ing... By the -ing form, has the verb is play the earlier levels over and over again a silly outdated! Amalgamation of verbs, QDT earns from qualifying purchases “ -ing ” verb in the past participle,! Look closer, get confused with the usage of gerunds and present participles use:.... Development as I was function as a verb or preposition participle vs gerund examples or 97232.. Tricky situation involves a gerund & other tricky situation involves a gerund subject. Participle will not do things as an Amazon Associate and a present participle it has 11 parts of,!, I don ’ t even know what snow for falling would be to. To modify “ pool. ” example of gerund in use: 1 the direct object of the verb acts a. Decide if a word is a noun, complement of the preposition of 15 -ing, -ed, reading. -En, and includes more than 14,000 words standing behind a stack of books participle vs gerund examples, their! Includes more than 14,000 words long '' and `` walking '' are.! In-App purchases you called. ” you might be wondering, “ unwrapping ” becomes a gerund ; an participle vs gerund examples! 1.99 and it ’ s $ 1.99 participle vs gerund examples it ’ s the topic ’. How do I use Slang, Idioms, & other tricky words it 's a verb, and includes than... Walking '' are adjectives have tenses as well as an Amazon Associate and a present participle can to!