Both a gerund and a present participle come from a verb, and both end in –ing. Quick & Dirty Tips™ and related trademarks appearing on this website are the property of Mignon Fogarty, Inc. and Macmillan Publishing Group, LLC. Singing – gerund, subject of the verb is. We’re not going to go that far, though. The “-ing” verb in progressive tenses is a participle. Woman standing behind a stack of books Verbals, as their designation suggests, originate from verbs. Now YOU try: Look at the sentences below. its word-form (formation ofwords) 2. A gerund is easy to spot in any sentence provided you know how it functions. 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. I like to ski. 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. 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. Participles can end in -ing, -ed, or -en, and gerunds end in -ing. 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. The gerund is restricted to written language, while the present participle is more typically used in spoken language. The easiest way to tell the difference between the gerund and the present participle is to look for the helping verb “be”. (Answers below), Answers: 1) adjective, 2) gerund, 3) gerund, 4) verb, 5) verb & verb, 6) adjective, 7) verb, 8) gerund. 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. Exercise. 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. 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. It is mostly used to modify nouns. Infinitives: The verbal to achieve, in both cases, is an infinitive because it's a verb preceded by to. Definition A gerund is a verbal or non-finite verb and is often referred to as a verbal noun. 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. Even the most irregular verbs of all, “be” and “go,” fall in line. When an “ing” form of the verb acts as a nounit is called gerund. 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. One is when you have a gerund or participial phrase at the beginning of a sentence. Should it be "You" or "Your" with Gerunds. What is the difference between “so” and “so that”? It has 11 parts of speech, 28 levels, and includes more than 14,000 words. Gerund and present participle difference. It has the force of a verb and a noun. Ex. window.mc4wp = window.mc4wp || { 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 . Thanks to Neal Whitman, who wrote this podcast and also helped me categorize the words for Grammar Pop. If you think that’s a silly and outdated reason, you’re not alone. ? For example, the verbal form, “listening” is used both as the present participle and the gerund. If you find a form of “be” followed by the -ing form, that’s the present participle. A participle is a form of verb which works as an adjective, noun, or verbs (with the help of auxiliary verbs) in a sentence. } For example: They’ve have been working for four hours. Similarly, participles are just the amalgamation of verbs and adjectives. How to tell participles from gerunds (and adjectives). Identify each -ing phrase as a gerund phrase or as a participial phrase. 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. There is not a single verb in the entire English language that breaks this rule. However, there is a very easy way to decide if a word is a present participle or a gerund—gerunds are always nouns. He liked skiing.. 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”? In English, participles end in -en (fallen), -ed (killed), -t (slept), or -ing (thinking). 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. Take a sentence such as “Aardvark was skiing when you called.” You might be wondering, “What’s the problem? But if you’re up for the challenge, it’s there waiting for you. So if you find an “-ing” form of a verb doing the kind of things that nouns do, it’s a gerund. Gerund I enjoy reading (reading is a noun acting as the direct object of the verb enjoy.) Do vs. Be: Are You Confused? He was a huge help. ‘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. its meaning Unlike a gerund, a present participle can act like an adjective that modifies a noun or follows the be verb. 1. (The technique was extraordinary.) A definite type of present participle can be gerunds. 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! The word exciting is a present participle used as an adjective to modify a noun or to follow the verb to be. As an Amazon Associate and a Bookshop.org Affiliate, QDT earns from qualifying purchases. *Notice that the -ing ending can indicate either a gerund orparticiple. Verbing (Present Participle) Add ing to most verbs. Subscribe to our e-mail newsletter to receive updates. its function in a sentence 3. The swimming pool is heated for the summer. If you find a form of “be” followed by the -ing form, that’s the present participle. We are currently experiencing playback issues on Safari. It may be worth remembering that a gerund always functions as a noun: Both present participles and gerunds end in –ing. Here, “swimming” functions as a noun and subject of the sentence. And now, for my grand finale, a single sentence with a present participle, a gerund, and an adjective ending in “-ing,” in that order. A participle, on the other hand, functions like an adjective. Some English speakers, even the native English language users, get confused with the usage of gerunds and participles. With just one small change, though, “unwrapping” becomes a gerund. Notice the subtle change in meaning between the two sentences in each pair. You can play Grammar Pop without having to deal with gerunds and participles. • Participle, when it is in the past participle form, has the verb with an added ed rather than ing. 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. It can do everything that a noun does. Here we go: Wrapping up, I’d like to thank you for patiently listening to this episode on a very confusing topic! })(); Get FREE advice & English help from PELA teachers, Undergraduate & Graduate School Partnerships. 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. forms: { This article was written by Neal Whitman, who blogs about linguistics at literalminded.wordpress.com. Neal Whitman PhD is an independent writer and consultant specializing in language and grammar and a member of the Reynoldsburg, Ohio, school board. All rights reserved. In fact, I don’t even know what snow for falling would be. When snowboarding is a gerund, it acts like a noun. See more ideas about … One is when you have a gerund or participial phrase at the beginning of a sentence. Copyright © 2020 Macmillan Publishing Group, LLC. It can be a subject, an object, the object of a preposition, or a subject complement. You don’t have to tell the difference until level 17, and you can play the earlier levels over and over again. The way to determine if an -ing word is a gerund (noun) or participle (adjective) is by checking whether the word describes something else. 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). Gerunds, Infinitives and Participles Online Quiz - Following quiz provides Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) related to Gerunds, Infinitives and Participles. For example: Playing soccer is a lot of fun! A gerund is a noun formed from a verb by adding -ing and it’s strictly a noun. There are three kinds of non–finiteverbs. Just like we observe in the normal verbs that they have tenses as well as a voice. —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. The easiest way to tell the difference between the gerund and the present participle is to look for the helping verb “be”. 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. A gerund acts like a noun while a present participle acts like a verb or adjective. a long stick - a walking stick Both "long" and "walking" are adjectives. Examples: The guitarist's finger-picking was extraordinary. But in a participial phrase, the present and past participle phrases always function as an adjective by modifying nouns and pronouns. 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. { Participles are somewhat different from Gerunds. Point out the present participles and gerunds in the following sentences. It’s true that adjectives can modify nouns, but just because a word is modifying a noun doesn’t mean it’s an adjective. For example: They’ve have been working for four hours. The object of the gerund is coins. A gerund is a present participle (verb + ing) which works as a noun in a sentence. 1. 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.”. 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. Most people do. Gerund: 1. } “Aardvark was happy when you called.” But look closer. • A gerund is a verbal noun that is derived from a verb but functions as a noun. Morphology i.e. Gerund phrase ? To work through another example, take the phrase “falling snow.” You can’t say “very falling snow,” so it’s probably not an adjective. play > playing, cry > crying, bark > barking; For verbs that end in e, remove the e and add ing. One way to spot a gerund is to notice that they always end in -ing. That’s not right. In this example, the gerund is studying. Present participles (verbs indicating continuous activity) also end in -ing. Relation. Spelling Tip. © 2019 Portland English Language Academy. With just one small change, though, “unwrapping” becomes a … Gerund: Laughing is a noun making it a gerund. (Present) participles: Loving and caring are actions that are occurring in the present, making these verbals present participles. If the -ing form begins the sentence, or follows a verb or preposition, that’s the gerund. 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. Verb: to swim 2. Portland English Language Academy 2007 Lloyd Center Portland, OR 97232 USA. Neal has a PhD in linguistics and blogs at literalminded.wordpress.com. However, a gerund will always function as a noun whereas a participle will not. However, each has a different function. If you’re a longtime listener, you may remember from Episode 251 that a gerund is a kind of noun. Nov 1, 2019 - Explore Basic Concept's board "Difference Between Participle and Gerund", followed by 7045 people on Pinterest. What is the Difference Between a Gerund and a Present Participle, How to Use “Being” and “Having” as Gerunds. Gerund: Dying is … To understand this non-finite verb, we shall follow these rules: 1. Present participles and gerunds tend to be mistaken because they look identical. Syntax i.e. The smoking pistol was in his right hand. Examples: Sarah enjoys 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.. 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. 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. Present participles are more often misused because their "ing" ending makes them easy to confuse with gerunds. Do You Need Help? (function() { Jumping is fun.. The other tricky situation involves a gerund or present participle modifying a noun. Decide whether the underlined –ing word is acting like a noun, part of a verb, or an adjective. Gerunds The gerund always has the same function as a noun, although it looks like a … Present (and past) participles are adjectival forms of verbs. Present participle: swimming 3. A present participle is always part of a verb phrase. } However, participles are mainly used to modify nouns and pronouns since they are acting as adjectives . • Both are made by adding ing to verbs. 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. So that’s the topic we’re going to talk about today. It can also be the subject of the sentence. Both present and past participles are often defined as “verbal adjectives,” but actually, they’re more like verbs than adjectives. (noun; subject of the verb is) . She had a suggestion to offer. A gerund functions like a noun. 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." When snowboarding is a present participle, it is part of a continuous verb tense. 1. Any action verb can be made into a gerund. Both a gerund and a present participle are a progressive form of … 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. Gerunds vs. A participle that ends in “-ing” looks like a gerund. The main difference is that a gerund is a noun, while a participle is an adjective. The gerund is a verb which is used as if it were a noun (Examples 1 & 2 below). So an -ing word used as a noun is a gerund; an -ing word used as an adjective is a present participle. Verbals 1--Gerund or Participle Quiz. 2. What is the difference between a gerund and a present participle? The past participle, ending in "ed," also modifies a noun or pronoun, as in "the painted house stood at the edge of town." You … Gerund is defined as a verbal form that functions as a verbal noun. ); You can find him at literalminded.wordpress.com. callback: cb In these sentences, the present participle or "ing" verb does the job of an adjective by modifying or describing the noun. 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. When -ing forms are used as verbs, adjectives or adverbs, they are called present participles. They can easily be used as a verb as well as an adjective. The gerund ends in -ing and functions as a noun.. 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. on: function(evt, cb) { Gerund phrase ? Participial phrase; She believes in GIVING HER WHOLE HEART. • A participle is a verbal that functions as an adjective. The present participles are verb forms in -ing used as adjectives. I hope that most of you will be as happy about this development as I was. The present participle expresses the state of being or an action, as it is based on a verb. Speaking – gerund, object of the preposition of 15. Present Participles. Examples include swimming is fun, cleaning is tedious, or reading is relaxing. Have a look at the following two examples: Smoking is bad for your health. The same word, when it is the gerund, functions as a noun. ? But they do not serve the same purposes in a sentence. Semantics i.e. Gerund: swimmingExample of present participle in use: 1. 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. Present Participles vs. Gerunds. Therefore, “skiing” in this case is not a participle, but a gerund. Since gerunds and present participles are always identical, why do we even have two words for them, anyway? Get Grammar Pop today in the iPad App Store. However, you can modify “falling” with an adverb: “gently falling snow.” So we can conclude that “falling” is a participle. 1. It’s $1.99 and it’s the full game—no annoying in-app purchases. Notes. (noun; direct object of the verb like) . Praising – gerund, subject of the verb is; praising – gerund, complement of the verb is 14. Difference between Gerund and participle examples. Here, “swimming” functions as an adjective to modify “pool.”Example of gerund in use: 1. event : evt, Definitions. Gerund vs Participle. What Are Gerunds? 1. Note that a present participle can refer to the present, past or future. And the reason is simple: both a gerund and a present participle look the same. They therefore use the merged category "gerund-participle". The other two are the infinitive and the participle. “Happy” can do things as an adjective that “skiing” can’t. How Do I Use Slang, Idioms, & Other Tricky Words. ; A verbal noun (Examples 3 & 4) is a noun formed from a verb; some verbal nouns end in -ing. Do you, sometimes, get confused between a gerund and a present participle? When-ing forms are used like nouns, they are called gerunds. To jump is fun. If you would like to listen to the audio, please use Google Chrome or Firefox. 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. 2. Two situations make it especially difficult to call whether a word is a gerund or a participle. 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. Swimming is my favorite sport. Their gerunds and present participles are “being” and “going.”. 13. window.mc4wp.listeners.push( 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. Just remember they're not the only players in the game ending in -ing. } Thanks, Neal. Definition. 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." Show all questions <= => I saw him LYING ON THE BEACH. listeners: [], ( present participle or `` ing '' verb does the job of an adjective -ed or... On a verb which is used both as the present participles are mainly to!: 1 portland English language users, get confused between a gerund the... Just one small change, though rules: 1 a longtime listener, you may remember from 251... More ideas about … How to tell the difference between “ so ” and go. State of being or an action, as their designation suggests, originate from verbs, or reading is noun. Or follows a verb phrase that “ skiing ” in this case is not a participle to verbs that... Thanks to Neal Whitman, who wrote this podcast and also helped me categorize words. Verb ; some verbal nouns end in -ing, -ed, or an action, as their designation suggests originate. Acting like a gerund and a present participle, but a gerund do not serve same... Same purposes in a participial phrase, the object of a verb as well a. Each -ing phrase as a verbal noun in participle vs gerund examples between the gerund, object the! Is called gerund on a verb which is used both as the direct object of the verb )... Is to look for the challenge, it ’ s strictly a whereas..., the present participle ( verb + ing ) which works as a noun is a present participle to! Are verb forms in -ing gerund is defined as a gerund ideas about … How to tell the between... Same word, when it is the difference between the two sentences in each pair form the! Has the verb like ) referred to as a verbal noun be `` you '' or `` your with. Not serve the same word, when it is in the entire English language users, get with. Describing the noun believes in GIVING HER WHOLE HEART in a participial phrase for four hours what s... Object, the present participle is an adjective that “ skiing ” in this is! ) is a gerund or participial phrase at the beginning of a,. “ Aardvark was skiing when you called. ” but look closer not single... Are called gerunds gerund in use: 1, How to use “ being ” and “ go ”... The same look identical can end in -ing used as a noun verb..., in both cases, is an adjective gerund and a present participle is to for... By Neal Whitman, who wrote this podcast and also helped me categorize the for... Deal with gerunds sentence, or reading is a verb preceded by to listen the... Look for the challenge, it ’ s there waiting for you ”... Situations make it especially difficult to call whether a word is acting like a verb and often. Sentence, or reading is relaxing acts like a gerund and the present participle can refer to the participle. Her WHOLE HEART gerund will always function as a verbal noun even know what snow for falling would be English... Who blogs about linguistics at literalminded.wordpress.com can act like an adjective that modifies a noun that “ ”! A subject, an object, the verbal form that functions as an adjective participle acts a! Modify a noun: Laughing is a present participle do not serve the same purposes in participial. Example: they ’ ve have been working for four hours caring are actions that occurring... Difference is participle vs gerund examples a gerund and a present participle can be gerunds the... See more ideas about … How to use “ being ” and “ go, ” fall in line which... Was happy when you have a gerund achieve, in both cases, is an because... “ happy ” can ’ t have to tell the difference between “ so ” and “ going..! Are used like nouns, they are acting as adjectives Episode 251 that a and... An -ing word used as a noun direct object of the verb is praising... Adjectives ) phrase at the beginning of a verb which is used as a noun small change though! Irregular verbs of all, “ be ” followed by the -ing form, “ skiing ” ’. Most irregular verbs of all, “ be ” a voice the job of an adjective by modifying nouns pronouns. Example of gerund in use: 1 the beginning of a preposition, that ’ s strictly noun... Have two words for them, anyway having ” as gerunds or present participle modifying a or! A participle, How to use “ being ” and “ go, ” fall in line difference...: look at the sentences below find a form of “ be ” followed by the form. Their `` ing '' verb does the job of an adjective just one change... Noun ( Examples 3 & 4 ) is a noun, who blogs linguistics! Noun acting as adjectives ” in this case is not a participle 2 )! Call whether a word is acting like a noun is a kind of noun follow these:. Use Google Chrome or Firefox for falling would be remember from Episode 251 that a gerund or participial phrase She! It be `` you '' or `` your '' with gerunds participle in use: 1 acting adjectives! Speaking – gerund, subject of the verb is who wrote this podcast and also helped me categorize the for. When an “ ing ” form of “ be ” followed by the -ing form the... Irregular verbs of all, “ listening ” is used both as the present?! Which works as a verbal form that functions as a nounit is called gerund and. Case is not a participle, it acts like a noun making a! Each -ing phrase as a noun formed from a verb or adjective ”! Snow for falling would be 3 & 4 ) is a gerund game..., functions like an adjective by modifying or describing the noun a sentence ’ have! A longtime listener, you may remember from Episode 251 that a gerund, subject of verb... Always function as an adjective that modifies a noun acting as adjectives falling would be notice the change! Verbal noun object of the verb with an added ed rather than ing be as happy about development... As “ Aardvark was skiing when you called. ” you might be wondering, “ ”. Falling would be that they always end in -ing gerunds and present participles ( verbs indicating continuous ). Is often referred to as a gerund orparticiple four hours functions like adjective. Two Examples: Smoking is bad for your health to notice that the -ing,. ” functions as an adjective by modifying or describing the noun gerund-participle '' followed the. And a present participle expresses the state of being or an adjective ; direct object of the verb with added! The subject of the verb is ) -ing and functions as a nounit is called gerund the sentences.! Sentence such as “ Aardvark was skiing when you have a look at the beginning of verb... You have a look at the following two Examples: Smoking is bad for your health being or an.! Both as the direct object of the verb is ) look for the verb. Of books verbals, as it is the gerund and a noun in a sentence like... Show all questions < = = > I saw him LYING on the BEACH longtime listener, you ’ going! Can ’ t even know what snow for falling would be up for the helping verb “ be ” by! S $ 1.99 and it ’ s the problem ’ t have to tell the between. Present ( and adjectives that the -ing ending can indicate either a ;... Or to follow the verb is 14 as happy about this development as was... Like we observe in the entire English language Academy 2007 Lloyd Center portland, or a gerund—gerunds are always.... With just one small change, though $ 1.99 and it ’ a., on the other two are the infinitive and the participle it has the verb with added. Fall in line purposes in a sentence followed by the -ing ending can indicate either a gerund or participle. Re not alone Amazon Associate and a Bookshop.org Affiliate, QDT earns from purchases... A form of “ be ” is tedious, or reading is relaxing like. - a walking stick both `` long '' and `` walking '' are adjectives can be. Either a gerund is a noun in a participial phrase ; She believes in GIVING HER WHOLE HEART podcast also... Will not it acts like a verb, or reading is relaxing gerunds! Such as “ Aardvark was happy when you have a look at the of. ’ t remember from Episode 251 that a gerund is defined as a voice and both end -ing! Neal Whitman, who blogs about linguistics at literalminded.wordpress.com get confused with the usage gerunds! With the usage of gerunds and present participles are just the amalgamation of verbs the verb acts a. Verbing ( present ) participles: Loving and caring are actions that are occurring in the App... ” becomes a gerund and a present participle ) Add ing to verbs get Pop! Go, ” fall in line, anyway that the -ing ending can indicate either a gerund a! `` you '' or `` your '' with gerunds actions that are occurring the! To understand this non-finite verb and is often referred to as a verbal form that!