The 'ING' verb form: How and When to Use in English
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The 'ING' verb form
The -ing verb ending has different functions:
• It mainly allows us to express progressive verb forms with the auxiliary verb be, (present, past, future progressive):
• It mainly allows us to express progressive verb forms with the auxiliary verb be, (present, past, future progressive):
Kevin is eating right now.
What are you doing?
I was going to call him when he appeared at my apartment.
At this time tomorrow, we will be drinking a cocktail by the beach.
• The gerund, which is the verbal noun:
Surfing relaxes me.
Bear hunting is forbidden.
Do you mind my wearing casual clothes?
It was great seeing you again Bruno.
• The verbal adjective:
the weeping willow
the living dead
the rising tide
Sleeping Beauty
Some verbs followed by the gerund:
Horatio enjoys smoking in the laboratory.
(To enjoy is never followed by the infinitive.)
(To enjoy is never followed by the infinitive.)
We try to avoid staying in dangerous places.
to give up smoking to stop smoking
to keep (on) doing something to continue doing something
Exercise 1
Last week, Polly Watson an email to the staff to let them know that employees are no longer to run in the hallways. This decision was made to prevent people from themselves.
Last week, Polly Watson [not done] sent 1 an email to the staff to let them know that employees are no longer [not done] allowed 2 to run in the hallways. This decision was made to prevent people from [not done] hurting 3 themselves.
1 sent: The verb 'to send' is irregular. All the actions in this exercise take place in the past (last week). We must put the verb in the past tense. To send: send/sent/sent
2 allowed: 'Allowed' is the best choice here. In this sentence, the verb 'allowed' is actually used as an adjective. The past participle of the verb is used here following the conjugated verb 'are'. Other forms of the verb besides 'allowed' don't work in this construction.
3 hurting: We must use the '-ing' form of the verb in this case. 'Hurting' is used as a gerund in this construction: It is a verb form which acts as noun. The expression 'to prevent (sbdy) from (verb in ING)' is a common one, which always employs a verb in the ING form.
Exercise 2
Choose the appropriate forms of the verb 'to go' to complete the sentence!
Kevin to the gym every day to help build his muscles, but Polly says it isn't to work because the gym is so expensive, and Kevin is so cheap.
Kevin to the gym every day to help build his muscles, but Polly says it isn't to work because the gym is so expensive, and Kevin is so cheap.
Choose the appropriate forms of the verb 'to go' to complete the sentence!
Kevin goes 1 to the gym every day to help build his muscles, but Polly says it isn't going 2 to work because the gym is so expensive, and Kevin is so cheap.
Kevin goes 1 to the gym every day to help build his muscles, but Polly says it isn't going 2 to work because the gym is so expensive, and Kevin is so cheap.
1 goes: The third person singular form of the verb 'to go' is 'goes'.
1 go: 'Go' is incorrect because the subject is in the third person singular.
2 going: 'Is going to' is a construction used to express the future tense. This is the best choice here.
2 goes: 'Goes' is incorrect here because 'it isn't' needs to be followed by a verb ending in 'ing'.
Exercise 3
Choose the appropriate forms of the verb 'to go' to complete the dialogue!
Horatio: I need and see the dentist tomorrow, so I can't come in to work.
Bruno: Oh, that's too bad. I hate to the dentist. Are you having a tooth pulled?
Horatio: No. I'm just to collect the money he owes me.
Horatio: I need and see the dentist tomorrow, so I can't come in to work.
Bruno: Oh, that's too bad. I hate to the dentist. Are you having a tooth pulled?
Horatio: No. I'm just to collect the money he owes me.
Choose the appropriate forms of the verb 'to go' to complete the dialogue!
Horatio: I need to go 1 and see the dentist tomorrow, so I can't come in to work.
Bruno: Oh, that's too bad. I hate going 2 to the dentist. Are you having a tooth pulled?
Horatio: No. I'm just going 3 to collect the money he owes me.
Horatio: I need to go 1 and see the dentist tomorrow, so I can't come in to work.
Bruno: Oh, that's too bad. I hate going 2 to the dentist. Are you having a tooth pulled?
Horatio: No. I'm just going 3 to collect the money he owes me.
1 to go: The verb 'to need' is always followed by a verb in its full infinitive form (with 'to').
1 go: 'Go' is incorrect here, because we need the infinitive form of the verb after 'need'.
2 going: Generally, verbs of preference (to hate, to love, to prefer, etc) are followed by verbs in the gerundive (ING) form. 'Hate' is a unique verb as it can be followed both by the gerundive (ING) form as well as the full infinitive form (to go), each of these expresses a slightly different meaning however.
2 go: We cannot use this form of 'go' directly after the verb 'to hate' in this context. We could say, however: 'I hate to go to the dentist'.
3 going: This is the correct choice. We can use 'going' to express a future action. This is the best choice here.
3 to go: We cannot use 'to go' to indicate the future action of this sentence.
Exercise 4
Polly: Let's make this quick Icarus, I giving you 30 seconds to speak, because I meet Bruno in a few minutes.
Icarus: That's quite generous Polly but I will only need 23 seconds.
Icarus: That's quite generous Polly but I will only need 23 seconds.
Polly: Let's make this quick Icarus, I am 1 giving you 30 seconds to speak, because I am to 2 meet Bruno in a few minutes.
Icarus: That's quite generous Polly but I will only need 23 seconds.
Icarus: That's quite generous Polly but I will only need 23 seconds.
1 am: This is the best choice here. Polly uses the present progressive tense form of the verb to tell Icarus that he has 30 seconds to speak in the immediate future.
1 am to: Because the verb 'to give' is in the 'ing' form, we cannot use the 'be + infinitive' construction here.
2 am to: This is the best choice here. Polly says she 'is to meet' Bruno which expresses that she is obliged to meet with Bruno in the near future.
2 am: We cannot use 'am' here by itself because it is followed by the infinitive form of the verb 'to meet'. However, we could say 'I am meeting Bruno in a few minutes'.
Exercise 5
Bruno: I always enjoy with you, Miss Bliss.
Susie: As do I, sir. I could go on to you all day.
Bruno: So, I've decided you a raise.
Susie: That's wonderful! I promise you proud of your decision.
Bruno: I don't want this conversation short, but I have to use the rest room.
Susie: But of course. I'll talk to you later.
Susie: As do I, sir. I could go on to you all day.
Bruno: So, I've decided you a raise.
Susie: That's wonderful! I promise you proud of your decision.
Bruno: I don't want this conversation short, but I have to use the rest room.
Susie: But of course. I'll talk to you later.
Bruno: I always enjoy chatting 1 with you, Miss Bliss.
Susie: As do I, sir. I could go on talking 2 to you all day.
Bruno: So, I've decided to give 3 you a raise.
Susie: That's wonderful! I promise to make 4 you proud of your decision.
Bruno: I don't want to cut 5 this conversation short, but I have to use the rest room.
Susie: But of course. I'll talk to you later.
Susie: As do I, sir. I could go on talking 2 to you all day.
Bruno: So, I've decided to give 3 you a raise.
Susie: That's wonderful! I promise to make 4 you proud of your decision.
Bruno: I don't want to cut 5 this conversation short, but I have to use the rest room.
Susie: But of course. I'll talk to you later.
1 chatting: This is the best choice here. The verb 'enjoy' is always followed by an 'ING' form of the verb (chatting). Bruno is referring to the progressive action of talking with Susie which also signals the necessity of an 'ING' verb.
1 to chat: This is incorrect. We cannot use the infinitive form of a verb when followed by the verb to 'enjoy'
1 chat: This is incorrect. We cannot use the infinitive form of a verb when followed by the verb to 'enjoy'
2 talking: This is the best choice here. The verb 'go on' is always followed by the 'ING' form of the verb (talking). In general, verbs which indicate a continuing action (to keep, to keep on, to go on, to continue) are always followed by the 'ING' form of a verb.
2 to talk: This is incorrect. We cannot use the infinitive form of a verb when followed by the verb to 'go on'
2 talk: This is incorrect. We cannot use the infinitive form of a verb when followed by the verb to 'go on'
3 to give: This is the best choice here. The verb 'to decide' is followed by the full infinitive form of the verb (to give). Certain verbs in English are always followed by the infinitive form of another verb. There is no definitive rule, just a list of verbs which follow this pattern.
3 giving: This is incorrect. We cannot use the 'ING' form of the verb following the verb 'to decide'.
3 give: This is incorrect. We must use the full infinitive form a verb (to give) following the phrase 'I have decided'.
4 to make: This is the best choice here. The verb 'to promise' is followed by the full infinitive form of the verb 'to make'. 'To promise' is one of the exceptional verbs in English which is never followed by the 'ING' form of another verb.
4 making: This is incorrect. We cannot use the 'ING' form of the verb following the verb 'to promise'. 'To promise' is one of the exceptional verbs in English which is never followed by the 'ING' form of another verb.
4 make: This is incorrect. We must use the full infinitive form a verb (to make) following 'I promise'.
5 to cut: This is the best choice here. The verb 'to want' is always followed by the full infinitive form of the verb.
5 cutting: This is incorrect. We cannot use the 'ING' form of the verb directly following any form of the verb 'to want'. It is simply one of the complexities of the English language.
5 cut: This is incorrect. We must use the full infinitive form of the verb (to cut) following the phrase 'I don't want'.
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