INTERMEDIATE 3

GRAMMAR USING -ING FORMS

We can use the -ing form of the verb:

• as a noun:

I love swimming.

Swimming is very good for your health.

You can get fit by swimming regularly.

-ing nouns are nearly always uncount nouns

•as an adjective:

The main problem today is rising prices.

That programme was really boring.

He saw a woman lying on the floor.

Because the -ing noun or adjective is formed from a verb it can have any of the patterns which follow a verb, for example:

... an object:

I like playing tennis.

Can you imagine living on the moon?

... or an adverbial:

You can earn a lot of money by working hard.

There were several people waiting for the bus.

... or a clause:

I heard someone saying that.

The -ing noun can be used:

as the subject of a verb:

Learning English is not easy.

as the object of a verb:

We enjoy learning English.

Common verbs followed by an -ing object are:

admit like hate start avoid suggest enjoy

dislike begin finish

as the object of a preposition

Some people are not interested in learning English.

The -ing adjective can come:

in front of a noun:

I read an interesting article in the newspaper today.

We saw a really exciting match on Sunday.

The commonest –ing adjectives used in front of the noun are

amusing interesting worrying shocking

disappointing boring surprising exciting terrifying

frightening tiring annoying

after a noun:

Who is that man standing over there?

The boy talking to Angela is her younger brother.

and especially after verbs like see, watch, hear, smell etc.

I heard someone playing the piano.

I can smell something burning.