Often there is a need to refer to an action, activity or process in a general sense. In this case, a noun is used that has the same form as the present participle of the verb.

In different grammars, these nouns have received different names: gerunds (gerunds), verbal nouns (verbal nouns) or forms in -ing (-ing forms). In this grammar, we use the term nouns with -ing (-ing nouns).

It is sometimes difficult to distinguish a -ing noun from a present participle, and usually there is no particular need to do so. However, in some cases it is obvious that such a word is a noun, for example, when it is the subject of a verb, the object of a verb, or the object of a preposition.

Singing's one of my interests - I belong to a choir.
They were at school when the emphasis was on teaching rather than learning.
He told how hard the days of walking had been, how his muscles had ached.
The coming of the transistor could not have been foreseen.
Some people have never actually done anything computing.

countable nouns

Since the nouns -ing denote activities in a general sense, they are usually uncountable nouns (uncount nouns); in other words, they have only one form, are not used with numerals, and are usually not used with determiners that precede them.

Nouns in -ing often used because they are the only noun forms derived from verbs such as hear, go, come, bless. Other verbs have derivative nouns that are not nouns in -ing: for example, see and sight, arrive and arrival, depart and departure.

Eating, unlike fighting, is a puisuit in which both sexes freely indulge.
… loss of hearing in one ear.
Only 6 per cent of children receive any further training when they leave school.

Usage with adjectives

If you want to describe an action denoted by a noun on -ing, you can use one or more adjectives before it.

The fight against reckless driving is directed extremely skilfully.
Better training is one of the big challenges of the 1940s.
Not called for a national campaign against under-age drinking.

Several nouns for -ing, denoting sports or recreation, are used much more often than their corresponding verbs. In some cases there is no corresponding verb, although such a verb can always be formed if necessary. For example, a proposal We went caravanning around France much more likely than a suggestion We caravanned around France.

angling, caravanning , paragliding, surfing, blackberrying, electioneering, shoplifting, weightlifting, boating, hang-gliding, sightseeing, window-shopping, bowling, heliskiing, skateboarding, windsurfing, canoeing, mountaineering, snorkelling, yachting

Although these words are not always associated with a verb, most of them can be used as the present participle.

Didn't feel fully-clothed into the lake while boating with a girl-friend.
I spent the afternoon window shopping with grandma.

countable nouns

Some nouns associated with verbs -ing are countable nouns. They usually denote the result of an action or process, or a single example of such an action. Sometimes their meaning is not very close to the meaning of the verb.

The following is a list of the most common nouns of this type:

beginning, feeling, meeting, setting, being, finding, offering, showing, building, hearing, painting, sitting, drawing, meaning, saying, suffering,

These are actually all the endings that occur in it. Unlike the Russian language, which is rich in various endings. Due to the fact that there are only three endings in English, their use is found everywhere: in verbs, and in nouns, and in adjectives, and in gerunds, and in participles. Let's take a closer look at each of the endings and identify the most common cases of their use.

Ending s in English

So the ending -s in English (also -es) is used in the following cases:

1. The plural of nouns is formed by adding the ending -s to the noun:

cat - cats;
table - tables;
disk - disks;
window - windows.

2. If a noun ends in -ss, -x, -z, -ch, -sh, or -o, then -es is added:

fox - foxes;
bush - bushes;
potatoes - potatoes
dress - dresses.

3. However, nouns borrowed from other languages ​​and ending in -o add the ending -s:

photo - photos;
piano-pianos.

4. The ending - s in English (also - es) is used when using verbs in the third person singular in present simple(for he, she, it):

I play - he plays;
We go - she goes;
They see - it sees;

5. This ending is also used to form the possessive case of nouns, which is written with an apostrophe:

my mother's coat - my mother's coat;
brother's cup - brother's cup;
Susan's sister - Suzanne's sister.

6. In case the noun is plural or ends in -s, after that we put only an apostrophe:

his parents' anniversary - the anniversary of his parents;
students' books - students' books;
Lucas' wife - Lucas' wife.

Ending ed in English

When is the ending ed used in English?

1. If the verb is used in past simple and it is correct, you need to add the ending - ed to it:

She wached the concert yesterday. She watched the concert yesterday.
He looked for it two days ago. - He was looking for him two days ago.
I borrowed this dress from a friend. I borrowed this dress from a friend.

2. This ending is also used when we are talking about the third form regular verb(past participle) in Perfect tenses:

She has learned English since she was 5.
The snow had stopped when we arrived.
I will have dressed the baby by 10 a.m.

3. A verb ending in -ed is sometimes translated as an adjective (what? what? what?)

folded T-shirt - folded T-shirt;
blessed marriage - blessed marriage;
opened door - open door.

Always look to see if a noun follows such a word in order to know which part of speech is more correct to translate a verb with an ending; ed.

Ending ing in English

When is the ending ing used in English?

1. If we are talking about the fourth form of the verb (or present participle) - the times of the Continuous group:

She is typing now.
He was walking along the street when he saw an accident.
I will be reading tomorrow at 5 p.m.

2. We can also translate a word ending in -ing as an adjective if it is followed by a noun related to it:

sleeping baby - sleeping baby;
crying lady - crying woman;
boring book - a boring book.

3. You can also translate the word with the ending - ing noun(see the Gerund topic) - it all depends on the context and word order:

Stealing is a crime. - Theft is a crime.
Walking is good for your health. - Walking is good for health.
I like dancing. - I love dance.

English grammar has its own characteristics.In order to speak fluently foreign language, you need to know the rules for constructing sentences and the basics of word formation. When the basics become clear, expressing your thoughts in English will not cause difficulties. One of the important components of grammar is ending ing in English. rules we will discuss its use below.

When is the ending -ing used?

There are three such cases:

1. Gerund.
2. Verbal noun.
3. Present participle.

In order to understand in which cases ing (the ending in English) is placed, the rules of use must be thoroughly memorized. This will help to understand the essence of the above concepts.

What is a gerund?

The gerund is difficult to understand, as it does not have a similar grammatical form In russian language. A gerund is a verb in an impersonal form, which is used to name an action. The peculiarity of the gerund is that it combines an action and an object or process. When forming it, the ending ing in English is used. The rules for constructing sentences are quite simple. For example: I love playing different games. - I like to play different games.

When is the gerund used?

Gerund is used in the following cases:

1. After certain verbs like enjoy, finish, suggest and others.
2. At education set phrases with some prepositions. for example, the idea of to be good at, the advantage of etc .
3. After the adjectives worth and busy.
4. After the prepositions on (upon), after, before and others.

When is a verbal noun used?

When forming a verbal noun, the ending ing in English is used. The rules for its translation are quite simple, since a noun is also used to designate it in Russian.

Verbal nouns are used in speech with an article or with a possessive pronoun. A verbal noun can be either singular or plural. For example: Her loud talking gets on my nerves.

When is the present participle used?

1. Before a noun, a participle is used, in which there is ending ing. In English the rules The construction of the proposal can be clearly seen in the example: The rising sun is very beautiful.
2. In sentences with participial turnover:The girl standing by the door is my sister.
3. In sentences that consist of a verb, object and participle: She saw him getting on the bus.
4. When forming the times Present, Perfect, Future and Past Continuous. To form this group of tenses, a verb with the ending - ing. For example: She was watching TV when somebody knocked at the door. In this sentence, the Past Continuous is used. He is driving to office at the moment ( present time Continuous).He was very tired, he had been working hard all week ( past time Perfect Continuous). Don "t call me tomorrow between 1 and 2, I'll be having dinner ( Future time continuous).

Turnover to be going to, what does it mean and when is it used

In addition to the above cases of using the ending -ing in English, there is a stable turnover to be going to, in which the verb with the ending -ing is also used. With help this phraseological unit any action that will be taken in the near future is expressed. The infinitive is attached to this turnover and means the action that the person is going to perform. into Russian given expression translates as "to do or do something." For example, I "m going to visit my friend. - I will go to visit my friend.

Ing - ending in English. Writing rules

There are few rules for writing, only 4.

1. When a verb ends in a consonant preceded by a stressed vowel, the consonant is doubled: run - running.
2. If there is no stressed vowel before the last consonant, then there is no doubling either: open-opening.
3. When a word ends in -e, the ending is omitted: take - taking.
4. If the word ends in -ie, this combination of letters is replaced by y : lie - lying .

Many students often confuse -ed and -ing endings in English. For example, you want to say that you miss ( bored ), but it turns out that you are boring ( boring ) or vice versa. Between these two values big difference, embarrassment can happen, and this is due to misapplication endings. But the rule is actually very simple. You will find in this article the rules for using adjective endings, and examples of their use, and exercises with answers, and.

Rules of use -ed and -ing endings in english

Many adjectives have endings -ing or -ed. The best way to understand the difference is by looking at specific examples:

Oleg has been reading the same story for a very long time. He does it for his little son John, because John likes the story very much. Oleg is already bored with it.

(Oleg reads the same story for a long time for his little son John, because John really likes this story. Oleg is already bored with this story.)

The ending -ed used to express the feelings and emotions of a person or any living being.

The ending -ing used in an adjective that describes an object evocative or emotions.

Oleg is reading the very boring story. Oleg is bored because the story is boring. (Oleg is reading a very boring story. Oleg is bored because the story is boring)

Can a person be boring? Of course, then he causes boredom in others:

Oleg is boring, I am bored with him.(Oleg is boring, I'm bored with him)

Comparisons and examples

IMPORTANT: you cannot use –ed endings with things, because things do not have feelings and emotions.

Exercises for endings in English -ed and -ing

1. It's very irritated irritating when people don't listen when you're tlaking to them.
2. I think the whale is the most fascinated fascinating creature in the ocean.
3. I heard some really interesting interesting news yesterday.
4. The new project sounds excited exciting. I'm looking forward to working on it.
5. It was a really terrified terrifying experience. Everybody was very shocked.
6. The hot chocolate was comforted comforting.
7. The storm was threatened.
8. I was really amazing when I was offered the job.
9. I was very annoyed annoying when my sister forgot our dinner date.
10. My children were very hungry. The apples were satisfying satisfied.

Click on this phrase to view answers.

English grammar is full of interesting surprises. Well, where else can a word be found that is able to fulfill several morphological roles, without even changing a single letter? But in English there are such unique words that can be different parts speeches, a whole group gathered. And the reason for this is the Ing form of the verb in English. After all, with the end - ing verb can turn into, a noun and even an adjective. For us, such transformations are just a gift - you need to learn only one word, and several of its contexts will become clear at once. Let's just learn to distinguish between them.

Traditionally, verbs take the ending -ing in tenses Continuous groups, Perfect Continuous. Actually, it is in this part of the word that the main meaning of these groups is hidden: to show the process of action, its duration, and not the fact of commission. Therefore, when translating such words into Russian, verbs are used imperfect form. Such predicates are used in sentences of all times and are adjacent to constructions tobe, havebeen.

Group	The present	Past	Future
continuous	We are playing chess now. We play now in chess.	We were playing chess in that moment. We were playing at that moment in chess.	We will be playing chess this time tomorrow. We are tomorrow at this time let's play play chess.
Perfect Continuous	It has been raining for a week already. Rain goes already a week.	It had been raining for a week already. Rainwalked alreadyweek.	Tomorrow it will have been raining for a week. Tomorrow will be a week goes rain.

Also, the ing form of the verb is found in English in sentences using the combination Future in Past, if the phrase has a continued form.

And last case the use of such an ending in the verb is found in a stable turnover to be going to (to plan, intend to do something). By the way, the first part of such a combination ( tobegoing) is translated by imperfective verbs, and the second is already perfect:

• I am going to read this book – I going to read this book.
• Are you going to tell him the truth? -You gonna tell him the truth?

Before forming a continuous tense, it is necessary to memorize several simple rules composing such verbs. Their spelling contains the following grammatical features:

• Verbs with unreadable endings e they lose this letter, but leave it with the readable: Choos e – choosing, s ee – seeing.
• In words ending in ie, this ending changes to y:l ie– l y ing. If the end of the verb y, then it remains: fl y– fl y
• After percussive endings consonants are doubled, and unstressed endings do not double: bese t – bese tt ing, drin k - drin k ing. If the word originally had two consonants, then they are preserved: befa ll – befa ll ing.

It remains to be added that when reading and pronouncing this ending, we pronounce the nasal, i.e. turns out that the sound g actually not heard.

Other parts of speech with ing ending

The ending ing in English can also refer to a noun, adjective, participle, and participle.

Noun

The verbal noun is closely related to continuous tense, since it expresses the result of an action that has taken place, for example: tobecooking- Cook, cooking- cooking. Often a noun is confused with a special grammatical category- gerund, which has exactly the same ending. To distinguish between these parts of speech, you need to remember that:

• The gerund is used with possessive, but cannot have an article, a definition, a plural, or any numerals.
• The noun has the clauses listed above, but cannot govern the direct object, so the preposition of is used.

Excellent and meaning these structures. The gerund expresses processes, while the noun expresses the subject of studies.

Adjective

Adjectives with ing are also formed from the verb and mean signs / qualities of people or objects that can impress: to amaze, surprise, interest, i.e. evoke a certain response.

• It is amazing film!- This is amazing movie!
• Your matter is very interesting. – Yourcaseveryinteresting .

Do not confuse them with the adjectives –ed, as they describe the opposite case, i.e. reaction of perception, and do not refer to the object, but to the person on whom a certain action is rendered.

It is an interesting book. This is an interesting book.

I am interested in this book. I am interested in this book.

Communion and participle

Often such words are used in the form of participles, and even official name ing verbs: participleI or present participle, which is the third form of the verb. The participle can refer to the predicate, which we studied in the first section, and also act as a definition of a noun or create participial / adverbial phrases.

In addition, the English vocabulary has words that themselves contain an ending - ing: during, doping, casting, etc. Actually, all of them save the value of the duration of the action, the performance of the process.

This concludes the study of one of the most common endings. You will have to meet with him quite often, therefore, if you have not mastered the material well enough, then it is better to work it out again. Good luck in English!