Present Participle

Verbs have different forms, called tenses. The tense of a verb tells us when the action happens.

Form of present participle

We form the present participle by adding ing to the verb.

Examples:

learn + ing = learning
sing + ing = singing
read + ing = reading

When can we use the present participle?

We can use the present participle with the auxiliary verb to be to form the continuous tense.

Examples:

I am singing at the concert. (present continuous tense)
I was singing at the concert. (past continuous tense)
I will be singing at the concert. (future continuous tense)

We can use the present partciple to form the perfect continuous tense.

Examples:

I have been working. (present perfect continuous)
I had been working. (past perfect continuous)
I will have been working. (future perfect continuous)

Present participles can also form adjectives.

Examples:

I can hear the bouncing ball.
These are his jogging shoes.

Spelling Rules for the present participle

If the verb has one syllable, one vowel and ends with a consonant, double the last letter before adding ing.

Examples:

If the verb ends with e, we usually drop the e before adding the ing.

Examples:

If a verb ends with a single l, it is doubled in British English but not in American English.

Examples:

Videos

This video shows some examples of present particles used as adjectives.

The following video compares the past tense, past participle and present participle.

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