The Present Participle is a Verb used as an Adjective. It is formed by adding the suffix -ing to the infinitive form of the Verb.
A common use of the Present Participle is to form the Progressive and Continuous Tense:
- I am speaking.
- He was reading.
They are also used to combine two clauses with the same subject:
- He sat in the corner and read.
- He sat reading in the corner.
And of course, Present Participles function as adjectives:
- Check out that singing woman.
- The screaming man needs to calm down.
A note about spelling:
When Verbs end in -e, the -e is dropped before adding -ing. (Drive = Driving)
For verbs ending in -ee, both are retained. (Agree = Agreeing)
Verbs ending in -ie are changed to -y before adding -ing. (Lie = Lying)
