What Is a Present Participle? | Examples & Definition
A present participle is a word derived from a verb that can be used as an adjective and to form the continuous verb tenses. It is one of two types of participles, along with past participles.
The present participles of both regular and irregular verbs end in ‘-ing’ (e.g., ‘traveling‘).
Running to catch his bus, Darren tripped and fell.
I would love to go to the concert, but I’m working this weekend.
Sara has been planning a trip to Machu Picchu for the last few weeks.
How to form present participles
The present participles of most regular and irregular verbs are formed by adding ‘-ing’ to the base form of the verb (e.g., ‘imply‘ becomes ‘implying’).
It’s not my fault we’re lost. The map is confusing!
Max is running for mayor again, in spite of his many defeats.
- In UK English, the present participles of two-syllable words that end in ‘l’ are typically formed by doubling the ‘I’ and adding ‘-ing’ (e.g., ‘model’ becomes ‘modelling‘).
- In US English, the ‘l’ is doubled only when the final syllable is stressed (e.g., ‘control’ becomes ‘controlling’, but ‘model’ becomes ‘modeling’).
Using a present participle as an adjective
Present participles can be used as adjectives to modify a noun or pronoun.
The book has a boring, gray cover.
The work is exhausting, but it’s also satisfying.
Participial phrases
A participial phrase is a phrase that begins with a participle and functions as an adjective. Participial phrases are used to modify a noun or pronoun in the main clause of a sentence.
A participial phrase at the start of a sentence should always be followed by a comma. Participial phrases in the middle of a sentence are set off by commas unless they provide essential information.
Rishi, looking for his wallet, retraced his steps.
The man hosting the event is a well-known socialite.
- Walking across the road, a car almost struck Jeff.
- Walking across the road, Jeff was almost struck by a car.
In the first example, the mistake suggests that the car was walking across the road. Placing the correct noun (‘Jeff’) immediately after the participial phrase resolves this issue.
Present participles and continuous verb tenses
The continuous verb tenses (also called progressive verb tenses) are formed using a conjugated form of the auxiliary verb ‘be’ along with a present participle.
There are three main continuous tenses:
- Past continuous (used to describe an ongoing past event, often interrupted by another event)
- Present continuous (used to describe an event that is currently taking place)
- Future continuous (used to describe an event that will take place over a period of time in the future)
Roman is fixing the broken boiler.
Lori will be discussing the implications of her research in a series of lectures.
These tenses are less commonly used than other continuous tenses, but they’re still fairly common.
Present participles vs. gerunds
Both present participles and gerunds use the ‘-ing’ form of a verb, but they have different grammatical roles:
- Present participles are used as adjectives and to form the continuous verb tenses.
- Gerunds function only as nouns.
Exercising is an essential part of a healthy lifestyle.
Other interesting language articles
If you want to know more about nouns, pronouns, verbs, and other parts of speech, make sure to check out some of our other language articles with explanations and examples.
Frequently asked question about the present participle
- What is the ‘-ing’ form of a verb?
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The ‘-ing’ form of a verb is called the present participle. Present participles can be used as adjectives (e.g., ‘a thrilling story’) and to form the continuous verb tenses (e.g., the present continuous: ‘We are partying‘).
Gerunds also use the ‘-ing’ form of a verb, but they function only as nouns (e.g., ‘I don’t enjoy studying‘).
- What is the present participle of ‘be’?
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The present participle of the verb ‘be’ is ‘being’ (e.g., ‘you are being callous‘). The past participle of ‘be’ is ‘been’.
- What is the present participle of ‘lie’?
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The present participle of the verb ‘lie’ is ‘lying’. The present participles of verbs ending in ‘ie’ are usually formed by replacing ‘ie’ with ‘y’ and adding the suffix -ing’.
Sources for this article
We strongly encourage students to use sources in their work. You can cite our article (APA Style) or take a deep dive into the articles below.
This Scribbr articleRyan, E. (2023, September 25). What Is a Present Participle? | Examples & Definition. Scribbr. Retrieved 22 April 2024, from https://www.scribbr.co.uk/verb/present-participles/
Aarts, B. (2011). Oxford modern English grammar. Oxford University Press.
Butterfield, J. (Ed.). (2015). Fowler’s dictionary of modern English usage (4th ed.). Oxford University Press.
Garner, B. A. (2016). Garner’s modern English usage (4th ed.). Oxford University Press.
