An English Club learner friend of mine recently asked me a question about the following phrase: Being seriously injured which was used to talk about a dog. She expressed some confusion about our ing and ed forms. I thought that there must be others who are confused about these endings to our verbs and how we use them. So I am creating a blog to try to clear up this issue. It is a long and detailed blog. So read it little by little and try to understand a little bit at a time. If you make it to the end and understand it all, congratulate yourself because I usually teach my students all of this in 6 lessons.INGDo you ever get lost in the confusing maze of our 'ING' forms? This definitely is a confusing part of English. In English we have the ‘ing’ ending. We put it on the end of a verb to use the verb in different ways than we normally use it. This form has many jobs in English. I recommend that you think of this form in three ways. The three main jobs are:1. Verb tenses: Continuous/Progressive action for a period of timeWe use the ing form with our tenses (present, past, future, etc) to emphasize action that continues or progresses for a period of time. We call these forms of our tenses Continuous or Progressive (you will see both terms for the same thing). These actions don't start and then stop; they continue.A. Present continuous - I am eating my dinner now so I am busy for a while.B. Past continuous - I was eating my dinner last night when my sister called me.C. Future continuous - Soon I will be eating my dinner for a while but I can talk now.D. Present perfect continuous - I have been eating my dinner at 8 PM for many years. (This has continued for many years up to the present moment and hasn't stopped yet. Each occurrence was a continuous action).E. Past perfect continuous – I had been eating my dinner at 8 PM for many years until I decided to eat earlier at 7 PM. (A previous action continued for many years in a continuous manner each time before a certain event occurred - I suddenly changed my habits)There are other tenses that use the continuous/progressive but we don't use them very much at all. So adding the continuous form to a tense just emphasizes action that is continuing. We picture ourselves in the middle of the action as it is, was or will be occurring. It is not action that started and stopped.2. Present Participle –This form of the ing verb is used to describe things like an adjective describes things. They are used with nouns. You can say the energetic (adjective) man or the jumping (present participle) man. When we use the present participle we are talking about actions or activities the man does. So because it is action, we say it is active. The laughing girl insulted her friend. The girl actively does the action where she laughs. We could also say the girl who laughed insulted her friend. But it is shorter to say the laughing girl. Remember that this is only used to express an active meaning. Sometimes we can use the present participle after a thing to describe it. I saw the man jumping into the swimming pool. Jump is not an actual verb tense here. It is like an adjective that describes the man. Which man or what is is he like? I describe him as jumping.3. Gerunds - This form of the ing verb acts like a noun or a thing. It is not a verb tense, it is not an adjective, it is a verb that acts like a noun. I can say charity is a good thing to practice. Or I can use a gerund instead. Giving money to the poor is a good thing to practice. I like eating food from other countries. I like to experiment with speaking in different accents. The gerund can be used in the same situations that nouns can be used.EDNow it all gets more confusing when we introduce the past participle. If a verb follows the rules (regular) we simply add the letters ed to make the past participle form. It looks exactly like the past tense form, but it is used differently.Past tense: He liked sports as a child. Past participle: He was liked by many children as a child.If the verb is irregular, it doesn't use the ed. It will use many different endings that don't follow the rules. And many times the past participle is different than the past form. We have to memorize these irregular forms.Past tense: The British ran the company for 5 years. Past Participle: The company was run by the British for 5 years.The past participle (just like the present participle) is also used as an adjective to describe things. But while the present participle describes a person or thing by emphasizing the action it does, the past participle describes a person or thing by the action it receives or the way it feels. For example the dog was walked by his owner. Did the dog walk the owner? No. The dog received the action. It was walked by the owner. So we say the dog was passive by receiving the action from the owner.The past participle is also used to talk about our feelings or conditions. We have feelings because things happen to us. In the case of feelings, we use the past participle as follows: the girl was worried all day about her parents. It is how she felt because something happened to her parents and this fact affected her. We can also say, the worried girl was concerned about her parents.A thing can be in a specific condition because it receives action. The written homework was difficult. The homework was written by a student.BEING SERIOUSLY INJUREDSo now we can get to the phrase that started all of this - Being seriously Injured was used to talk about a dog.We call this a phrase because it is more than one word. We use all these three words together as one meaning. So it is a phrase. This phrase can be used as either a gerund or a present participle. Let me give you simple examples first. Let’s use being first.Being happy is a good thing – Being happy is called a gerund phrase. It starts with an ing form which is used as a noun. But happy is part of the phrase. Being happy is the action of experiencing happiness. So being happy is used like a noun or a thing. It is the state of happiness.Being very happy, the little girl sang a song. Being very happy is called a participial phrase. It starts with an ing form which is used to describe the little girl, so it is a participle, not a gerund. What kind of little girl is this. She is one who is being very happy. This is how we describe her.Now the word injured in our phrase adds more confusion. Because injured is a past participle that describes the fact that the dog passively received an injury. So the dog is injured.So what you now have is a combination of the ing form and the ed form in one large phrase. So the dog is actively experiencing (being) something. The dog is actively experiencing something that it received passively. So the confusing part is that it is a combination of active, first and passive second.Now I can use this larger phrase as either a gerund or a participle. The first example that follows (a) is a gerund. The gerund phrase is used like a noun or a thing. The second example (b) is a participial phrase that describes the dog like an adjective.(a)Being seriously injured is a very dangerous thing for a dog to experience.Being seriously injured = the active experience of receiving an injury passively(b)The dog, being seriously injured, crawled to his owner.Being seriously injured = a description of the dog which helps us understand why it crawled. Normally it would run.CONCLUSIONCheck the following: The (1) interesting speaker (2) interested me so much that I was quite (3) interested in his topic. (4) Interesting another person in a topic is not always easy.Can you identify the forms 1, 2, 3 and 4 used above?If you made it to this point and you understand all of this, I give you kudos. Kudos are recognition of a task well done. Maybe you would rather have a gift.If you are totally confused, think of this as simply an exposure to the topic. You may need to learn other things first, before you learn this topic.
Great job, Bill! Thanks so much for the excellent answers--I got it and appreciate it! Your answers confirmed what I learned about the gerund and infinitive. I understand what you taught quite well. I hope other learners could see your perfect replies--very helpful.
I agree, the customs and exceptions are the biggest obstacles learners will face in their learning the foreign language. Even when they mastered the whole rules, they will still find it hard to use it correctly or naturally. English is so tricky a language, even though it may sometimes seem easy. I was wondering how good an English is good and whether it's possible for a learner to seem or sound like a native speaker.
Moreover, how about (1)Traveling is fun and (2)To travel is fun? The same in meaning or any subtle difference there?
Now you introduce the infinitive used as a noun. Infinitives can be used like a noun, as well as participles. We can use 'to travel' as a noun in many cases. However we are delving into a world that is quite complicated and has many rules, traditional practices, customs and exceptions that can cause our brains to burst. I normally teach all these rules in about six 2-hour classes. So I can't cover all details here.
But when we use an infinitive as a noun which is the subject of a sentence (the doer of the action), it is considered either poetic, a bit archaic or quite formal. That is why the saying from Shakespeare, "To be or not to be, that is the question" is seen as archaic English, or poetic to say the least. So if you use an infinitive as a subject it can sound quite "stuffy" (formal). So we usually use the gerund as the subject of a sentence. I can say, “To teach is a noble profession,” or “Teaching is a noble profession.” The first is quite formal, the second more relaxed and very common.
Using gerunds and infinitives as the object of a verb in a sentence depends upon the verb. Some verbs accept only infinitives; others accept only gerunds and another group accepts both. As English learners you have to memorize the three kinds of verbs and what they can accept as an object. When we native speakers learn English we acquire the proper combinations naturally and automatically without learning rules.
Some verbs that accept only a gerund as a direct object are risk, consider, finish, enjoy, avoid, recommend and appreciate. Don’t risk losing you life. I would never consider doing that. Did you finish studying your lesson? I don’t enjoy studying gerunds. These cannot use an infinitive. Don’t risk to lose your life is a typical mistake made by an English learner.
Some verbs that only accept infinitives as a direct object are agree, decide, learn, need, hope and want. I never agree to lend money. I have decided never to borrow money either. I hope I can learn to use English better. I hope I can learn using English better is not correct.
Some verbs that accept either a gerund or an infinitive as a direct object are start, begin, hate, prefer and try. I started teaching English seven years ago. I started to teach English seven years ago.
When we want to use a verb form as the object of a preposition, it is always a gerund. I bought a notebook for taking notes in my English class. Thanks for teaching me about gerunds. She is overweight because of eating the wrong kinds of food.
You always come up with smart questions. A smart question means you understand the subtleties and ask further questions based on that detailed knowledge. I think you would be a fun student to have in my class.
The challenge of gerunds being used as nouns is that much of it depends upon custom. This is why immersion into an English-speaking situation is so important to learn the ins and outs of English. The rules are limited, the customs are many and the exceptions are innumerable.
I would say that in my experience, travel is fun and traveling is fun would be a "mox-nix." Mox-nix? This English expression is a corruption of the German Machs Nichs which means it doesn’t matter. I hear both used equally for the same thing.
The study of English and studying English mean the same thing but the first is more formal and the second more common.
As far as the use of the infinitive as a noun, I will add more next.
Many thanks, Bill. Great illustration! Here comes another question: if the noun and the gerund are both OK and mean the same thing in a case like traveling/travel is fun, which one is more natural? And how about 'the study/studying of English'? Moreover, how about (1)Traveling is fun and (2)To travel is fun? The same in meaning or any subtle difference there?
Thanks again!
Traveling is fun and Travel is fun are exactly the same as far as meaning. There is no sublte difference in this case. Walking is beneficial to your health is similar to a walk is beneficial to your health. However the difference is that walking does contain the idea of continual action so it hints at the habit of walking or continual walking. A walk is beneficial to your health speaks of one walk and would have a short limited benefit since it is not habitual activity. This is because of the article 'a'.
Instead, one could say habitual walks (or continual walks) are beneficial to your health. This would be the same as walking is beneficial to your health. So since a gerund hints at a continual activity in general, the noun that it might replace usually is a noun that also hints at continual action and vice versa.
Speaking of which, do you know the difference between continuous and continual? continuous means without stopping. Continual means occurring at intervals.
Thanks for your kudos. And, I find it not so easy for learners to decide whether to use a 'noun' or a 'gerund' in some cases. For example:
(1) Travel(l)ing is fun.
(2) Travel is fun.
OR
(3) Walking is beneficial to your health.
(4) A walk is beneficial to your health.
I don't think learners could easily make a choice and understand the subtle difference between the 'noun' and the 'gerund' in the above setences. Could you possibly explain it and make a right choice for us?
Comments
I am glad this helped. It is a confusing topic and I hope I was somewhat clear in explaining it.
I agree, the customs and exceptions are the biggest obstacles learners will face in their learning the foreign language. Even when they mastered the whole rules, they will still find it hard to use it correctly or naturally. English is so tricky a language, even though it may sometimes seem easy. I was wondering how good an English is good and whether it's possible for a learner to seem or sound like a native speaker.
Thanks again!!!
Now you introduce the infinitive used as a noun. Infinitives can be used like a noun, as well as participles. We can use 'to travel' as a noun in many cases. However we are delving into a world that is quite complicated and has many rules, traditional practices, customs and exceptions that can cause our brains to burst. I normally teach all these rules in about six 2-hour classes. So I can't cover all details here.
But when we use an infinitive as a noun which is the subject of a sentence (the doer of the action), it is considered either poetic, a bit archaic or quite formal. That is why the saying from Shakespeare, "To be or not to be, that is the question" is seen as archaic English, or poetic to say the least. So if you use an infinitive as a subject it can sound quite "stuffy" (formal). So we usually use the gerund as the subject of a sentence. I can say, “To teach is a noble profession,” or “Teaching is a noble profession.” The first is quite formal, the second more relaxed and very common.
Using gerunds and infinitives as the object of a verb in a sentence depends upon the verb. Some verbs accept only infinitives; others accept only gerunds and another group accepts both. As English learners you have to memorize the three kinds of verbs and what they can accept as an object. When we native speakers learn English we acquire the proper combinations naturally and automatically without learning rules.
Some verbs that accept only a gerund as a direct object are risk, consider, finish, enjoy, avoid, recommend and appreciate. Don’t risk losing you life. I would never consider doing that. Did you finish studying your lesson? I don’t enjoy studying gerunds. These cannot use an infinitive. Don’t risk to lose your life is a typical mistake made by an English learner.
Some verbs that only accept infinitives as a direct object are agree, decide, learn, need, hope and want. I never agree to lend money. I have decided never to borrow money either. I hope I can learn to use English better. I hope I can learn using English better is not correct.
Some verbs that accept either a gerund or an infinitive as a direct object are start, begin, hate, prefer and try. I started teaching English seven years ago. I started to teach English seven years ago.
When we want to use a verb form as the object of a preposition, it is always a gerund. I bought a notebook for taking notes in my English class. Thanks for teaching me about gerunds. She is overweight because of eating the wrong kinds of food.
Is your brain bursting yet?
You always come up with smart questions. A smart question means you understand the subtleties and ask further questions based on that detailed knowledge. I think you would be a fun student to have in my class.
The challenge of gerunds being used as nouns is that much of it depends upon custom. This is why immersion into an English-speaking situation is so important to learn the ins and outs of English. The rules are limited, the customs are many and the exceptions are innumerable.
I would say that in my experience, travel is fun and traveling is fun would be a "mox-nix." Mox-nix? This English expression is a corruption of the German Machs Nichs which means it doesn’t matter. I hear both used equally for the same thing.
The study of English and studying English mean the same thing but the first is more formal and the second more common.
As far as the use of the infinitive as a noun, I will add more next.
Thanks again!
Walking is beneficial to your health is similar to a walk is beneficial to your health. However the difference is that walking does contain the idea of continual action so it hints at the habit of walking or continual walking. A walk is beneficial to your health speaks of one walk and would have a short limited benefit since it is not habitual activity. This is because of the article 'a'.
Instead, one could say habitual walks (or continual walks) are beneficial to your health. This would be the same as walking is beneficial to your health. So since a gerund hints at a continual activity in general, the noun that it might replace usually is a noun that also hints at continual action and vice versa.
Speaking of which, do you know the difference between continuous and continual? continuous means without stopping. Continual means occurring at intervals.
(1) Travel(l)ing is fun.
(2) Travel is fun.
OR
(3) Walking is beneficial to your health.
(4) A walk is beneficial to your health.
I don't think learners could easily make a choice and understand the subtle difference between the 'noun' and the 'gerund' in the above setences. Could you possibly explain it and make a right choice for us?
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