Grammar
Gerunds and participles: how to tell them apart
Reading, reading, and read can all come from the same verb, but each one can have a different place in a sentence.
Identify gerunds and present or past participles by the pattern they make in a sentence.
Read and practice
Read the examples and try the written questions in this guide. Listening recordings are not available for this lesson yet.
Try the written questions
gerund and participle /ˈdʒerənd ən pɑːˈtɪsɪpəl/
The short answer
A gerund is an -ing form used like a noun. A present participle is an -ing form used in a verb phrase or to modify a noun. A past participle usually has an -ed form or an irregular form such as written.
Swimming after work helps me relax.
Why it works: Swimming names the activity, so it is a gerund.
3 more examples
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Cooking for friends is one of her favorite weekend activities.
The whole phrase is the subject of is. It names an activity, so cooking is a gerund.
Not this:She
is cookingfor friends this weekend. What changes: Here cooking follows is and forms a present continuous verb phrase. It is a present participle. -
The woman carrying the blue folder is our new manager.
Carrying adds information about the woman. It is a present participle phrase modifying the noun.
Not this:
Carrying the blue folderwas difficult in the rain. What changes: Here the phrase names the activity that was difficult, so carrying is a gerund. -
The technician has repaired the printer.
Repaired follows has and is the past participle in a present perfect verb phrase.
Not this:
The repaired printeris back in the office. What changes: Repaired describes the printer. It is still a past participle, but it modifies a noun here.
Read the full guide
The label comes from the pattern, not from the ending. The word swimming is a gerund in Swimming helps me relax, but it is part of a present continuous verb in She is swimming.
Start with the pattern
The same -ing spelling can have more than one role. Do not label it until you have read the whole pattern. Look for a main verb, a noun, or a preposition nearby.
An ending cannot give the answer by itself. The same -ing form can occur after be, after a preposition, or next to a noun. Each position points to a different pattern.
The children are painting a poster.
Are painting is the verb phrase. Painting is a present participle after are.
Find gerunds that name an activity
A gerund is an -ing form that works like a noun. It can be the subject of a sentence, the object of a verb, or the object of a preposition.
Learning new words takes time.
They enjoy learning new words.
After learning the route, she felt more confident.
In After learning the route, which word shows that learning is a gerund?
After is a preposition. English normally uses an -ing form after a preposition, so learning is a gerund.
Find present participles
A present participle is an -ing form in a verb phrase or a phrase that modifies a noun. It does not name the activity as a thing.
The train is leaving in five minutes.
The train leaving from platform four is ours.
In is leaving, leaving is part of the action. In the train leaving from platform four, leaving tells you which train.
Find past participles
A past participle often ends in -ed, but irregular verbs have forms such as made, gone, and written. It can follow have in a perfect verb phrase or be in a passive verb phrase.
Do not assume every -ed word is a participle. In We walked home, walked is the main past verb. In We have walked home, walked is a past participle after have.
We have written the report.
The report was written yesterday.
The written report is on the desk.
Is written a past participle in all three examples?
Yes. Its role changes: it follows have, follows was in a passive phrase, and modifies report.
Check the meaning in context
Read the complete sentence before choosing a label. The word working can name an activity, complete a verb phrase, or add information about a noun.
Working late is not possible tonight.
Working names the activity, so it is a gerund. In The people working late will lock the building, working adds information about people, so it is a present participle.
In The people working late will lock the building, what does working modify?
Working modifies people. It identifies the people who will lock the building.
Before you go
Remember this
Ask what the form does in its sentence. An -ing form that names an activity is a gerund. An -ing form in a continuous verb phrase or beside a noun is a present participle. A past participle often follows have or be, or describes a noun.
Practice with the written examples
You can practice with the written questions in the Learn tab. Each answer includes an explanation.
Try the written questionsListening test not available yet
This lesson does not have the recordings needed for a listening test. Use the written questions in the guide to check your understanding.
Try the written questionsQuestions about "Gerunds and participles: how to tell them apart"
What is the difference between a gerund and a present participle?
Both use an -ing form. A gerund names an activity and works like a noun. A present participle is part of a verb phrase or modifies a noun.
Cooking for friends is one of her favorite weekend activities.
Is an -ing word always a gerund?
No. In She is running, running is part of the verb phrase. In the running water, running modifies water. In Running is good exercise, running is a gerund.
She is cooking for friends this weekend.
How can I recognize a gerund after a preposition?
Look for an -ing form after words such as after, before, without, or by. For example, in Before leaving, she checked the door, leaving is a gerund.
The woman carrying the blue folder is our new manager.
What is a past participle?
A past participle is a verb form such as worked, made, gone, or written. It can follow have or be, and it can also describe a noun.
Carrying the blue folder was difficult in the rain.
Can a past participle describe a noun?
Yes. In a broken window or a written message, broken and written are past participles that modify the nouns.
The technician has repaired the printer.
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