(this sentence is spoken while walking)x I am walk as fast as I can!

The -ing form of a word can be used like a noun, a verb or an adjective. The words occuring most frequently are shown first. ReorderingHorizontal_MTY0Mzg=-ing forms as adjectives.

With equal respect, I agree that often a sentence can be rewritten to avoid grammatical errors or unclear prose. I have a little more leeway right now with my novel, which I am editing myself with two widely used grammatical programs.

In your example, “reading all these books” is not an “adjective phrase.” It is a gerund phrase (using a verb “reading” as a noun). Hundreds of sentences begin with ing words, and, as you say, they are often grammatically incorrect. Sometimes it is a noun “badly chosen” that complicates the sentence and not a gerund or a word – “ing” If you found this rule in a professionally accepted reference book, I’d love to know the title and author. For instance, is it more active to say “I run” or to say “I am running”?

5:50 pm, With all due respect, I think: February 26, 2018 @

He begins sometimes several in a row sentences with present particles. Now, I’ve never heard of an actual rule, but there should be a rule about not annoying the reader!



I tried to show her differently, but my words fell on deaf ears.

I see sentences starting with -ing words all the time. “Have got” is very substandard English grammar. Resist with all the democracy in your soul! Yeshi Tenzin I am reading the Longmire series by Craig Johnson. After I have done that, I’m going to hire a professional for editing and advice regarding a rewrite. Sharon Miller

Linda Harris

Gerunds are often used at the beginning of a sentence, like “Fishing is my favorite sport” or “Seeing is believing.” Rewording sentences like that to avoid starting with an -ing word would result in pretty awkward flow. March 22, 2020 @

Learn about the most commonly used irregular verbs. editing, News, Tips, Writing I think it’s all about moderation. 6:24 pm. Gerunds are often used at the beginning of a sentence, like “Fishing is my favorite sport” or “Seeing is believing.” Rewording sentences like that to avoid starting with an -ing word would result in pretty awkward flow. I googled this topic because I’ve become so pissed off at a Kindle Unlimited author whose suspense series has a formula I kinda like but whose writing is so horrific I’m getting migraines. Hope you get a lot out of my book. Learn how your comment data is processed.

I don’t often write to an author and tell him/her about errors I’ve found in a book–unless I know the author personally. February 19, 2018 @

But I recently heard that there’s a new “rule” floating around in the industry that says that starting a sentence with an -ing word is the sign of an amateur. Has this guide cleared up how and when to use the -ing form of words? This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. (she will bake cookies for a length of time in the future)x She will be bake cookies tonight. Vincent, Kathy Ide Usually I just stop reading if I find too many mistakes, because it takes me out of the story (or the message in the case of nonfiction). I still cringe turning in hyphenated words I haven’t hyphenated in years. Example: Mona sent out a proposal for her book on living with horses last week. 9:53 am. Hyphenation messes up a lot of people, and I have thought about doing some kind of a Hyphenation Dictionary to go with my Capitalization Dictionary! There are only so many ways to say “John rode his bicycle to the store,” without boredom setting in. For example: Changing the oil every three thousand miles, the Mustang seemed to run better. Analyzing sentences to catch any dangling or misplaced modifiers, and fixing them when they appear, does require work—and attention to detail. March 21, 2020 @ I’ve never heard it given as an all-encompassing rule. If you had “Reading all these books, I gained extra knowledge,” that would be using a gerund in an introductory phrase.

9:06 am. ), “Preparing her proposal package, she decided to include a head shot.” (Preparing is a present participle here.

January 28, 2020 @ ✓ He's a very exciting player to watch. Present participles. The noun form of -ing. DON’T MISS OUR LATEST POST Kathy Ide We believe in the power of language education to build connections, forge opportunities and enrich lives. January 29, 2020 @ I’ve written to the author suggesting that he needs an editor and proofreader to correct his vast number of spelling and structural errors! Once again a perfectly useful turn of phrase gets misused so often that it starts to bother people. 5:12 pm. Then I can make my own decision about whether I wish to follow it.

11:02 am. 1- Hugging the postman, Delilah ripped open the “envelope” containing her…………

Example: Hugging the postman, Delilah ripped open the box containing her new novel. Editorial and grammatical programs use those frequently as well as the Oxford comma which I thought had fallen out of favor in most areas of literature (I’m an attorney by profession and neither are used in legal writing). Kristen Stieffel I once belonged to a critique group where one participant kept marking -ing words for deletion, even gerunds. Writing is an art, not a science. ✓ She will be baking cookies tonight. When I hear any new writing advice, I check the industry-standard reference manuals. Living in an English-speaking country helps you improve your English fast.

You’re so right, Laura, about mixing up sentence structure–including starting sentences with introductory phrases that begin with a gerund. You might already know one or two of these, but after today’s lesson you’ll have a more complete understanding of when we use verbs in the -ING form, like reading, watching, and so on.


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