ING FORM USES

#1 – Use The -ING Form Of Verbs In Continuous Tenses

Continuous tenses are when an action is in progress, for example:

PRESENT CONTINUOUS:

§  I’m studying English.

§  She’s watching TV.

§  We’re having lunch at the moment.

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PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS:

§  I’ve been thinking a lot about this decision.

§  He’s been working here since 1995.

§  They’ve been waiting for you for an hour.

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PAST CONTINUOUS:

§  When I came home last night, you were already sleeping.

§  I found $10 on the street while I was jogging in the park.

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FUTURE CONTINUOUS:

§  Sorry, I can’t meet with you tomorrow afternoon. I’ll be taking my friend to the airport.

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#2 – Use The -ING Form When The Verb Is The Subject Of The Sentence

§  Skiing is my favorite winter sport.

§  Eating vegetables is good for your health.

§  Living in an English-speaking country helps you improve your English fast.

#3 – Use The -ING Form After Prepositions

§  I improved my English by practicing every day.

§  We left the party after saying goodbye to everyone.

§  I can’t believe he passed the test without studying at all!

§  They’ve made a lot of money since launching their new product.

§  I want to talk to you about investing in the stock market.

Exception: Never use the -ING form after “to”:

§  I need to practice my English more.

§  My mother told me to study for the test.

§  We’d like to invest in this technology.

§  The girl didn’t want to leave the party.

#4 – Use The -ING Form After These Verbs In English

Here are some common verbs in English that are followed by -ing.

§  admit
The politician admitted stealing millions of dollars.

§  avoid
You should avoid eating after 10 PM.

§  consider 
Have you considered buying a laptop computer?

§  enjoy
I enjoy surfing and playing tennis.

§  finish
I finally finished cleaning the house at midnight.

§  can’t stand
I can’t stand going to parties where I don’t know anyone.

§  don’t mind
I don’t mind working overtime.

§  look forward to
I look forward to seeing you next week.

§  keep (continue)
My ex-boyfriend keeps calling me even though I’ve told him I don’t want to talk to him!

§  practice
I need to practice writing in English.

§  spend (time)
My roommate spends hours watching TV.

§  stop
He stopped smoking ten years ago.

§  suggest/ recommend
I suggest taking some time off.
The doctor recommended getting more rest.

Start, like, and love can be used with the infinitive or -ing. Both are correct!

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§  The baby started to cry.
= The baby started crying.

§  I like to run.
= I like running.

§  We love reading.
= We love to read.