Smoking is harmful.
She is smoking now.
Choosing correct verb forms can be challenging, especially because depending on the context, the same form can have more than one function. For example, the two sentences above contain the identical formsmoking, but grammatically this form functions differently since it appears in different parts of the sentences. It is important to be aware of various functions ofverb+ingandverb+edto know what grammatical rule to apply in a particular sentence. This handout outlines various functions ofverb+ingandverb+edand points out to the resources that describe a particular function in detail.
Verb+ing
Two main grammatical categories related toverb+ingaregerundandpresent participle．两者之间的主要区别是,gerund always functions as a noun, while a present participle functions as a verb or an adjective.
Example |
Notes |
|
Gerund |
||
As a noun |
Readingis important. He avoidsdrinkingcoffee. |
If the-ingform is a gerund, it should answer the question “what?”. What is important? –Reading What does he avoid? –Drinking coffee |
Present Participle |
||
To indicate the progressive aspect (in 6 tenses) |
I amgoing I wasgoing I will begoing I have beengoing I had beengoing I will have beengoing |
Present Progressive Past Progressive Future Progressive Present Perfect Progressive Past Perfect Progressive Future Perfect Progressive |
As an adjective |
We saw aninterestingshow. or The show wasinteresting． |
If the-ingform functions as an adjective, it should describe some characteristics of a noun. |
As a part of a reduced relative clause |
Studentslivingabroad receive valuable experience. |
Full form: Studentswho liveabroad receive valuable experience. |
As a part of a reduced adverb clause |
(While)walkingto class, he met his old friend. |
Full form: While he was walkingto class, he met his old friend. |
Verb+ed
Before examining the functions ofverb+ed, it is important to revise the principal forms of a verb. The table below is also helpful because it shows the distinction betweenregularandirregularverbs.
Base (Infinitive) |
Past 2ndform |
Past Participle 3rdform |
|
Regular verbs (verbs that take -edin the past and past participle forms) |
work |
worked |
worked |
copy |
copied |
copied |
|
Irregular verbs (verbs that take a variety of forms and suffixes) |
take |
took |
taken |
go |
went |
gone |
As you can see, onlyregularverbs take the-edending in the past and past participle forms. Since the purpose of this handout is to outline the functions ofverb+ed, the table below focuses on the regular verbs only. It is important to note, however, thatirregular动词有相同的函数作为普通动词．
Example |
Notes |
|
Past |
||
As the past simple tense |
Icooked． |
The 2ndform of the verb. |
Past Participle |
||
To indicate the perfect aspect (in 3 tenses) |
I havegraded I hadgraded I will havegraded |
Present Perfect Past Perfect Future Perfect |
As an adjective |
He is proud of thefinishedproduct. or The product isfinished． |
If the-edform functions as an adjective, it should describe some characteristics of a noun. |
As a part of a reduced relative cause |
The studentsselectedfor the contest were happy. |
Full form: The studentswho were selectedfor the contest were happy. |
As a part of passive voice |
This process iscalledconduction. |
Passive formation: be (in any form) + Past Participle |
Practice
Identify the functions of the underlined verb-ing and verb-ed forms below.
People's beliefs about their own life-expectancy have not been extensivelystudiedmainly due to the lack of data. Very few people actually have consistent beliefs about their own chances of survival at any time, and even if they do,measuringthem in a meaningful andconvincingway is difficult.
The life-cycle hypothesis makes a simple prediction about the relationship between a person'sperceivedrisk of death and their consumption: thosethinkingthey are less likely to die will have less consumption growth over time. Simply put, peopleexpectingto live a long time will conserve resources early in life in order to have enough later. This means earlier consumption will be lower for thosethinkingthat their chances of survival were worse. In this way, a higherexpectedchance of survival should have the same effect as a higher interest rate or a lower degree of impatience.
The Health and Retirement Study (HRS) haselicitedsubjective life-expectation data from its respondents since the study wasinceptedin 1992 (12 waves of the HRS have beencompleted1992-2002, every two years). Thefollowingquestion wasasked: What is the percent chance that you will live to be 75 or more?
The HRS, however, did not elicit consumption data from respondents. Instead, itprovidedmeasurements of assets, income, and capital gains. These can beusedto deduct a consumption level for the time periods between survey interviews. This process leads to a large amount of measurement error, though, as the assets, income, and capital gains are allmeasuredwith non-trivial measurement error to begin with.
Practice exercise adapted from Michigan Corpus of Upper-level Student Papers. (2009). Ann Arbor, MI: The Regents of the University of Michigan.
Extra resources
To learn more about some of the verb forms outlined in this handout, please see the following Writing Center handouts:
Active and Passive Voice
Choosing Between Infinitive and Gerund: “To do” or “doing”?
Using Reduced Relative Clauses to Write Concisely
Verb Tenses