What does adding ing to a word do?

Adding "-ing" to a word in English can have a few different effects, depending on the original word:

1. Forming the Present Participle:

* This is the most common use of "-ing". It creates the verb form that describes an action in progress.

* Example: "walk" becomes "walking", "eat" becomes "eating", "sleep" becomes "sleeping".

2. Forming Gerunds:

* A gerund is a verb form that functions as a noun. It can be the subject, object, or complement of a sentence.

* Example: "Swimming" is a great exercise. (subject) I enjoy "reading" novels. (object) My favorite hobby is "painting". (complement)

3. Creating Adjectives:

* Some words ending in "-ing" are adjectives that describe something related to the action.

* Example: "The "interesting" book kept me entertained." "I found the "boring" lecture to be tedious."

4. Forming Nouns:

* Some words ending in "-ing" are nouns.

* Example: "The building is undergoing a major "remodeling". "There was a lot of "fighting" at the football game."

Important Notes:

* Regular Verbs: For most regular verbs, simply add "-ing" to form the present participle and gerund.

* Irregular Verbs: Some verbs have irregular forms for the present participle, and these don't follow the "-ing" rule. For example, the present participle of "go" is "going", not "goinging".

* Word Stress: Adding "-ing" can change the stress pattern of the word.

Let me know if you'd like more examples or clarification on any of these points!