Direct Object:
* Putting something somewhere: "I'm putting the book on the shelf." (putting + noun + prepositional phrase)
* Putting something into a state: "I'm putting the baby to sleep." (putting + noun + to + verb)
Gerund:
* Putting as an action: "Putting things away is boring." (putting + noun + is + adjective)
* Putting as a continuous action: "He's been putting in a lot of effort." (putting + prepositional phrase + is + verb)
Present Participle:
* Putting as part of a verb phrase: "He is putting on his shoes." (is + putting + prepositional phrase)
Other:
* Putting together: "She's putting together a proposal." (putting + preposition + noun)
* Putting up with: "I can't put up with his bad behavior." (putting + preposition + noun)
Therefore, the specific verb that goes with "putting" depends on the specific situation and the action you want to convey.