present participle

American  

[prez-uhnt pahr-tuh-sip-uhl] / ˈprɛz ənt ˈpɑr təˌsɪp əl /

noun

1. Grammar. a participle, in English having the suffix -ing, that expresses repetition or duration of an activity or event: used as an adjective, as in the growing weeds and the setting sun, and also in forming progressive verb constructions, as in The weeds are growing and The sun was setting.

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present participle British  

noun

1. a participial form of verbs used adjectivally when the action it describes is contemporaneous with that of the main verb of a sentence and also used in the formation of certain compound tenses. In English this form ends in -ing Compare gerund

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Etymology

Origin of present participle

First recorded in 1700–10

Compare meaning

How does present-participle compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• present participle vs. gerund

Example Sentences

From that innocent present participle “encouraging” a mighty fountain sprang.

From The New Yorker • Dec. 2, 2019

Mathison and Rylance have more than honored the BFG’s unorthodox yet utterly intuitive way with the English language, particularly his affection for the present participle and his blithe disregard for subject-verb agreement.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 30, 2016

Martin Amis called attention to Mr. Leonard’s much-copied use of the present participle: “Warren Ganz, living up in Manalapan” was his way of saying “Warren Ganz lived up in Manalapan.”

From New York Times • Aug. 21, 2013

One slightly less endearing feature of Dunthorne's contemporary voice, however, is his strict avoidance of the present participle when using the verbs "to stand" or "to sit".

From The Guardian • Jul. 29, 2011

It is the verb vacilar, present participle vacilando.

From "Travels with Charley in Search of America" by John Steinbeck