presentparticipial

The present participle, sometimes referred to in discussions as the present participial form, is the -ing form of a verb used in non-finite constructions. In English, it is formed by adding -ing to the base form, with standard spelling adjustments such as dropping a final e (make -> making) or doubling a final consonant in certain cases (run -> running). The present participle is distinct from both the gerund and the past participle, though all share the same -ing form in many verbs.

The present participle has several common functions. It forms the present progressive (or present continuous) aspect with auxiliary be, as in She is reading. It can also function as a participial adjective, modifying a noun (a running stream, a barking dog). Additionally, it appears in participial phrases that provide extra information about a main clause location, time, cause, or circumstance (Walking down the street, he waved). When the -ing word acts as a noun, it is typically called a gerund rather than a present participle, as in Running is fun.

Distinctions among the present participle, the gerund, and the past participle depend on syntactic function rather than form alone. The same -ing form can be analyzed as a present participle or a gerund in different contexts, and many grammars treat the past participle as a separate non-finite form. Cross-linguistically, languages with -ing forms may implement them in related or distinct ways, sometimes labeling them as present participles or verbal adjectives. The term is primarily descriptive and can vary in terminology across sources.