What is the Difference Between a Gerund and a Present Participle

What is the difference between a gerund and a present participle?

As we teach in our English classes, both a gerund and a present participle come from a verb, and both end in –ing. However, each has a different function.  A gerund acts like a noun while a present participle acts like a verb or adjective.

Example: snowboarding

Snowboarding is fun!

Snowboarding can be a gerund or a present participle.

When snowboarding is a gerund, it acts like a noun. It can be a subject, an object, the object of a preposition, or a subject complement.

• Snowboarding is a winter sport.   [snowboarding = subject]
• I love snowboarding.    [snowboarding = object ]
  
• I am excited by snowboarding.   [snowboarding = object of a preposition]
• One popular sport is snowboarding.   [snowboarding = subject complement]
  

When snowboarding is a present participle, it is part of a continuous verb tense.

• Right now, the athlete is snowboarding.   [is snowboarding = present continuous]    
  
• He was snowboarding yesterday afternoon.   [was snowboarding = past continuous]
• Tomorrow, my friends and I are going to be snowboarding.   [are going to be snowboarding = future continuous]                                                        
  

Unlike a gerund, a present participle can act like an adjective that modifies a noun or follows the be verb.

Example: exciting

An exciting time was had by all.

The word exciting is a present participle used as an adjective to modify a noun or to follow the verb to be.

• The exciting ride made the people scream.   [adjective + noun]
• People enjoyed the exciting roller coaster.   [adjective + noun]
• The roller coaster is exciting. [be verb + adjective]

Now YOU try: Look at the sentences below. Decide whether the underlined –ing word is acting like a noun, part of a verb, or an adjective. (Answers below)

1. What an amazing movie! I want to watch it again!

2. Speaking English well takes a long time.

3. He cares about getting a good job.

4. Shh! I am trying to sleep.

5. My friends and I were sitting in a café and talking.

6. The directions were very confusing.

7. They have been studying for a long time and want to take a break.

8. She loves traveling.

Answers: 1) adjective, 2) gerund, 3) gerund, 4) verb, 5) verb & verb, 6) adjective, 7) verb, 8) gerund

How do you know if it's a participle or the gerund?

The easiest way to tell the difference between the gerund and the present participle is to look for the helping verb “be”. If you find a form of “be” followed by the -ing form, that’s the present participle. For example: They’ve have been working for four hours. If the -ing form begins the sentence, or follows a verb or preposition, that’s the gerund. For example: Playing soccer is a lot of fun!