Present participle

The present participle of most verbs has the form base+ing. It is used in many different ways.

Who, being loved, is poor?
"being loved": participial phrase

1. The present participle as part of the continuous form of a verb

Examples

I am working.
He was singing.
They have been walking.
We will be staying.
She would have been expecting me.

2. The present participle after verbs of movement & position

This construction is particularly useful with the verb to go.

Examples

She went shopping.
I go running every morning.
He lay looking up at the clouds.
She came running towards me.

3. The present participle after verbs of perception

The pattern for this usage is verb + object + present participle. There is a difference in meaning when such a sentence contains a zero infinitive rather than a participle. The infinitive refers to a complete action while the present participle refers to an ongoing action.

Examples

In space no one can hear you scream (Alien)

I heard someone singing.
He saw his friend walking along the road.
I can smell something burning!
I watched the birds flying away.

4. The present participle as an adjective

Examples

It was an amazing film.
Dark billowing clouds often precede a storm.
He was trapped inside the burning house.
Many of his paintings show the setting sun.

5. The present participle with the verbs spend and waste

The pattern with these verbs is verb + time/money expression + present participle.

Examples

My boss spends two hours a day travelling to work.
Don't waste time playing computer games!
They've spent the whole day shopping.
I wasted money buying this game.

6. The present participle with the verbs catch and find

The pattern with these verbs is verb + object + present participle. With catch, the participle always refers to an action which causes annoyance or anger. This is not the case with find, which is unemotional.

Examples

- Don't Let the Sun Catch You Crying ... Gerry and the Pacemakers

If I catch you stealing my apples again, there'll be trouble!
Don't let him catch you reading his letters.
I caught him going through my bag.
We found some money lying on the ground.
They found their mother sitting in the garden.

7. The present participle for two actions at the same time

When two actions occur at the same time, and are done by the same person or thing, we can use a present participle to describe one of them. When one action follows very quickly after another done by the same person or thing, we can express the first action with a present participle.

Examples

Whistling to himself, he walked down the road. = He whistled to himself as he walked down the road.
They went laughing out into the snow. = They laughed as they went out into the snow.
Dropping the gun, she put her hands in the air. = She dropped the gun and put her hands in the air.
Putting on his coat, he left the house. = He put on his coat and left the house.

8. The present participle to explain a reason

The present participle can be used instead of a phrase starting with as, since, or because. In this usage the participial phrase explains the cause or reason for an action.

* Not being able to govern events, I govern myself'. Michel de Montaigne —
* Not knowing what to do, I asked him for advice.

Examples

Feeling hungry, he went into the kitchen and opened the fridge.
Being poor, he didn't spend much on clothes.
Knowing that his mother was coming, he cleaned the flat.
He whispered, thinking his brother was still asleep.

8. The present participle after time expressions: Before, after, when, while or since.

NONFINITE (REDUCED) CLAUSE

A prepositional phrase with before, after, when, while or since can be added to the main clause to relate a second activity. The structure is called an adjunct because it is not required by the main clause. It adds extra information. The preposition may take a finite clause as its complement (shown below) or a nonfinite clause (shown to the right).

The complement of the prepositional phrase, a finite clause, may be changed to a nonfinite clause only if it is clear who or what the phrase is modifying. Because a nonfinite clause does not usually include a subject, important information may be lost. Make this change only if the subject of the main clause and the nonfinite clause refer to the same person. (gerund nonfinite clause)

Jack saw a skunk while he was walking. (same subject)

Jack saw a skunk while walking home. (modifies Jack)

No, no. Not sarcastic at all, but grievously out of date. Before ordering a taxi, and after ordering a taxi the noun-verb follows a preposition and is a gerund. Waiting for a taxi, patience is needed. Or Waiting for a taxi I dropped my wallet, are I think both participles,

I think "when ordering" is equivalent to "if ordering" -- "when" indicates only that in this context, multiple concepts or facts coexist.

In contrast, "while ordering" implies that a second activity will take place concurrently, as in, "while ordering he could not help but stare at her nose".

I believe Hugh is quite right to question the taxonomy here as gerunds. Rather, they should be treated as dangling participles (no subject for "ordering") or as a strained ellipsis ("When [one is] ordering a taxi, etc.").

Express time-related activities with reduced clauses.

9. Present Participle after conjunctions.

Combining Clauses with Conjunctions using Participle Constructions

Combine the clauses using participle constructions (Present, Past oder Perfect Participle). Decide whether to use the conjunctions in the participle clause or not.

As she didn't have a boyfriend, she flirted with every guy she met.
→ Not having a boyfriend, she flirted with every guy she met.
Since he had never been there before, he was stunned.
→ Not having been there before, he was stunned.
Before he left the house, he switched off the lights.
→ Before leaving the house, he switched off the lights.
As she was on holiday, she couldn't go to the party.
→ Being on holiday, she couldn't go to the party.
While she was preparing dinner, she cut her finger.
→ While preparing dinner, she cut her finger.
When I travel around Ireland, I always stay in youth hostels.
→ When travelling around Ireland, I always stay in youth hostels.
Since she didn't hear the doorbell, she missed the delivery.
→ Not hearing the doorbell, she missed the delivery.
After I had dropped him at the station, I drove straight to the supermarket.
→ Having dropped him at the station, I drove straight to the supermarket.
Since he didn't feel well, he stayed in bed.
→ Not feeling well, he stayed in bed.
While they were talking on the phone, they forgot everything around them.
→ While talking on the phone, they forgot everything around them.

● ● ● ● ● ●

'As we entering the building' is not possible in English. (WRONG)

I don't think 'as' can take a participial clause (at least none spring to mind), but other conjunctions can:

When entering the building, be careful of the lintel.
While understanding your feelings, I cannot accede to your demands.

THE GERUND

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