4. Present Participle

NOTE 1: verbs of perception (see, notice, look at, watch, feel, hear, listen to) can be followed by the –ing form or the bare infinitive. The verb “smell” can only be followed by the –ing form.

• The use of the bare infinitive describes the complete action: e.g. I watched her play tennis. (I saw the whole game)

• The use of the –ing form describes the action in progress or incomplete action: e.g. I watched her playing tennis. (I saw the game in progress. I did not see the whole game.)

4.1 Put the verbs in brackets into the –ing form or the bare infinitive:

Last night I heard car brakes 1. screeching (screech) and people 2. ______ (shout) in the street. When I looked out of the window I saw a crowd of about twenty people 3. ______ (stand) around a young boy 4. ______ (lie) in the street. Next, I saw the driver of the car 5. ______ (approach) the crowd and 6. ______ (kneel down) by the boy, he was 7. ______ (look) very anxious. 8. ______ (watch) the drama from my window, I began 9. ______ (consider) the boy's family. Then a few minutes later, I saw a young woman 10. ______ (run) towards the scene and 11. ______ (push) her way through the crowd. Soon, I heard an ambulance siren 12. ______ (scream) in the distance, 13. ______ (get) closer and closer. Then I saw the ambulance stop in front of my house. I watched the ambulance men 14. ______ (get out) and 15. ______ (run) to the injured boy. Minutes later I saw them 16. ______ (run back) to their ambulance with the boy on a stretcher followed by his mother.

4.2 Complete the answers to the questions:

1. Did anybody go out? – I don't think so. I didn't see anybody go out.

2. Has Jill arrived yet? – Yes, I think I heard her ____________.

3. How do you know I took the money? – I know because I saw you ______.

4. Did the doorbell ring? – I'm not sure. I didn't hear ________________.

5. Can Tom play the piano? – I've never heard ___________________.

6. Did I lock the door when I went out? – Yes, you did. I saw ___________.

7. How did the woman fall in the river? – I don't know. I didn't see ______.

NOTE 2: when two things happen at the same time, you can use ing-clause for one of the verbs. The main clause usually comes first: e.g. I’ve just seen Carol. She is in the bar having a drink. (= she is in the bar and she is having a drink.)

We also use ing-clause for the longer action: e.g. Jim hurt his arm while playing tennis.

When one action happens before another action, we use having done for the first action: e.g. Having found a hotel, we looked for somewhere to have dinner.

You can use an ing-clause to explain something: e.g. Feeling tired I went to bed early. (= because I felt tired.)

4.3 Join a sentence from A with one from B to make one sentence. Use an ing-clause:

A: Carol was in the bar. Emma was sitting in an armchair. Sue got home late. Sarah went out. Linda was in London for two years. Mary walked round the town.

B: She was feeling very tired. She looked at the sights and took photographs. She said she would be back in an hour. She was reading a book. She was having a drink. She worked as a tourist guide.

e.g. Carol was in the bar having a drink.

4.4 Make one sentence from two using an ing-clause:

1. Jim was playing tennis. He hurt his arm. Jim hurt his arm playing tennis.

2. I was watching television. I fell asleep. I ___________________________________.

3. The man slipped. He was getting off a bus. The man _________________________.

4. I was walking home in the rain. I got wet. I _________________________________.

5. Margaret was driving to work yesterday. She had an accident. _____________________

6. Two firemen were overcome by smoke. They were trying to put out the fire. ________________________________

4.5 Make sentences beginning Having...:

1. She finished her work. Then she went home. Having finished her work, she went home.

2. We bought our tickets. Then we went into the theatre.

3. They continued their journey after they'd had dinner.

4. After Lucy had done all her shopping, she went for a cup of coffee.

4.6 Make sentences beginning -ing or Not + -ing. Sometimes you need to begin with Having (done something):

1. I felt tired. So I went to bed early. – Feeling tired I went to bed early.

2. I thought they might be hungry. So I offered them something to eat.

3. She is a foreigner. So she needs a visa to stay in this country.

4. I didn't know his address. So I wasn't able to contact him.

5. Sarah has travelled a lot. So she knows a lot about other countries.

6. The man wasn't able to understand English. So he didn't know what I wanted.

7. We had spent nearly all our money. So we couldn't afford to stay in a hotel.