Stalking the elusive present participle Playing with English grammar is fun until you call a word a gerund when it isn’t. By Neil Steinberg Jan 13, 2022, 8:30am PDT ...

A participial phrase consists of a participle plus modifier (s), object (s), and/or complement (s)’. An earlier column discussed gerunds which, basically, are verbs with the ‘ing’ ending.

Beware, though, that not every “-ing” word is a gerund. Some are merely the present participle of the verb, as in “We are happy with the woman who is knitting our baby’s booties.” (The participial ...

Grammar Fans Flock to a Film About Participles and Gerunds “Rebel With a Clause” celebrates the improbable cross-country journey of a woman who gently imparts grammar rules to strangers.