Unit 1 -ing forms
For most -ing forms, we simply add -ing to the
infinitive.
finish - finishing
try – trying
consider – considering
We need to make spelling changes to some verbs.
live - living
write - writing
lie - lying
die - dying
chat - chatting
plan - planning
We use the -ing form as a noun, and to make noun
phrases.
Swimming is great exercise.
My favourite hobby is dancing.
Being the oldest child can be difficult sometimes.
She thinks having a school prom is a terrible idea.
We use the -ing form after certain verbs and certain
expressions.
She suggested buying the phone with the 13
megapixel camera.
I don't mind helping you put up the decorations.
Some common verbs and expressions which need
an -ing form include be good/bad at, can't stand,
celebrate, don't mind, enjoy, hate, imagine, like, love,
miss, practise, recommend and suggest.
Some verbs can have an object before the -ing form.
We miss you telling us jokes in class.
They don't like him singing in the shower.
We also use the -ing form after prepositions.
My dad's not very good at cooking, but he tries very
hard.
She spends a lot of money on going to concerts.
2. Always a punctual woman, she (comes) downstairs as the front door (is being opened) for Charles.
3. Some kind of public demonstration (is being planned) to take place at the airport tonight.
4. The flight (had not been announced) yet. It (would not be announced) for another half-hour, at least.
5. The message, as Tanya (was dictating) it, (was being typed) by a girl clerk in New York.
6. She could tell by the inclination of his head that he (had been listening) intently to everything that (had been said).
7. It (is) an old house that (is divided) into flats.
8. Julia can’t know what (is being said) about her, and someone must tell her.
9. Each apartment was usually ( shared) by two or three girls. They (were known) as stewardess’ nests.
10. Inez (occupied) a chair in the room’s centre to which she (had been/was guided) on arrival.
11. He ( saw) that the doors of Trans America Flight Two (had not been closed) yet, and a few remaining passengers were still ( checking) in.
Nowadays all the information we could ever need is available online and some people say that means the end of having to learn anything.
It is true that these days everything you want to know is a few clicks away as long as you have internet access. However, not everyone has working internet all the time, for example in certain buildings or remote locations, so we do need to be able to remember information. Moreover, it takes time to look up everything you need to know online, whereas remembering something is immediate. The human memory is a much more efficient system.