VERB+ING Clauses

My Courses The English Hub VERB+ING Clauses

In this lesson we’re looking at VERB+ING clauses in English.

This is another lesson that deals with all the different ways to use VERB+ING. You might also want to look at our Present Continuous lesson, or you could have a look at our lesson about using Gerunds.

Have fun with the lesson, and don’t forget to try the quizzes by clicking on their links below

– James.

When we use Verb+ING clauses

Let’s start off by looking at an example of a VERB+ING clause. Imagine the situation. Sam was cooking breakfast. She cut her finger:

Sam cut her finger cooking breakfast.

Another example. You were thirsty, so you got a glass of water. You can say:

Feeling thirsty, I got myself a glass of water.

“Cooking breakfast” and “feeling thirsty” are +ING clauses. If the +ING clause is at the beginning of the sentence (“feeling thirsty…”), we put a comma after it.

In this quiz, match the halves of the sentences that use +ING Clauses.

VERB+ING Clauses with simultaneous events

When two things happen at the same time, you can use an +ING clause:

Brian is in the living room watching television.
(He is in the living room and he is watching television.)

He left the theatre laughing.
(He was laughing as he left the theatre)

Help her! Don’t just stand there staring!

We also use +ING when one action happens during another action. We use +ING for the longer action:

He broke his leg skiing.

Do you eat breakfast standing up?

You can also use VERB+ING after WHEN or WHILE:

He broke his leg while skiing.

Be careful when cutting vegetables.

Complete the sentences with the verbs in their correct forms.

VERB+ING Clauses with consecutive events

When one action happens before another action, there are lots of ways we can express this.

Firstly, we use HAVING + Past Participle for the fist action:

Having found a job, Brian celebrated with his wife to be.

You can also use AFTER Verb+ING:

After finding a job, Brian celebrated with his wife to be.

If one short action follows another short action, you can use the simple VERB+ING form for the first action:

Putting on his shoes, Mark opened the front door.

These three forms are used more in written English than in spoken English.

Order the words to make sentences starting with HAVING.

Other uses of VERB+ING clauses

You can also use a VERB+ING clause to explain something, or to say why somebody does something. The VERB+ING normally comes at the beginning of the sentence: