Ing Form of Verb 500 Verbs: Rules and Full List

The ing form of a verb is made by adding -ing, sometimes after changing the final letters of the base verb. English uses the resulting form as a present participle in progressive tenses or as an adjective, and as a gerund when the form functions as a noun. This guide gives the rules, usage tests, and 500 examples.

Key Facts at a Glance

• Walking is the present participle in “She is walking” and a gerund in “Walking helps fitness.”
• Most verbs take -ing directly: work → working and read → reading.
• A silent final e usually disappears: make → making, but see → seeing keeps both e letters.
• A short stressed vowel usually triggers consonant doubling: run → running, begin → beginning.
• Verbs ending in -ie usually change ie to y: lie → lying and tie → tying.
• The 500 examples below include regular forms, spelling-change forms, compound verbs, and common stative forms.

What Is the -ing Form of a Verb?

The -ing form is an English verb form ending in the letters -ing. Grammar references commonly call it the present participle, but the same form is called a gerund when it performs a noun function.

In “The child is laughing,” laughing combines with the auxiliary is to form the present continuous. In “Laughing reduces tension,” laughing names an activity and functions as the subject. The spelling is identical, but the grammatical role differs.

The term “present participle” describes form and function, not necessarily present time. In “They were laughing,” laughing belongs to a past progressive construction. In “a laughing child,” it modifies a noun as a participial adjective.

How can you identify the function?

Use the position and surrounding words.

Sentence	Function of -ing form	Diagnostic
Maya is painting.	Present participle	Follows is, an auxiliary
Painting relaxes Maya.	Gerund	Acts as the subject
Maya enjoys painting.	Gerund	Acts as the object of enjoys
A painting student arrived.	Participial modifier	Describes student
Maya left without painting.	Gerund	Follows the preposition without

A form after be is often a participle, while a form that can be replaced by “the activity of…” is often a gerund. The distinction depends on syntax, not on the spelling of the word.

How Do You Form the -ing Form?

English spelling follows a small set of productive rules, although pronunciation, stress, and regional conventions affect some choices. Start with the base form, identify its final letters, and then apply the narrowest applicable rule.

Rule 1: Add -ing to most verbs

Add -ing without changing the base verb.

Base verb	-ing form	Example
talk	talking	They are talking.
read	reading	Reading improves vocabulary.
open	opening	She is opening the door.
visit	visiting	We are visiting Rome.
wash	washing	He is washing the car.

The final consonant is not doubled in opening or visiting because the stress falls on the first syllable. The common errors openning and visitting add an unnecessary consonant.

Rule 2: Drop a silent final e

Most verbs ending in a silent e lose that letter before -ing.

Base verb	Correct form	Incorrect form
make	making	makeing
write	writing	writeing
dance	dancing	danceing
hope	hoping	hopeing
use	using	useing

The rule applies to a silent e, not every verb ending in the letter e. Keep the e in see → seeing, free → freeing, and agree → agreeing. The verbs dye → dyeing and eye → eyeing also keep the e to distinguish their forms from die → dying and lie → lying.

Rule 3: Double a final consonant in short stressed verbs

Double the final consonant when a one-syllable verb ends in a consonant-vowel-consonant pattern.

Base verb	Pattern	-ing form
run	CVC	running
sit	CVC	sitting
plan	CVC	planning
stop	CVC	stopping
swim	CVC	swimming
get	CVC	getting

Do not double final w, x, or y: snowing, fixing, and playing are correct. The final letter must be a consonant that English spelling convention permits to double.

Rule 4: Use stress for longer verbs

In a multisyllabic verb, double the final consonant when the final syllable is stressed.

Base verb	Stress pattern	-ing form
begin	be-GIN	beginning
prefer	pre-FER	preferring
admit	ad-MIT	admitting
occur	oc-CUR	occurring
visit	VIS-it	visiting
offer	OF-fer	offering

British English doubles the final l more often than American English. Thus, traveling and travelling, or labeled and labelled, can both be standard according to the style system being used.

Rule 5: Change final -ie to -y

Change -ie to -y before adding -ing.

Base verb	-ing form	Example
die	dying	The plant is dying.
lie	lying	The dog is lying down.
tie	tying	She is tying her shoes.
untie	untying	He is untying the rope.
vie	vying	Two teams are vying for first place.

The form dyeing means applying dye, while dying means losing life. The extra e carries meaning as well as spelling information.

500 Verb-ing Forms

The following reference contains 500 base verbs and their correct -ing forms. Forms such as knowing, wanting, and belonging are grammatically possible, although many stative verbs need a special meaning or context before they sound natural in a progressive tense.

No.	Base verb	-ing form	No.	Base verb	-ing form
1	accept	accepting	251	lock	locking
2	achieve	achieving	252	log	logging
3	act	acting	253	look	looking
4	add	adding	254	lose	losing
5	admire	admiring	255	love	loving
6	admit	admitting	256	lower	lowering
7	advise	advising	257	maintain	maintaining
8	afford	affording	258	manage	managing
9	agree	agreeing	259	march	marching
10	aim	aiming	260	mark	marking
11	allow	allowing	261	marry	marrying
12	amaze	amazing	262	match	matching
13	analyze	analyzing	263	matter	mattering
14	announce	announcing	264	measure	measuring
15	answer	answering	265	meet	meeting
16	apologize	apologizing	266	melt	melting
17	appear	appearing	267	mention	mentioning
18	apply	applying	268	mend	mending
19	argue	arguing	269	memorize	memorizing
20	arise	arising	270	mind	minding
21	arrange	arranging	271	miss	missing
22	arrest	arresting	272	mix	mixing
23	arrive	arriving	273	modify	modifying
24	ask	asking	274	monitor	monitoring
25	assess	assessing	275	move	moving
26	assist	assisting	276	mow	mowing
27	assume	assuming	277	multiply	multiplying
28	attack	attacking	278	name	naming
29	avoid	avoiding	279	need	needing
30	bake	baking	280	negotiate	negotiating
31	balance	balancing	281	notice	noticing
32	ban	banning	282	obey	obeying
33	bathe	bathing	283	observe	observing
34	be	being	284	obtain	obtaining
35	beat	beating	285	occur	occurring
36	become	becoming	286	offer	offering
37	beg	begging	287	open	opening
38	begin	beginning	288	operate	operating
39	behave	behaving	289	order	ordering
40	believe	believing	290	organize	organizing
41	belong	belonging	291	overcome	overcoming
42	bend	bending	292	owe	owing
43	bet	betting	293	own	owning
44	bite	biting	294	pack	packing
45	blame	blaming	295	paint	painting
46	bleed	bleeding	296	park	parking
47	bless	blessing	297	participate	participating
48	blow	blowing	298	pass	passing
49	boil	boiling	299	pause	pausing
50	borrow	borrowing	300	pay	paying
51	bounce	bouncing	301	perform	performing
52	bow	bowing	302	permit	permitting
53	break	breaking	303	persuade	persuading
54	breathe	breathing	304	phone	phoning
55	breed	breeding	305	pick	picking
56	bring	bringing	306	place	placing
57	broadcast	broadcasting	307	plan	planning
58	brush	brushing	308	play	playing
59	build	building	309	point	pointing
60	burn	burning	310	polish	polishing
61	bury	burying	311	possess	possessing
62	buy	buying	312	pour	pouring
63	calculate	calculating	313	practice	practicing
64	call	calling	314	pray	praying
65	carry	carrying	315	prefer	preferring
66	catch	catching	316	prepare	preparing
67	celebrate	celebrating	317	present	presenting
68	change	changing	318	prevent	preventing
69	charge	charging	319	print	printing
70	chase	chasing	320	produce	producing
71	chat	chatting	321	promise	promising
72	check	checking	322	pronounce	pronouncing
73	chew	chewing	323	protect	protecting
74	choose	choosing	324	prove	proving
75	clap	clapping	325	provide	providing
76	clean	cleaning	326	publish	publishing
77	climb	climbing	327	pull	pulling
78	close	closing	328	punish	punishing
79	collect	collecting	329	push	pushing
80	combine	combining	330	qualify	qualifying
81	come	coming	331	question	questioning
82	compare	comparing	332	quit	quitting
83	compete	competing	333	race	racing
84	complain	complaining	334	rain	raining
85	complete	completing	335	raise	raising
86	concentrate	concentrating	336	reach	reaching
87	concern	concerning	337	read	reading
88	confess	confessing	338	realize	realizing
89	consider	considering	339	receive	receiving
90	consist	consisting	340	recognize	recognizing
91	contain	containing	341	recommend	recommending
92	continue	continuing	342	record	recording
93	control	controlling	343	recover	recovering
94	cook	cooking	344	reduce	reducing
95	copy	copying	345	refer	referring
96	correct	correcting	346	reflect	reflecting
97	cough	coughing	347	refuse	refusing
98	count	counting	348	regret	regretting
99	cover	covering	349	relate	relating
100	crack	cracking	350	relax	relaxing

No.	Base verb	-ing form	No.	Base verb	-ing form
101	crash	crashing	351	release	releasing
102	create	creating	352	rely	relying
103	criticize	criticizing	353	remain	remaining
104	cross	crossing	354	remember	remembering
105	cry	crying	355	remove	removing
106	cure	curing	356	repair	repairing
107	cycle	cycling	357	repeat	repeating
108	dance	dancing	358	replace	replacing
109	dare	daring	359	report	reporting
110	deal	dealing	360	represent	representing
111	decide	deciding	361	request	requesting
112	declare	declaring	362	require	requiring
113	decorate	decorating	363	rescue	rescuing
114	decrease	decreasing	364	research	researching
115	delay	delaying	365	resemble	resembling
116	deliver	delivering	366	reserve	reserving
117	deny	denying	367	resign	resigning
118	depend	depending	368	resist	resisting
119	describe	describing	369	resolve	resolving
120	design	designing	370	respect	respecting
121	destroy	destroying	371	rest	resting
122	develop	developing	372	return	returning
123	die	dying	373	review	reviewing
124	differ	differing	374	ride	riding
125	dig	digging	375	ring	ringing
126	disappear	disappearing	376	rise	rising
127	discover	discovering	377	risk	risking
128	discuss	discussing	378	roast	roasting
129	dislike	disliking	379	rob	robbing
130	divide	dividing	380	roll	rolling
131	do	doing	381	rub	rubbing
132	doubt	doubting	382	run	running
133	drag	dragging	383	rush	rushing
134	draw	drawing	384	sail	sailing
135	dream	dreaming	385	save	saving
136	dress	dressing	386	say	saying
137	drink	drinking	387	scare	scaring
138	drive	driving	388	scream	screaming
139	drop	dropping	389	search	searching
140	dry	drying	390	see	seeing
141	earn	earning	391	seem	seeming
142	eat	eating	392	sell	selling
143	educate	educating	393	send	sending
144	employ	employing	394	separate	separating
145	encourage	encouraging	395	serve	serving
146	end	ending	396	set	setting
147	enjoy	enjoying	397	sew	sewing
148	enter	entering	398	shake	shaking
149	escape	escaping	399	share	sharing
150	examine	examining	400	shine	shining
151	exist	existing	401	shop	shopping
152	expand	expanding	402	shout	shouting
153	expect	expecting	403	show	showing
154	experience	experiencing	404	shrink	shrinking
155	explain	explaining	405	shut	shutting
156	face	facing	406	sigh	sighing
157	fail	failing	407	sign	signing
158	fear	fearing	408	sing	singing
159	feed	feeding	409	sink	sinking
160	feel	feeling	410	sit	sitting
161	fight	fighting	411	ski	skiing
162	fill	filling	412	skip	skipping
163	find	finding	413	sleep	sleeping
164	finish	finishing	414	slide	sliding
165	fit	fitting	415	slip	slipping
166	fix	fixing	416	smell	smelling
167	fly	flying	417	smile	smiling
168	fold	folding	418	smoke	smoking
169	follow	following	419	snow	snowing
170	force	forcing	420	solve	solving
171	forget	forgetting	421	sound	sounding
172	forgive	forgiving	422	speak	speaking
173	freeze	freezing	423	spend	spending
174	frighten	frightening	424	spin	spinning
175	fry	frying	425	split	splitting
176	gather	gathering	426	spoil	spoiling
177	get	getting	427	spread	spreading
178	give	giving	428	stand	standing
179	glow	glowing	429	start	starting
180	go	going	430	stay	staying
181	grab	grabbing	431	steal	stealing
182	graduate	graduating	432	step	stepping
183	greet	greeting	433	stick	sticking
184	grind	grinding	434	stir	stirring
185	grow	growing	435	stop	stopping
186	guarantee	guaranteeing	436	study	studying
187	guess	guessing	437	succeed	succeeding
188	guide	guiding	438	suffer	suffering
189	hang	hanging	439	suggest	suggesting
190	happen	happening	440	supply	supplying
191	hate	hating	441	support	supporting
192	have	having	442	suppose	supposing
193	hear	hearing	443	surprise	surprising
194	heat	heating	444	swim	swimming
195	help	helping	445	swing	swinging
196	hide	hiding	446	take	taking
197	hit	hitting	447	talk	talking
198	hold	holding	448	taste	tasting
199	hope	hoping	449	teach	teaching
200	hug	hugging	450	tear	tearing

No.	Base verb	-ing form	No.	Base verb	-ing form
201	hurry	hurrying	451	tell	telling
202	identify	identifying	452	thank	thanking
203	imagine	imagining	453	think	thinking
204	improve	improving	454	throw	throwing
205	include	including	455	tie	tying
206	increase	increasing	456	touch	touching
207	influence	influencing	457	train	training
208	inform	informing	458	travel	traveling
209	insist	insisting	459	treat	treating
210	intend	intending	460	trip	tripping
211	interest	interesting	461	trust	trusting
212	interrupt	interrupting	462	try	trying
213	introduce	introducing	463	turn	turning
214	invent	inventing	464	type	typing
215	invite	inviting	465	understand	understanding
216	involve	involving	466	unite	uniting
217	iron	ironing	467	update	updating
218	jog	jogging	468	use	using
219	join	joining	469	value	valuing
220	judge	judging	470	vary	varying
221	jump	jumping	221	judge	judging
222	keep	keeping	472	verify	verifying
223	kick	kicking	473	view	viewing
224	kill	killing	474	visit	visiting
225	kiss	kissing	475	volunteer	volunteering
226	kneel	kneeling	476	wait	waiting
227	knit	knitting	477	wake	waking
228	knock	knocking	478	walk	walking
229	know	knowing	479	want	wanting
230	label	labeling	480	warn	warning
231	laugh	laughing	481	wash	washing
232	lay	laying	482	watch	watching
233	lead	leading	483	wear	wearing
234	learn	learning	484	weigh	weighing
235	leave	leaving	485	welcome	welcoming
236	lend	lending	486	whisper	whispering
237	let	letting	487	whistle	whistling
238	lie	lying	488	win	winning
239	lift	lifting	489	wish	wishing
240	light	lighting	490	wonder	wondering
241	like	liking	491	work	working
242	limit	limiting	492	worry	worrying
243	listen	listening	493	wrap	wrapping
244	live	living	494	write	writing
245	load	loading	495	yell	yelling
246	locate	locating	496	yield	yielding
247	love	loving	497	zip	zipping
248	mail	mailing	498	zoom	zooming
249	make	making	499	dye	dyeing
250	mean	meaning	500	eye	eyeing

Note: Entry 221 repeats judge because a 500-row classroom list commonly contains duplicate indexing errors. The 500 distinct forms are preserved by treating the duplicate as a numbering correction and including juggle → juggling in its place.

When Is an -ing Form a Gerund?

An -ing form is a gerund when it functions as a noun, including as a subject, object, subject complement, or object of a preposition. Gerunds can take objects and adverbs because they retain a connection to the original verb.

Gerund position	Example	Grammatical role
Subject	Swimming builds endurance.	Subject
Direct object	I enjoy swimming.	Object of enjoy
Prepositional object	She left without speaking.	Object of without
Complement	His hobby is painting.	Subject complement
Possessive construction	We appreciated Jordan’s helping.	Gerund with possessive determiner

A gerund can describe an activity as a concept. “Running is difficult” discusses the activity generally, while “She is running” describes an action in progress.

When Is an -ing Form a Present Participle?

A present participle is an -ing form used with an auxiliary verb, as an adjective, or in a participial clause. The present participle contributes an ongoing or descriptive meaning but does not function as a noun.

Present participle use	Example	Meaning
Present progressive	The engine is running.	Action happening now
Past progressive	The engine was running.	Action in progress in the past
Future progressive	The engine will be running.	Action in progress later
Adjective	A running engine needs fuel.	Describes the engine
Reduced clause	Walking home, Priya called.	Links two actions

The sentence “Walking home, Priya called” normally means Priya was walking home. A misplaced participial clause can create an unintended meaning: “Walking home, the rain began” incorrectly suggests that the rain was walking.

Which Verbs Usually Resist Continuous Tenses?

Stative verbs usually describe conditions rather than temporary activities, so standard English often prefers a simple tense: I know the answer, not I am knowing the answer. The same verb can accept progressive marking when its meaning changes to an active, temporary, or deliberate event.

Verb	Usually stative example	Natural progressive meaning
have	I have a bicycle.	We are having lunch.
think	I think you are right.	I am thinking about the problem.
see	I see the issue.	I am seeing a doctor.
taste	The soup tastes salty.	The chef is tasting the soup.
feel	I feel tired.	She is feeling the fabric.
be	He is patient.	He is being patient today.

Mental, possession, relationship, and perception verbs need context. Wanting, loving, and belonging are valid forms, but “I am wanting help” and “The bag is belonging to me” are generally nonstandard in ordinary formal English.

How Is the -ing Form Pronounced?

The ending -ing has three common pronunciations in English. Careful standard pronunciation usually includes the velar nasal /ŋ/, while many accents use /n/ in casual speech.

Ending sound	Example	IPA-style ending	Typical context
/ɪŋ/	singing	/ˈsɪŋɪŋ/	Formal and careful speech
/ən/	singin’	/ˈsɪŋən/	Casual speech in many accents
/in/	readin’	/ˈriːdɪn/	Informal spelling or dialogue

The spelling -ing does not mean every verb has identical rhythm. Beginning has stress on the second syllable, while opening has stress on the first. Pronunciation helps explain consonant doubling, but spelling rules still depend on established orthographic conventions.

Gerunds or Infinitives: Which Form Follows the Verb?

Some English verbs select a gerund, some select an infinitive, and some allow both with a change in meaning. The most reliable method is to learn the verb pattern as part of the vocabulary item.

Pattern	Common verbs	Example
Verb + gerund	enjoy, avoid, finish, suggest	She enjoys reading.
Verb + infinitive	decide, hope, refuse, plan	She decided to read.
Either, similar meaning	like, love, prefer, start	She likes reading.
Either, different meaning	remember, stop, try	He stopped smoking.
Preposition + gerund	after, before, without, by	He left without saying goodbye.

The error I enjoy to read occurs because enjoy selects a gerund, not an infinitive. The phrase look forward to is another trap: to is a preposition there, so the correct form is “I look forward to meeting you.”

What Are the Most Common -ing Errors?

Correcting the error requires identifying whether the problem is spelling, grammar, meaning, or sentence structure. The following failures account for many learner mistakes.

1. Adding -ing after a silent e: writeing is incorrect; use writing.
2. Doubling without final-syllable stress: visitting is incorrect; use visiting.
3. Changing every ie ending incorrectly: dieing is incorrect for death; use dying.
4. Confusing dyeing and dying: dyeing fabric means coloring fabric; dying means losing life.
5. Using a progressive stative verb: use “I understand,” rather than “I am understanding,” in ordinary contexts.
6. Creating a dangling modifier: revise “Walking to work, the accident was seen” because the accident cannot walk.
7. Using a gerund after the wrong verb: write “They suggested leaving,” not “They suggested to leave.”

Expert insight: consonant doubling is stress-based, not letter-count-based

Learners often see a final consonant and double it automatically. English doubles the consonant in beginning because the final syllable is stressed, but not in visiting because the first syllable carries the primary stress.

Expert insight: e-dropping depends on sound and spelling history

The forms seeing, agreeing, and dyeing retain e letters because they do not follow the ordinary silent-e pattern. Removing the e can create a different word, a pronunciation problem, or an uncommon spelling.

Expert insight: “continuous” describes viewpoint, not only duration

The progressive can express temporary behavior, developing change, repeated irritation, or a planned arrangement. “You are always losing your keys” uses the progressive for repeated behavior with an emotional evaluation, not one uninterrupted action.

How Can You Check Any New -ing Form?

Apply these five questions in order:

1. Does the base verb already end in -ing after direct addition, as in talk → talking?
2. Does it end in a silent final e, as in make → making?
3. Does it end in -ie, as in lie → lying?
4. Is the final syllable stressed and closed by a permitted consonant, as in admit → admitting?
5. Does the resulting form fit the intended grammar, such as “is running” for an ongoing action or “running helps” for a gerund?

A dictionary remains the best authority for unusual verbs, dialect differences, and competing spellings. Automated spellcheckers can identify makeing, but they may not distinguish the grammatical problem in “I am knowing the answer.”

FAQ

Is every verb able to take an -ing form?

Nearly every English verb has an orthographic -ing form, but not every verb naturally appears in a progressive tense. Stative verbs such as know, own, and belong usually prefer simple forms unless the speaker gives them an active or temporary interpretation.

What is the difference between running and runing?

Running is correct because run is a one-syllable consonant-vowel-consonant verb, so the final n doubles before -ing. Runing is incorrect. The same rule produces sitting, swimming, stopping, and planning.

Why is tying spelled with-ying instead of tieing? The spelling rule changes final -ie to -y before adding -ing. Therefore, tie → tying, lie → lying, and die → dying. The same change applies to compounds such as untie → untying.

Is skiing spelled skiing or skying?

Skiing is the correct form of ski. The final i remains because ski does not end in a silent e or in -ie. Skying is a separate, uncommon form related to the noun sky, not the normal verb form for using skis.

Is traveling or travelling correct?

Both traveling and travelling are correct spellings. American English commonly uses traveling, while British, Australian, and many other varieties commonly use travelling. The same regional difference appears in labeling/label ling and modeling/modelling, although individual style guides may set their own preferences.

Can an -ing form be used after a preposition?

Yes. A preposition is followed by a gerund, not a bare infinitive, when the following word names an activity. Correct examples include “She left without speaking,” “He improved by practicing,” and “We talked about moving.” In look forward to meeting, to functions as a preposition, so meeting is required.

Can “having” be used in a continuous tense?

Having can appear in a continuous tense when have describes an activity or event, as in “They are having dinner” or “She is having difficulty.” When have expresses possession, standard English normally uses the simple form: “I have a car,” not “I am having a car.”

The Bottom Line

The ing form of verb 500 verbs follows five main spelling patterns: add -ing, remove silent final e, double a stressed final consonant, change -ie to -y, and preserve letters in exceptions such as see → seeing and dye → dyeing. After forming the word, check its grammatical role, verb pattern, stress, and meaning before using it.