Can You Start A Sentence With An ING Verb?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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Yes, you can!

In fact you can start a sentence with almost any word. … Examples include like, such as, who, which – and yes, -ing words are risky. Of course it’s correct to start a sentence with a word ending in –ing: But you risk writing a sentence fragment or a dangling modifier.

What is it called when you start a sentence with a verb?

As you noted, it is possible to start a sentence with an “-ing word”, which is called

a gerund

. A gerund is a special form of a verb which turns it into an adjective. In this case, your sentence would become “Observing the experiments, I learned that ‘Failure is the mother of success.

Can you start a sentence with a verb?

People often begin spoken sentences with a verb, particularly imperative sentences, such as “

Join a gym

if you want to be healthy,” and interrogatives, such as “Do you know where the stapler is?” Although written language tends to abide by different rules and formalities than spoken language, even writers of academic …

What words can you not start a sentence with?

Or never begins a sentence, paragraph, or chapter. Never begin a sentence—or a clause—with also. Teach the elimination of but, so, and, because, at the beginning of a sentence. A sentence should not commence with the conjunctions and,

for

, or however….

What is a gerund phrase?

A gerund phrase is

a group of words consisting of a gerund and the modifier(s)

and/or (pro)noun(s) or noun phrase(s) that function as the direct object(s), indirect object(s), or complement(s) of the action or state expressed in the gerund, such as: The gerund phrase functions as the subject of the sentence.

What are some ing words?

learning He has a very good attitude towards learning. running Even though he was tired he kept running. jogging Jogging is a good way to exercise. sitting An hour spent sitting and doing nothing is an eternity to a three-year-old. *

How can I start a sentence?

  1. Begin with a verb ending with -ing. …
  2. Begin with a verb ending with -ed. …
  3. Begin with a prepositional phrase. …
  4. Begin with an adverb. …
  5. Begin with an adjective. …
  6. Begin with a phrase that tells when. …
  7. Begin with a phrase that tells where. …
  8. Begin with a sound word.

What words can I use to start a sentence?

Use:

next, then, in fact

, similarly, or a time word like first, second, third, and finally. Alternatively, use another sequential transition. Does this sentence add evidence? Use: for example, consequently, for this reason, or another addition transition.

Can I use but to start a sentence?


There’s no rule against beginning a sentence with but

. Sure, it’s a wise admonition from middle-school English teachers that novice writers avoid beginning a series of sentences with but.

How do you identify a gerund phrase?

A whole gerund phrase functions in a sentence just like a noun, and can act as a subject, an object, or a predicate nominative. If you look up the definition of gerund (pronounced JER-und), you will find that it means “

an English noun formed from a verb by adding -ing”

; that is, a present participle used as a noun.

How do you identify a gerund in a sentence?

A gerund is the

–ing form of a verb that functions the same as a noun

. For example, “Running is fun.” In this sentence, “running” is the gerund. It acts just like a noun.

Are all ing words gerunds?


Yes, gerunds all end with -ing

, simply by definition. A gerund is, in Latin, a form of the verb which can be construed as (i.e. has functional characteristics of) a noun – it can act as subject or object of a verb, for example, or can take a plural ending.

What words end with Ly?

accidentally accusingly adamantly gladly gracefully greatly happily highly hungrily ironically loudly lovely lowly massively motionlessly

What is the verb of do?

The verb do is irregular. It has five different forms:

do, does, doing, did, done

. The base form of the verb is do. The past simple form, did, is the same throughout. … The present simple tense do and the past simple tense did can be used as an auxiliary verb.

What word is also?

Also is a word that means

about the same thing as “in addition” or “too

.” Also is a word used for verbal additions and add-ons. When friends are heading to the movies and you want to go with them, you might say, “Can I also come?” That means you want to go along, too — in addition to the rest of the group.

Maria LaPaige
Author
Maria LaPaige
Maria is a parenting expert and mother of three. She has written several books on parenting and child development, and has been featured in various parenting magazines. Maria's practical approach to family life has helped many parents navigate the ups and downs of raising children.