And here you all thought my Strong vs Weak Words bag o’tricks was empty. I hate to disappoint, but you are wrong-o!
Today’s fun lesson is all about “ing.” Whoopee!
Think “Ing” = “Boring”
I won’t get all technical on you about the finer points of “ing” words and their role in prose. I don’t do technical . . . I do farcical.
In a nutshell, I am talking about words with “ing” tacked on the end. Sure, these words have their time, place, and two tickets to paradise in writing, but sometimes they make a sentence all mushy inside.
Will a few examples help?
My job as a blogger is to be entertaining and enlightening.
Job well done, Robin!
My job as a blogger is to entertain and enlighten my minions.
~~~~~
I am sharing words of wisdom every day.
Bah!
I share foolish words every day except on Mondays.
~~~~~
I am managing to keep up with Robin’s blog even though she never comments on mine.
Mine either!
I manage to avoid Robin’s blog at all costs.
~~~~~
Like the next best thing since Strunk and White, Robin sits at her computer offering bloggers writing advice
How annoying.
Robin offers writing advice like she knows a dangling participle from a spit infinitive.
~~~~~
Robin found it embarrassing when WordPress banned her for life.
Thank GAWD.
WordPress embarrassed Robin when they shut down her blog.
If you are searching for unneeded “ing” words in your work, let me know what you are finding. I mean . . . Let me know what you find if you search your work for unneeded “ing” words.
~~~~~
Don’t forget the entire Strong vs Weak Word series can be found under the cleverly named “Strong vs Weak Words” link on the left sidebar.
Robin Coyle 
Noooooooooooooooooooooo!
I thought, hoped and prayed this series had drawn to a close. 🙂
Thanks for sharing more for us to SEEK and DESTROY. Makes us better informed and hopefully, better writers.
Sorry Pete. Be warned, I have some more of these gems to share with you. Don’t hate me.
How could I hate you? You’re providing a public service 😀
Pingback: Stop Whining – it’s not becoming on me « Learning Emergencies
this is giving me a headache
Sorry, sweetie.
To me “gerunds” has always sounded either like some stomach disease or a German word for some type of food.
I love gerunds braised in beer. But if I eat too many, they make my stomach feel gerundy.
Gerunds must be grilled to perfection – or they just get sticky.
Fabulous, as always Robin! 🙂
Thanks darlin’
A lot of marketing/PR language seems to be gerund-heavy. I guess they think it sounds more active than the actual active form of the verb. Meh.
They also love exclamation points and hyperbole.
That’s because THEY’RE THE BEST THINGS EVER!!!!!!!!!!!
And NEW AND IMPROVED!!!!!!!!!
Awesome and super fabulous!!!!! Able to up the impact with little effort or skill!
Just tack on an exclamation point, et viola! Your product is sure to be a hit.
Kinda like adding blood and violence into any movie – instant hit.
Don’t forget sex. Sex sells they say . . .
As I revised, I’m so surprised to find so many “ing” words! I’m busy fixing them at every turn. 😀
Don’t you love it when you discover something new?
It’s about time. I had run out of editing points to review in my MS. Whew, I was worried that I would have time to move on to the second chapter. 😉
Fear not . . . I have more up my sleeve.
Great!
I am liking this post.
There’s something called ‘ing’ poetry. All the lines have to end with an ing word. Great fun.
I am liking your comment.
Smashing 🙂
Since I was writing on the fly from work yesterday and also since I knew the comment thread was getting skinnier, and also since I was awake at 4 am thinking about it, I thought I’d try again, but still with the disclaimer that it’s far more complex than is suitable for a comment box and any thoughtful editor would be correct in taking issue with the following broad-sweeping statements. So, in an attempt to clarify what I was trying to say yesterday, with asterisks all over this, here goes:
1. Verbals are words or phrases that are technically “verbs” or verb-based but are functioning within a clause in what are typically noun slots or adjective slots.
2. When whatever source you’re reading refers to “subject,” “subjective complement,” “nominal (which means ‘subject’), or “object,” those are noun slots. An -ing word or a phrase based on an -ing word in one of those slots is a verbal known as gerund.
3. When an -ing word functions as an adjective (describing a noun or noun phrase), it is a participle. I know grammarians who would split hairs over whether the present progressive is a verb tense or a participial phrase. I’d rather argue politics than grammar, so I’ll stay clear of that. LIfe’s too short.:-)
4. I corrected myself over participles functioning as ‘adjectives or adverbs’ because. . . well, it’s complicated, but technically they function as adjectives. However. . . asterisk, asterisk, asterisk. . . when an adjective modifies (describes or adds value to) another adjective, it becomes an adverbl. Lolly, lolly.
5. To the point of your post, you’ll find no greater supporter than I am of reviewing one’s writing for weak word choices. However, the most skilled writers (in my opinion) know the rules and break them intentionally. Gerunds and participles aren’t inherently bad — otherwise why would we have them? Using them intentionally, effectively, and skillfully is the hallmark of a good writer. 🙂
Ugh…I did it again! To clarify item 1: Gerunds and participles ARE verbals. Gerunds are one kind of verbal; participles another. They look alike. How they function in the sentence determines what to call them.
Wow. Thanks for all the info. Do you know that I took honors English in high school but we never had to diagram a sentence? Thank goodness because it makes my eyes cross. Sorry I kept you awake! You know your stuff.
I too think writing “rules” are more like suggestions. Like you, I deliberately used three adverbs in a row in a sentence in my novel because I liked the way it sounded.
Did you ever hear Peter Sellars talking Indian -English in his skits… they are all ‘ings’..
“.I am thinking I am liking the whisky and soda, tho’ my father is complaining that I am always drinking.but I am not hanging over”… sort of thing, in a sing-song voice….
That is funny. I’m thinking he was brilliant. Tee hee.
First ly and now ing! What’s next? ence? Rewriting again…… 🙂 Thanks for letting me know! I want to bore and not be boring. no wait..what???
I have a couple more word endings up my sleeve. Stay tuned!
Great examples Robin. “Ing” words provide great clues towards ferreting out the passive voice. 🙂
Dang ferrets…
I know!
Wait . . . there are ferrets in my work?
I know from editors and agents of mine that are friends that the “ing” habit is a huge pet peeve of theirs!
Lucky for us they are easy to edit out, right?
Perfect timing. My critique group got me for too many ‘ing’ words on my last submission to them. Dang! Thanks, Robin.
I’m so glad. Not about your “ing” words, but about the timing.
WOW. You’re back, Robin. Thirty-nine looked like a dangling participle. I’m happy to see No. 40…I used to have tons of trouble with these. I tell myself I am doing lots better. Well, OK, I try.
Fear not . . . there will be more of these!
Gerunds and participles – argh – they’re doing my head in! Or should I say – my head is now done in 😉
I’m about to go through my WIPs and search for the dreaded …ing’s
Let me know what you find. Lucky for us, the “ing-s” are easy to fix.
You got me on this one. I’m really sucking as a writer.
Dang.
I don’t think you are sucking as a writer. I think you are smashing as a writer.
I am always very afraid to have you read my writing.. very very afraid.
Oh gosh . . . don’t be afraid of little ‘ol me.
yes professor you make me quake in my shoes
My bark is worse than my bite.
mmmmm somehow I am not sure I believe you. did you finish lost art of mixing?
I had to set it aside to finish my book group book, damn it. Did you finish it? And what did you think?
I liked it but I didn’t like the ending. She wrapped it up way to fast again like her Joy book.Also you are left hanging so she must be writing a third book.
Overall– I enjoyed it. I love the way she writes.
I love her writing too. Too bad about the ending. But, I guess that gives us hope there will be a sequel.
I know! She left the characters hanging.. darn it
what book is that?
The Kitchen House. Interesting premise, poorly written. I feel like I am wasting my time. The writing if flat, cliche, and full of adverbs.
You did tell me that — I thought maybe you were on a different book. Sorry and we are doing it again 🙂
Yes we are. I love it.
haa, me too
Would you believe my Teaching of Writing professor – and yes that is what the class was called – encouraged gerunds as verbs to cut out more prepositions. It is a tough place because on one hand you do not want to use too many sentences with passive verbs, and then you don’t want to repeat yourself.
WordPress would be crazy to ban you!
That is interesting. I guess it is all about style and preference. But “Teaching of Writing?” Shouldn’t the class be called “Teaching Writing?”
WordPress may ban me any day now.
I don’t know. That is a good question. I took the course as part of my requirement for my education courses to become an English teacher. Ironically, I will begin work on my master’s degree in English Education this summer. I wonder what my “teaching of writing” classes will be called then. But, a good blog for someone to write would be just how much teaching students how to write has changed.
I say the person to write a blog post about how teaching students how to write has changed is YOU!
There is that.
This is ***ing brilliant 🙂
HAHAHAHAHA! Best comment yet!
Very helpful!
I’m so glad you thought so!
🙂
Ahh Robin, you good th-ing 😉 Grunds, participles, whatever… We slip into patterns and do not realise it. It takes you to point it out before we notice… I would ordinarily have written this comment with the words “realising” and “pointing”… more “ings” than you could poke a stick at. I will smarten up my act and omit the “ings”.
While slipping into patterns and not noticing, it takes a lot of pointing on my part to keep acting like a know-it-all-ing. Ha! That was fun to write!
This is a great one. I really tried to rid my manuscript of those and make my verbs more active. Sometimes it isn’t always possible, but if overused, those ‘ing’s are very noticeable. I read a book several months back where this was the case, so much so that it took me out of the story.
I know what you mean. The book group book I am reading right now is FULL of adverbs. Not even interesting adverbs. It took me out of the story too.
Another good resource is the Chicago Manual of Style’s “grammar goddesses” and their online Question and Answer Section, which includes browse-able topics from past questions and answers, many of which are done in entertaining fashion, like you do. 🙂
The link is: http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/qanda/latest.html
Cool! Thanks for the link. I own the book but didn’t know about the on-line resource.
I forgot to ask . . . how are you feeling?
A bit better, thank you. Sinus infections hang on longer than colds, so it might be a while before I feel completely healthy again. The worst time is at night, lying in bed. My sinuses will stuff up even normally, and this just makes it worse. Blech—winter!
Are you on antibiotics? Feel better!
This one’s viral, so no antibiotics. Just time! Thanks!
Ah, gerunds. Running is one of my hobbies. Writing is also fun. Making verbs work as nouns? Enlightening. ; )
Hmmmm . . . Hippie has me all confused. Maybe my examples aren’t gerunds, but verbals. Who knows.
This was an example of blogging at its finest. Thanks, Robin!
Why thank you! However, I think I need to fix an error. Maybe my examples aren’t gerunds.
To split a hair, if not an infinitive, gerunds generally function as nouns. I think some of the examples might be participles.
I read gerunds can be both a noun and a verb. You mean the Internet doesn’t know everything?
🙂 This is my online Bible: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/627/1/
Thanks for the link. I changed the post to “ing” words until I can fully wrap my brain around the difference between gerunds and verbals. Woe is me.
Gerunds (and participles) are verbals (in that they’re “verb words”). As you correctly noted, gerunds are verbs, ending in -ing, that function as nouns. Participles are “-ing” or “-ed” also verbals, but they function as adjectives or adverbs. I’m feeling geeky and rude, so I’ll just be quiet now. 🙂
You are never geeky and rude. Thanks for the education, teacher ma’am.
You’re brave to tackle the subject. Writing about gerunds is hard work!
Especially when you get it all wrong!
Oops. Participles only function as adjectives. Now I’m confused. 🙂
Great . . . that makes two of us.
Maybe you read that they’re “verbals”?
I can’t find the article where I read that. Grrrr . . . I’m so confused!