How to Tell a Gerund from a Present Participle

Some time ago, I talked about gerunds and reviewed the basics of how to identify one. Today, I’d like to go into a bit more detail, including how to tell the difference between a gerund and a present participle, which can be tricky, even on a good day.

English: Always in a Mood

Did you know that English has three moods?

Back in the fall, I talked about verb tenses. Because verbs drive our sentences (not to mention the rest of our lives), they carry a lot of responsibility.

A Compliment that Complements

Hello, dear readers! It’s been quite a while, I know. Between work, family, turning 40, more work, pets, alien encounters, and more work, life has been a touch busier than normal, making it quite a challenge to get a coherent blog post written. But I’m here now to talk to you about something that came up in conversation sometime last week.

Transitive and Intransitive Verbs: Spot the Difference

Before you say anything, yes, I know. I’ve been a bad blogger. It’s been nearly two weeks since my last post. But I have a really good excuse. In addition to being swamped with editing work, I was also putting together the first issue of The Ghouls’ Review for my other, other job over at Grammar Ghoul Press. If you have some time, you should check out the magazine. There are some really awesome writers featured in the issue.

Immersed in Direct and Indirect Objects

In order to distract myself from the full-blown case of winter that is lurking outside my window, I thought we could delve a little deeper into the world of objects.

Unwelcome

Unwelcome

The hunter is here. His soapy scent lingers in the air, cutting through the earthy aromas I’ve become so used to. I scurry across the ruins, keeping to the shadows, refusing to look behind me. His smell tells me he’s getting close. I don’t have much time.