Ing vs Ed
Understanding the difference between ing and ed is necessary for learning the English language as ing and ed are two suffixes used in the English language with difference purposes. Ing is called a gerund whereas ed is the formative element or the termination that indicates past tense or the imperfect tense.
What is Ing?
There is a lot of difference between the gerund that indicates the present continuous tense or the past continuous tense and the imperfect tense. It is important to know that ing is used to indicate or express an action that takes place at the time of speaking as in the sentences given below.
I am running.
Tony is speaking to his friend.
In both of the sentences given above, the formative element ing expresses a continuous action that takes place when a person is speaking or narrating. Hence, it is used in the present continuous tense. In other words, one can say that ing is used as a suffix to form the present participle of the verbs.
Sometimes ing is used in the future tense too as in the sentences mentioned below.
He is going to explain the matter in the meeting.
She is going to be appointed as the secretary.
In both the sentences given above, the formative element ing indicates a future action that is going to take place later.
Sometimes the gerund ing is used in the past continuous tense too as in the sentences given below.
He was eating food when I went to his home.
She was running in the playground in the morning.
In both the sentences mentioned above, the gerund ing indicates an action that already took place at a time when a person who spoke was present at the same place or in a different place. However, one should remember that without the past tense of the auxiliary be, this participle does not indicate the past tense.
What is Ed?
The formative element or the verbal termination ed is used to express past tense or an action that has already taken place as in the examples given below.
He looked at her with sympathy.
She danced nicely in the cultural program.
In both the sentences given above, the verbal termination ed indicates a past action performed some time ago.
Apart from being used to indicate the past tense, there is another important usage for ed. We should not forget that ed is also used in creating adjectives. Look at the following examples.
Talented
Diseased
Skilled
In all of the above examples, ed is added to the end of each noun (talent, disease, skill) to make them adjectives. This is another important used of ed.
What is the difference between Ing and Ed?
• Ing is called a gerund whereas ed is the formative element or the termination that indicates past tense or the imperfect tense.
• ing is used to indicate or express an action that takes place at the time of speaking.
• Sometimes ing is used as a formative element that indicates a future action that is going to take place later.
• Ed is used to create adjectives.
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