In this video, we are talking to Dominic Butler. Dom is a published writer and we’re discussing his work, his motivations and his feelings on Chat GPT. You can use this example of a natural English conversation to improve your English listening and comprehension skills.
You will hear lots of examples of +ING phrases. For more information select the Teach Me, Grammar and Examples buttons.
To test your understanding, select the Test Me button and sign in to get feedback on your English.
Practice your English and let us know what you think with the Comment button.
You can also check out the books mentioned in the video here:
For more information about the Writers Strike we discuss in the video, check out this excellent explanation from the BBC:
Why Writers Are On Strike Explained in 77 Seconds
If you are curious about trying Chat-GPT for yourself, you can try it at the website:
www.chat.openai.com
Native English is full of +ing and you’ll no doubt see +ing phrases, such as ‘reading’, ‘going’ or ‘exciting’ everywhere. Unfortunately, grammar books often get very strict about the rules of how to use +ing which confuses students more when they hear them being used differently in native English conversation.
However, I have some good news for you, +ING phrases are not very flexible to use they are also incredibly useful. Check out these useful tips to help you understand how and why we use +ing in English.
What is the difference between “I work” and “I am working?”
Grammatically speaking, “I work” is the Present Simple. It is a habit or something you do repeatedly. It is also simple and focused only on the action – work. However, “I am working” is Present Continuous. This is something that is happening now. BUT BUT BUT … that isn’t always how we use it in native English.
Imagine we are in a bar and you ask me how I am. I answer “I am working a lot”. Obviously, I am not working right now, I am in a bar, with you. We’re having a drink. It’s lovely, isn’t it? So why can I say “I am working a lot”?
Simply, +ing expands an activity and makes it more complex. When I say “I am working a lot” I am talking about all the work I do, the people I work with, the stress it creates etc. All of these aspects are included in the +ing. By adding +ing, the action becomes a situation.
When we expand an activity into a situation, it gives us a lot of opportunities. It opens up a topic and makes it more accessible for discussion.
For example, if I answer your question “I am working a lot”, I am opening up the topic and we can talk more about it. I can add more details and you can ask more questions. However, if I answer “I work a lot” this is just a simple statement and the conversation is closed.
You’ll notice in the conversation with Dom, we use a lot of +ing phrases. This is because we want to open up the conversation and keep the discussion going. You will also notice that I ask a lot of questions using +ing. This gives Dom more choices on how to answer. Likewise, when Dom is using +ing phrases, for example, “There is a kids’ book I have been working on”, this is an invitation for me to ask more questions and discuss it further.
By using more +ing phrases in your English, you will find your spoken English becomes more natural and your conversations will become easier.
English grammar is never simple and there are always exceptions that break the rule, however, +ing does the same thing with all of the tenses. It is a beautiful thing.
For example:
Past Tense – I worked (simple action) / I am working (more complex)
Future Perfect – I will have worked (simple action) / I will have been working (more complex)
Wherever we put it, the +ing phrase does the same thing. It opens up a topic and makes it into a situation or process.
We can also make Gerund phrases. Simply, we take an +ing verb and an object to make a situation.
For example:
Learning English is so wonderful now I am using Elevator English.
The great thing about gerund phrases is that you can take a complicated situation and simplify it. Just use an appropriate verb for the subject, for example ‘Getting clients’ add an opinion or suggestion and now you can talk about the subject generally without getting stuck in difficult grammar or vocabulary.
Need more practice? Select the GRAMMAR button above to get more information about how to create these +ing phrases.
We always use the auxiliary verb ‘BE’ (and its many many forms) with +ing verbs. The ‘be’ verb changes depending on the tense. For example:
I should be going / I am going / She is going / They are going
He was going / We were going / I have been going
They had been going / I will be going / They are going to be going
The +ing verb makes the action more complex and open. The simple form of the verb makes the action simple and closed.
“I need to go” (leave now)
“I need to be going” (get your coat, find your keys, get on the bus etc. It’s a whole situation now).
A gerund phrase simply uses the open nature of +ing verbs and creates a general situation which applies to everyone. To make a gerund phrase, take an +ing Verb (Listening) then add a verb object (Listening to Mike).
We use gerund phrases as the subject of a sentence. Because we are speaking generally, we usually add an opinion, description or suggestion of the situation.
“Listening to Mike is a magical experience.”
+ing phrases are always active. This means that when we use standard word order [Subject + Verb(ing) + Object] the Subject is the one doing the action.
“I am learning so much!” (You are the one learning)
However, we can use +ing verbs as Adjectives to describe a Subject or Object.
“Grammar is exciting!” (Grammar is exciting you)
We can also put the +ing Adjective in front of an object or subject to describe its activity.
“Exciting Grammar is my favourite!
Put it all together – “Listening to Mike is great because Mike is making interesting grammar exciting. I love him.”
Take a look at these ‘+ing’ phrases that we are using in our conversation.
This is a natural conversation. You will notice that when we are using +ing phrases we are opening up the conversation, inviting each other to engage with the topic and talking about situations and trends generally.
Present Perfect Continuous Examples:
“It’s been the busiest year I guess for the writing.” [01:40]
“There were like four or five projects at the same time that I’ve been working on.” [01:50]
“There is a kids’ book that I’ve been working on.” [02:05]
+ing Question Examples:
Are you still writing for language learning? [02:27]
So that’s being published, and then are you working on anything at the moment? [03:30]
How are you finding the inspiration, just creating so much content with so much work coming out. [04:36]
Gerund Phrase Examples:
Watching TV, reading books, and listening to people; we are absorbing these stories and giving it our own little twist on them. [07:48]
Essentially, taking it or stealing it from them and of course job security is a big issue. [08:37]
Sign in to leave your answers below or ask us a question and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can.
You’ll need to sign in to take the test or comment.
It’s free and you get access to all the quizzes on the site, feedback on your English and invitations to online events.
In this video, we are talking to Dominic Butler. Dom is a published writer and we’re discussing his work, his motivations and his feelings on Chat GPT. You can use this example of a natural English conversation to improve your English listening and comprehension skills.
You will hear lots of examples of +ING phrases. For more information select the Teach Me, Grammar and Examples buttons.
To test your understanding, select the Test Me button and sign in to get feedback on your English.
Practice your English and let us know what you think with the Comment button.
You can also check out the books mentioned in the video here:
For more information about the Writers Strike we discuss in the video, check out this excellent explanation from the BBC:
Why Writers Are On Strike Explained in 77 Seconds
If you are curious about trying Chat-GPT for yourself, you can try it at the website:
www.chat.openai.com
Native English is full of +ing and you’ll no doubt see +ing phrases, such as ‘reading’, ‘going’ or ‘exciting’ everywhere. Unfortunately, grammar books often get very strict about the rules of how to use +ing which confuses students more when they hear them being used differently in native English conversation.
However, I have some good news for you, +ING phrases are not very flexible to use they are also incredibly useful. Check out these useful tips to help you understand how and why we use +ing in English.
What is the difference between “I work” and “I am working?”
Grammatically speaking, “I work” is the Present Simple. It is a habit or something you do repeatedly. It is also simple and focused only on the action – work. However, “I am working” is Present Continuous. This is something that is happening now. BUT BUT BUT … that isn’t always how we use it in native English.
Imagine we are in a bar and you ask me how I am. I answer “I am working a lot”. Obviously, I am not working right now, I am in a bar, with you. We’re having a drink. It’s lovely, isn’t it? So why can I say “I am working a lot”?
Simply, +ing expands an activity and makes it more complex. When I say “I am working a lot” I am talking about all the work I do, the people I work with, the stress it creates etc. All of these aspects are included in the +ing. By adding +ing, the action becomes a situation.
When we expand an activity into a situation, it gives us a lot of opportunities. It opens up a topic and makes it more accessible for discussion.
For example, if I answer your question “I am working a lot”, I am opening up the topic and we can talk more about it. I can add more details and you can ask more questions. However, if I answer “I work a lot” this is just a simple statement and the conversation is closed.
You’ll notice in the conversation with Dom, we use a lot of +ing phrases. This is because we want to open up the conversation and keep the discussion going. You will also notice that I ask a lot of questions using +ing. This gives Dom more choices on how to answer. Likewise, when Dom is using +ing phrases, for example, “There is a kids’ book I have been working on”, this is an invitation for me to ask more questions and discuss it further.
By using more +ing phrases in your English, you will find your spoken English becomes more natural and your conversations will become easier.
English grammar is never simple and there are always exceptions that break the rule, however, +ing does the same thing with all of the tenses. It is a beautiful thing.
For example:
Past Tense – I worked (simple action) / I am working (more complex)
Future Perfect – I will have worked (simple action) / I will have been working (more complex)
Wherever we put it, the +ing phrase does the same thing. It opens up a topic and makes it into a situation or process.
We can also make Gerund phrases. Simply, we take an +ing verb and an object to make a situation.
For example:
Learning English is so wonderful now I am using Elevator English.
The great thing about gerund phrases is that you can take a complicated situation and simplify it. Just use an appropriate verb for the subject, for example ‘Getting clients’ add an opinion or suggestion and now you can talk about the subject generally without getting stuck in difficult grammar or vocabulary.
Need more practice? Select the GRAMMAR button above to get more information about how to create these +ing phrases.
We always use the auxiliary verb ‘BE’ (and its many many forms) with +ing verbs. The ‘be’ verb changes depending on the tense. For example:
I should be going / I am going / She is going / They are going
He was going / We were going / I have been going
They had been going / I will be going / They are going to be going
The +ing verb makes the action more complex and open. The simple form of the verb makes the action simple and closed.
“I need to go” (leave now)
“I need to be going” (get your coat, find your keys, get on the bus etc. It’s a whole situation now).
A gerund phrase simply uses the open nature of +ing verbs and creates a general situation which applies to everyone. To make a gerund phrase, take an +ing Verb (Listening) then add a verb object (Listening to Mike).
We use gerund phrases as the subject of a sentence. Because we are speaking generally, we usually add an opinion, description or suggestion of the situation.
“Listening to Mike is a magical experience.”
+ing phrases are always active. This means that when we use standard word order [Subject + Verb(ing) + Object] the Subject is the one doing the action.
“I am learning so much!” (You are the one learning)
However, we can use +ing verbs as Adjectives to describe a Subject or Object.
“Grammar is exciting!” (Grammar is exciting you)
We can also put the +ing Adjective in front of an object or subject to describe its activity.
“Exciting Grammar is my favourite!
Put it all together – “Listening to Mike is great because Mike is making interesting grammar exciting. I love him.”
Take a look at these ‘+ing’ phrases that we are using in our conversation.
This is a natural conversation. You will notice that when we are using +ing phrases we are opening up the conversation, inviting each other to engage with the topic and talking about situations and trends generally.
Present Perfect Continuous Examples:
“It’s been the busiest year I guess for the writing.” [01:40]
“There were like four or five projects at the same time that I’ve been working on.” [01:50]
“There is a kids’ book that I’ve been working on.” [02:05]
+ing Question Examples:
Are you still writing for language learning? [02:27]
So that’s being published, and then are you working on anything at the moment? [03:30]
How are you finding the inspiration, just creating so much content with so much work coming out. [04:36]
Gerund Phrase Examples:
Watching TV, reading books, and listening to people; we are absorbing these stories and giving it our own little twist on them. [07:48]
Essentially, taking it or stealing it from them and of course job security is a big issue. [08:37]
Sign in to leave your answers below or ask us a question and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can.
You’ll need to sign in to take the test or comment.
It’s free and you get access to all the quizzes on the site, feedback on your English and invitations to online events.
My name is Mike O’Malley and I am currently developing Elevator English and teaching Business English professionals like you online.
If you are interested in improving your English, I can help. Click on the button to learn more.
Elevator English is just getting off the ground. We are constantly learning and your feedback will really help us get to the top.
If you would like to learn more click the button. Alternatively, leave a comment above.
