The “-ing” form of a verb is called the present participle. Present participles can be used as adjectives (e.g., “a thrilling story”) and to form the continuous verb tenses (e.g., “We are partying”).
Gerunds also use the “-ing” form of a verb, but they function only as nouns (e.g., “I don’t enjoy studying”).
The present participle of the verb “be” is “being” (e.g., “you are being callous”). The past participle of “be” is “been.”
The present participle of the verb “lie” is “lying.” The present participles of verbs ending in “ie” are usually formed by replacing “ie” with “y” and adding the suffix “-ing.”
In the simple present tense, the stative verb “be” is used to describe temporary present situations (e.g., “I am tired”) and unchanging situations (e.g., “Laura is a doctor”). The form of the verb varies depending on the subject:
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