Home › Glossary › Letter P

Present participle construction

Grammar
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

Want to hear it? Click the Listen button to hear the browser speak the word using text-to-speech!

The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

A verbal construction using the present participle form of a verb, typically ending in “-ing.”

Detailed Definition
Present participle construction in poetry employs verbs ending in -ing to create ongoing action, fluidity, or simultaneity within a line or image; it generates dynamic tension between stasis and motion, as in “singing birds” or “falling leaves,” allowing poets to layer time and perception within a single syntactic frame.
Example
Example in poetry:
“Singing, she entered the forest” — participle shows simultaneous action; “Running through the field, he laughed” — continuous motion; “Weeping, the widow closed the door” — emotion fused with gesture; “Floating downstream, the leaves glittered” — natural movement described.
Additional Notes
Present participle construction (“singing, running”) creates ongoing action; builds momentum. Use sparingly—overuse weakens verb impact in revision.
Also Known As
Present participle phrase -ing modifier active participle verbal adjective phrase Gerundive construction -ing construction
Skip to main content