Hello! This week on Ask a Teacher, we answer a question from an English learner named Sidra.
Sidra asks:
I want to know the difference between adverb[s] of frequency and degree and…between participle[s] and gerunds.
Answer:
Thank you for writing, Sidra. First, let's answer your question about adverbs.
Different adverbs show different kinds of information.
Adverbs of time tell us four things: when, how long, how often, and relationship in time.
When something takes place. For example:
How long something lasts, or duration.
Frequency, or how often something happens.
And, the relationship of two things in time.
Adverbs of degree answer the questions “How much/many?” or “To what extent?” For example,
Degree adverbs can also demonstrate intensity. Some show high intensity. These kinds of adverbs are known as amplifiers.
Others show low intensity, called diminishers.
So, adverbs of frequency tell how often, and adverbs of degree tell how much or to what extent.
Now for the second question – the difference between participles and gerunds.
We know that verbs can end in –ing. Participles and gerunds are also words that end in –ing. Let’s look at the differences.
When a verb ends in –ing, it is the progressive or continuous aspect. That means the event is incomplete or temporary.
Gerunds also have an –ing ending, but they do not act like verbs. A gerund is a noun. This means it can be the subject or object of a sentence. For example:
Participles have an –ing ending, too. They also do not act as verbs. A participle is an adjective. We usually use a participle when we are describing an experience that makes us feel certain emotions. For example:
In this sentence, the participle "surprising" describes how you feel about “her answer.”
Some other words that are often used as participles are amazing, boring, calming, exciting, and worrying.
Please let us know if this explanation has helped you, Sidra.
Do you have a question about American English? Send us an email at learningenglish@voanews.com.
And that’s Ask a Teacher.
I’m Gena Bennett.
Gena Bennett wrote this lesson for VOA Learning English.