The English gerund-participle:

There is considerable confusion regarding the English suffix « ing, which is usually treated as « progressive. The sentence « I regret telling him shows, however, that this is not always the case. The very same form can sometimes evoke an ongoing process and sometimes a completed action. This book brings much-needed clarity to this area of English grammar, proposing a simple coherent explanation based on meaning. ESL teachers will find it a valuable contribution to the « focus on form approach. It will also be of interest to linguists as it addresses the problems of tense and control that have been the object of considerable debate.