The term “Present Participle” refers to the “ing” suffix. This suffix is used many different ways in English. The “ing” suffix can be used in the progressive tenses and with adjectives. Progressive tenses are also known as “Continuous tenses”. By adding the “ing” suffix to an adjective, we are able to describe someone or something. We can also add the “ing” suffix to “Past participles” to create “noun modifiers” as adjectives. When creating a “Gerund” (Noun) we add “ing” to the base form of a verb. Why do we use gerunds? One simple reason! For facts! Ask your teacher to explain this subject further!