putting

putting — verb

1. the -ing form of the verb 'put', used in progressive tenses (be putting), as a g

1.verbA1
Definition

the -ing form of the verb 'put', used in progressive tenses (be putting), as a gerund acting as a subject or object in a sentence, or within participial phrases that describe an action happening at the same time as the main verb.

Example

Emily is putting fresh flowers into a vase by the window.

progressive tense: be + putting + object + location

Putting the children to bed takes Noor nearly an hour each night.

gerund as subject of the sentence

Common collocations
  • putting something somewhere
  • putting together
  • putting off
  • be putting

Grammar Patterns

be + putting + object

putting + object (as gerund subject)

putting + object (as gerund object/complement)

Usage Note

Only the -ing form of the verb 'put' — all semantic senses (place, write, express, condition, etc.) are covered under the main entry 'put'. The spelling doubles the final 't' (put → putting) because the base verb is one syllable ending in consonant-vowel-consonant.

Common Mistakes

She is puting the bags on the table.
She is putting the bags on the table.
'put' doubles the final 't' before adding '-ing' because it is a one-syllable verb ending in a single vowel + single consonant.
Putting the baby to sleep, she tiptoed out.' has a dangling subject if the main-clause subject is missing.
After putting the baby to sleep, she tiptoed out.' or ✅ 'Putting the baby to sleep, she tiptoed out of the room.
a participial phrase at the start must logically refer to the main-clause subject.

Word family

  • put
    verbA1
  • puts
    verbA1
  • put
    verb (past)A1

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

All four words describe moving something to a position, but 'putting' is the most general and neutral — it is simply the -ing form of 'put', the everyday verb for any act of placement. 'Placing' suggests deliberate, careful positioning ('placing the glass on the coaster'). 'Setting' often implies putting something into a correct or upright position ('setting the vase on the table'), and it is also used for abstract arrangements ('setting a date'). 'Laying' means putting something down flat on a surface ('laying the blanket on the grass'), and it is a transitive verb that must have a direct object. For a learner, 'putting' covers the widest range of everyday placement situations — you would use 'putting' for keys in a bag, food on a plate, or clothes in a drawer.

putting ↗placingsetting ↗laying

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • putting something together
  • putting something off
  • putting up with

Prepositions

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

'Putting' is the present participle and gerund form of the verb 'put', which comes from Old English 'putian' (to push, thrust). The '-ing' suffix was added in Middle English to form the progressive participle. The doubled 't' follows the standard English spelling rule: a one-syllable verb ending in a single vowel followed by a single consonant doubles that consonant before adding '-ing'.