This article is devoted to the issue of -ing forms in the English language, specifically analyzing and discussing the distinctions between the present participle, the gerund, and the verbal noun. It is noted that while the present participle, gerund, and verbal noun are morphologically identical, each category possesses distinct characteristics. The present participle primarily embodies the features of a verb, an adjective, and partially an adverb. The gerund, on the other hand, exhibits the characteristics of both a noun and a verb. Both the gerund and the verbal noun can function syntactically as the subject or the object. This further proves that these non-finite forms of the verb belong to the category of substantive words.