How it works

When someone or something does an action, you can use an action word with -ing right after the naming word. This lets you drop joining words like who or which. The meaning stays the same and makes your sentence shorter.

Examples from the weather report

• Residents watching the water rise called the emergency number.

• Volunteers carrying heavy sandbags worked along the riverbank.

How it works

When something receives an action, you can use a word ending in -ed after the naming word. You drop words like was or were along with who or that. This shows what happened to the thing without extra words.

Examples from the weather report

• The bridge destroyed by the flood will be replaced next year.

• Cars submerged by the overnight downpour blocked the main street.

How it works

Use an -ing word only when an action is happening right then or happens all the time. If an action happened once and is finished, you must keep who or which. You cannot shorten finished single events into an -ing word.

Examples from the weather report

• The nurse who rescued the stranded boy lives next door.

• The official who issued the weather forecast spoke to reporters this morning.

How it works

A single descriptive word usually sits right before the naming word. When you have a longer group of words, place the whole group after the naming word. Both ways help you describe things clearly.

Examples from the weather report

• The rising water filled the cellar of the house built near the coast.

• A newly built barrier prevented water overflowing from the canal.