The present participle of most verbs has the form base+ing and is used in the following ways:

as part of the continuous form of a verb
Example:

after verbs of movement/position in the pattern: verb + present participle
Example

This construction is particularly useful with the verb 'to go' , as in these common expressions :

to go shopping
to go ski-ing
to go fishing
to go surfing

to go walking
to go swimming
to go running
to go dancing

after verbs of perception in the pattern:
verb + object + present participle
Example

NOTE : There is a difference in meaning when such a sentence contains a zero-infinitive rather than a participle. The infinitive refers to a complete action, but the participle refers to an incomplete action, or part of an action.

Compare:

as an adjective
Examples

amazing, worrying, exciting, boring.

with the verbs spend and waste , in the pattern:
verb + time/money expression + present participle
Example

with the verbs catch and find , in the pattern:
verb + object + present participle:

With catch, the participle always refers to an action which causes annoyance or anger:

This is not the case with find , which is unemotional:

to replace a sentence or part of a sentence:

When two actions occur at the same time, and are done by the same person or thing, we can use a present participle to describe one of them:

When one action follows very quickly after another done by the same person or thing, we can express the first action with a present participle:

The present participle can be used instead of a phrase starting as, since, because , and it explains the cause or reason for an action: