I was embarrassed when I was teaching English at a grammar school in Germany that the students were expected to know as the "present participative gerund form" what were generally taught as "-ing words" at British schools. Sad state of affairs that they were being taught the correct term whilst the Brits had to put up with a childish simplification. No wonder English speaking is going down the drain, know what I mean innit?

An inspiring teacher can make all the difference - it's why I went on to study German at Uni, rather than the Chemistry or maybe Physics I had been expecting to when younger. And I'm thankful for that every day, don't know that I would have enjoyed a science degree half as much!