Confused in identifying verb

AnonymousWhat is verb here start or read?

"started" is a verb. "reading" is a verb.

"start" is a catenative verb. That means it can be followed by another verb.

The tense of the clause is determined by the first verb if there are two in a catenative construction, so that's "started", past tense. The second verb is a non-finite form. In th

The verb is "start" and it is in the past tense.
"Reading" is a gerund (nounlike form of a verb).

Perhaps it would help if I replaced the gerund with an infinitive, so you can clearly see the verb.
I started reading the book. (gerund)
I started to read the book. (infinitive)
Or look at it without either:
I started the book. (Subject-verb-article-object).

Doctor D"Reading" is a gerund

CJ

See CalifJim for the more complex explanation. But, for me, the short answer is that "reading" is a gerund. Catenative verbs (chain verbs) are often followed by an infinitive or a gerund.

Doctor DReading

"reading" is an ing-form. I'm a non-native thus lacking in the native-driven intuition to classify what is exactly a gerund or present participle in some contexts. So, it's much safer for me to use the term of the ing-form. I understand that very often the usage of the ing-form is on the cline, i.e. hard to assess, unambigu

Doctor D But, for me, the short answer is that "reading" is a gerund.

It's quite true that some sources say the second verb in a catenative construction can be a gerund. Others say present participle. Others say "present participle/gerund form". Others say "the -ing form". Among others, Huddleston says that catenative verbs are followed by non-fini

Anonymousit's much safer for me to use the term of the ing-form.

... as it is for all the rest of us as well.