Word of the Month: Giving

From the verb to give:

1. freely transfer the possession of an object to another
2. grant (permission, opportunity, etc.) to someone
3. impart, bestow or communicate
4. yield to pressure

note: When a verb changes into a noun by adding β€œ-ing” to the end, it is called a gerund. You can spot a gerund as the subject on the sentence, a direct object, an indirect object, or an object of a prepositional phrase. But adding β€œ-ing” to a verb can also create a present participle. A present participle completes a progressive verb (an action still in progress) as well as acts as a modifier (describes, defines, limits, or modifies a verb or noun).

Can you spot the difference in these sample sentences?

β€œFeeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it.” William Arthur Ward, 1921 – 1994

β€œIt’s not how much we give but how much love we put into giving.” Mother Teresa, 1910 – 1997

β€œRemember that the happiest people are not those getting more, but those giving more.” H. Jackson Brown, Jr., 1940 –

β€œKindness in words creates confidence. Kindness in thinking creates profoundness. Kindness in giving creates love.” Lao Tzu, c. 500 BCE

“It is the heart that does the giving; the fingers only let go.” Nigerian Proverb

β€œOur greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.” Thomas A. Edison, 1847 – 1932