A word that ends in -
ing has several functions:
1.
Working with ... could be a gerund:
- Working with Windows Vista is easy.
- Here is a How-to guide on Working with Windows Vista.
In the first example, the phrase in bold functions as the subject of the verb
is. In the second example, it functions as the object of the preposition
on. The phrase
Working with Windows Vista is headed by the gerund
Working, and for the reason it's called a gerundival phrase.
Gerunds look like verbs because they end in -
ing, but they are not verbs. They
occupy the subject or object positions in a sentence, which makes them nouns:
- I like swimming. <object of the verb like>
- Swimming is fun. <subject of the verb is>
- Here is a How-to guide on Working with Windows Vista. <object of the preposition on>
Like verbs, however, gerunds can take objects:
- I don't like swimming with you. <its object is with you>
- I like working with Windows Vista. <its object is with Windows Vista>
2.
Working with ... could be a present participle, as they too are nominals that end in -
ing:
- I am working with Windows Vista. <present participle>
- Working with Windows Vista How-to guide <participle; adjective>
In the first example,
working is
part of the present continuous verb
is working, which is how it gets the name "participle": it's part of something bigger.
In the second example,
Working with Windows Vista modifies the noun phrase How-to guide--it tells us what kind of guide it is: it's a "working with Windows Vista" How-to guide--and that makes it an adjective in function.
In short, the phrase
Working with Windows Vista can be interpreted in several ways because ellipsis is at play there. My pick would be:
- (a How-to guide on) Working with Windows Vista
Hope that helps.