As much as I disparage generative AI, I still find it indispensable. Here I ask it to evaluate the use of echoing versus echoes. I had been leaning toward echoing, but I opted for the immediacy of echoes over the more durative echoing. I prefer a more terse style anyway. Here’s what is says:

Let’s analyse the contrast between these two sentences:

Sentence 1:

… the movement echoing in the halls.

• Uses a present participle (“echoing”) to describe the sound of movement. This conveys a sense of continuation – the echo is ongoing.
• “Echoing” implies a slight distance, as the sound travels through the halls.
• The participle breaks up the sentence structure, adding a descriptive clause.

Sentence 2:

… the movement echoes in the halls.

• Uses a simple present verb (“echoes”) for a more direct, immediate sound.
• “Echoes” feels closer and crisper, not trailing off.
• The verb tightens the sentence structure, keeping the action brisk.

Overall, the present participle in Sentence 1 allows for slightly more nuance in describing the elongated, reverberating echo. However, Sentence 2 has a more compact, staccato feel fitting the tense atmosphere.

I don’t have a strong preference between the two – I think either could work well depending on the surrounding context and intended tone. The participle flows a bit more, but the crisp verb maintains urgency. Let me know if you have any other examples you’d like me to contrast! I’m happy to provide more comparative analyses.