Friday, September 29, 2023

Gerunds

You are here:
Estimated reading time: 1 min

Gerunds

Gerunds are words which are formed with the root verb but play the role of a noun. Gerunds are easy to recognize as every gerund is a verb ending with the word -ing.

You know grammar is a complex part of English. A gerund is a tricky one. As present participles are formed with the root verb + ing. So, you should be able to spot the difference between a gerund and a present participle. Gerunds are not the -ing forms you use in progressive tenses.

So, remember gerunds are formed with verbs + ing but act as nouns. Present participles are also formed with verbs + ing but they don’t play the role of nouns. They are modifiers.

Like nouns, gerunds can act as a subject, direct object, indirect object, objects of preposition and predicate nouns.

Gerund as a subject of the sentence

Gerund takes the position of the subject in a sentence.

Example:

  • Swimming is a sport which keeps the heart rate up.
  • Reading helps to enhance memory power.
  • Travelling paves a way to explore new things around the world.

Gerund as an object of the sentence

Gerunds can also capture the position of the subject

Example:

  • Ann goes for walking.
  • They enjoy drawing.
  • Leesa spends time on reading.

Gerunds after preposition

Gerunds are used after the preposition when a verb comes after the preposition.

Example:

  • John is good at swimming since his childhood.
  • In spite of meeting him directly, you can send an email to him.
  • She is tired of explaining the situation to him.

The gerund after phrasal verbs

A phrasal verb is a verb that is made up of the main verb together with an adverb or preposition or a combination of both.

Gerunds are used after the phrasal verbs.

Example:

  • She kept on practising to dance well.
  • Grace burst out laughing when Lia fell down.
  • He ended up solving the issue when Lucy scolded him.

Examples of Gerunds

Drawing Driving Talking Sleeping Becoming
Working Hunting Swimming Graduating Smoking
Flying Reading Walking Speaking Drinking
Brushing Travelling Making Having Eating
Opening Painting Postponing Waiting Missing
Fishing Living Cooking Cracking Remembering
Doing Fighting Moving Falling Playing
Fixing Dealing Winning Coming Counting
Helping Baking Stealing Meeting Switching
Chatting Cheating Learning Studying Dancing
Singing Providing Renovating Hiking Cleaning
Enjoying Changing Proceeding Looking Staying
Knowing Writing Speaking Growing Trying
Saying Laughing Smiling Admiring Losing
Shopping Cutting Hitting Batting Blaming

 

 

 

Was this article helpful?
Dislike 0
Views: 140