What is a Gerund?
A gerund is a form of a verb ending in -ing that acts as a noun.
Examples of Gerunds and Gerund Phrases
Some examples of gerunds and gerund phrases would be the following:
Jenna’s favorite summer activity is surfing.
Jogging and weightlifting are two great ways to get in shape.
Paige detests listening to pop music.
Christopher has a bad habit of checking his phone during class.
Volunteering at the animal shelter is something I look forward to every weekend.
What to Know About Gerunds
Gerunds always end with “-ing” but be sure you don’t get them confused with participles. Participles also end in “-ing” but the way participles function is different. Gerunds are verb forms ending in “-ing” that act as nouns, and if gerunds act as nouns, that means they can function as different parts of a sentence. For example:
As a Subject
Exercising is my favorite hobby.
“Exercising” derives from the verb “to exercise,” and it becomes a gerund when we add “-ing” to it and use it as the subject of our sentence.
As a Direct Object
I enjoy eating.
“Eating” derives from the verb “to eat,” and it becomes a gerund when we add “-ing” to it and use it as the direct object of our sentence.
As an Object of a Preposition
I have a tendency of speaking over others.
“Speaking” derives from the verb “to speak,” and it becomes a gerund when we add “-ing” to it and use it as the object of the preposition “of” in our sentence.
Gerunds can be a complex topic to grasp, but once you walk through each step of how a gerund is formed (ie, verb form -> add “-ing” -> use it as a noun), you’ll have a better understanding of them.
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