What is the gerunds?
Types of Gerund
There are mainly three types of Gerunds –
Simple Gerunds: Simple Gerunds are Gerunds formed from a simple verb. It is usually formed with the -ing suffix. For example:
- Playing
- Singing
- Reading
Present Participle Gerund: Present Participle Gerunds are Gerunds formed from a Present Participle. It is formed by the -ing suffix and acts as a verb. For example:
- Singing a song
- Reading a book
- Playing football
Gerunds Phrase: A Gerund Phrase is a sentence made up of a Gerund and other words or phrases. For example:
- The pleasure of reading
- The difficulty of learning a new language
- The importance of exercising regularly
Formation of Gerunds:
Gerunds are formed by adding -ing to verbs. Example:
- Verb + ing = Gerund
- Swim + ing = Swimming
- Read + ing = Reading
Some Important Rules of Gerund:
- To is not used before Gerunds.
- Gerunds can be preceded by determiner, adjective, adverb etc.
- Prepositions can be used before Gerunds.
- Gerunds can be preceded by verb + ing.
Some advice on the use of Gerunds:
- To is not used when Gerunds are used as nouns.
- To can be used when using Gerunds as verbs.
- Gerunds can be preceded by determiner, adjective, adverb etc.
- Prepositions can be used before Gerunds.
- Gerunds can be preceded by verb + ing.
Some examples of Gerunds
- Swimming
- Eating
- Sleeping
- Talking
- Reading
- Writing
- Singing
- Dancing
The difference between Gerunds and Present Participles is that Gerunds have the ability to function as nouns, but Present Participles do not. For example, Swimming is a Gerund, because it can function as a noun. Swimming cannot be a present participle, because it cannot function as a noun.
The difference between Gerunds and Infinitives is that Gerunds can have subject and object, but Infinitives cannot. For example, Swimming is a Gerund, because it can have subject and object. To swim is an infinitive because it does not have a subject and an object.
Some examples about the use of Gerunds
- I like swimming. (noun)
- I am good at swimming. (adjective)
- I went swimming yesterday. (adverb)
- I like to swim. (infinitive)
- Swimming in the pool, I felt refreshed. (participle)
- I will do whatever you tell me to do. (noun clause)
Here are some examples of Gerunds acting as nouns
- Subject: Swimming is a good exercise.
- Object: I like swimming.
- Complement: My hobby is painting.
- Appositive: Swimming, a popular sport, is a good way to stay fit.
- Prepositional object: I am good at swimming.
- Adjective: I have a swimming pool.
- Adverb: I went swimming yesterday.
Here are some examples of Gerunds acting as verbs
- Infinitive: I like to swim.
- Participle: Swimming in the pool, I felt refreshed.
- Noun clause: I will do whatever you tell me to do.
The usage of Gerunds is as follows:
As a Noun: When Gerund is used as a Noun it can be used as Subject, Object, Complement, Adjective, Prepositional Object etc.
As Subject: When Gerund is used as subject it acts as the subject of the sentence.
Example:
Swimming is a good exercise.
Playing football is his hobby.
As Object: When Gerund is used as Object it acts as the Object of the sentence.
Example:
I like swimming.
I am tired of playing games.
As Complement: When Gerund is used as Complement it works as Complement of the sentence.
Example:
His hobby is swimming.
The most important thing is winning.
As an Adjective: When Gerund is used as an Adjective it acts as an Adjective in a sentence.
Example:
A person who likes swimming is called a swimmer.
A book about cooking is a cookbook.
As Prepositional Object: When Gerund is used as Prepositional Object, it acts as the Prepositional Object of the sentence.
Example:
I am thinking about swimming.
I am tired of playing games.
As a Verb: When Gerund is used as a Verb it works like an Infinitive.
Example:
I started swimming.
I am going swimming.
What are the steps in extracting Gerunds?
- Mark all the verbs in the sentences.
- Look for the -ing suffix at the end of each verb.
- If there is an -ing suffix, the verb is a gerund.
For example, “I like reading books.” In the sentence, “reading” is a verb. It has -ing suffix at the end. So, “reading” is a gerunds acting as the object of the sentence.
The same can be observed in the case of phrases of Gerunds. For example, “The pleasure of reading books.” In the sentence, “reading books” is a Gerund Phrase acting as the Subject of the sentence.
Gerunds can also be derived based on the function of Gerunds. For example, the Subject of the sentence is a gerund, the Object of the sentence is a gerund, the Adverbial of the sentence is a gerund, etc.
Difference between Infinitive, Gerund, Participle and Verbal Noun:
Gerunds, Infinitive, Participle and Verbal Noun are different forms of Verb in English Grammar. There are some differences between them.
Gerunds
Form: Gerunds are the noun form of a Verb. It is formed by the -ing suffix.
Meaning: Gerunds act as nouns. It refers to a verb, but is used like a noun.
Example:
Playing football is my hobby. (Playing football is my hobby.)
I enjoy reading books. (I enjoy reading books.)
Infinitive
Form: Infinitive is the formless form of a Verb. It is formed by to.
Meaning: Infinitive acts as a verb. It refers to an action, but is used like a verb.
Example:
I want to play football. (I want to play football.)
I need to read a book. (I have to read a book.)
Participle
Form: Participle is the Verb or Noun form of a Verb. It is formed by suffixes -ing, -ed, -en, -n.
Meaning: Participle can act as a verb or a noun.
Example:
Playing football is my hobby. (Playing football is my hobby.)
I saw a boy playing football. (I saw a boy playing football.)
Verbal Noun
Formation: Verbal Nouns are made up of Gerunds, Infinitives and Participles.
Meaning: Verbal Noun acts as a noun.
Example:
The playing of football is my hobby.
I want to sing a song.
See their differences in the box below:
| characteristics | Gerunds | Infinitive | Participle | Verbal Noun |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Structure | -ing suffix | by to | -ing, -ed, -en, -n suffixes | Combination of Gerund, Infinitive and Participle |
| Meaning | noun | the verb | verb or noun | noun |
| Example | Playing | To play | Playing | The playing of football |
Also, there are some differences in the usage of Gerunds, Infinitives and Participles. Gerunds are usually used as Subject, Object, Adverbial of sentences. The Infinitive is usually attached to the Verb before or after the Verb. The Participle is usually attached to the Verb and used before or after the Verb. Verbal Noun is usually used as Subject, Object, Adverbial of sentence.
Different types of Prepositions, Adverbs, Adjectives, Pronouns, Conjunctions can be used with Gerunds. For example:
| Part of Speech | Words used with Gerunds |
| Preposition | about, after, along with, at, before, between, by, despite, for, from, in, instead of, of, on, out of, past, regarding, since, through, till, toward, under, until, upon, with |
| Adverb | actually, always, carefully, certainly, directly, eventually, exactly, finally, frequently, generally, hardly, immediately, indeed, instead, just, lately, likely, mainly, nearly, never, often, only, originally, particularly, probably, quickly, rarely, really, regularly, sadly, secretly, slowly, sometimes, soon, still, strongly, usually |
| Adjective | appropriate, certain, common, convenient, difficult, easy, essential, important, interesting, likely, necessary, possible, proper, regular, usual, wise |
| Pronoun | it, him, her, them, one, ones, you |
| Conjunction | After, before, while, as, since , for, fear of,Because, although, though, in spite of, despite, on account of, for fear of, in order to, so as to, lest,Except |