A gerund is a special type of verb form that functions as a noun within a sentence. The name 'gerund' might sound intimidating, but we use gerunds regularly in daily life! Let's define the term and then see how they are used.
Gerund meaning
Gerunds are a special type of word that look like verbs but function as nouns or noun phrases. Imagine a verb and a noun had a baby, that's a gerund!
Gerunds are formed with the base form of a verb plus the suffix '-ing'. They look just like the present participle form of a verb, but they actually function as the noun in a sentence.
Here are some examples:
- Drinking excessively is bad for your health.
- The most important part of my morning routine is showering.
- I love to go swimming.
Notice how the gerunds aren't describing an individual's actions, rather they are acting as the subject or the object of the sentence.
Fig 1. 'Swimming' is a common gerund
Gerund examples
It's possible to turn almost any verb (except modal verbs) into gerunds. Let's take a look at some further examples.
I like dancing
She's holding the shopping
The importance of being
His smoking is a problem
She won the gardening award
Sleeping doesn't come easy
Gerund phrases
A gerund phrase acts in the same way as a gerund. It includes the gerund and any modifiers and/or objects. For example:
Jumping up and down is what is making you nauseous.
Here, the subject of the sentence is not just 'jumping', but the whole phrase 'Jumping up and down'. The whole phrase is needed to give the sentence its meaning.
Take a look at the following examples and see if you can distinguish between the gerunds and gerund phrases:
- The best way to lose weight is by playing badminton.
- Sleeping well helps with tiredness.
- To help with headaches, the doctor suggests drinking cold water.
- Running is a helpful outlet.
- Throwing his jacket over his shoulder, he walked out the front door.
Here are the answers:
The best way to lose weight is by playing badminton - GERUND PHRASE
Sleeping well helps with tiredness - GERUND PHRASE
To help with headaches, the doctor suggests drinking cold water. GERUND PHRASE
Running is a helpful outlet. GERUND
Throwing his jacket over his shoulder, he walked out the front door. GERUND PHRASE
Keep gerund phrases in mind when determining a sentence's subject/object.
Types of gerunds
There are six main types of gerunds. Let's look at them now.
- Gerunds as subjects - Gerunds can function as the main subject of the sentence, e.g. 'Swimming is great'
- Gerunds as subject complements - Gerunds can also complement the main subject e.g. 'My favourite hobby is swimming'. Here, the subject is 'favourite hobby' and the complement is 'swimming'.
- Gerunds as direct objects - Gerunds can function as the object of the sentence, e.g. 'Mum came to admire my swimming.'
- Gerunds as an object complement -e.g. 'I saw Will's swimming earlier'. Here, the subject is I, the object is Will, and the object complement is swimming.
- Gerunds as objects of a preposition - Gerunds can also follow a preposition e.g. 'I am interested in swimming.'
- Gerunds as objects of a possessive - Gerunds can be the object of a possessive e.g. 'He doesn't like her swimming.'
Gerunds vs. present participles
In the English language, it is important to distinguish between gerunds and the present participle. Though they look identical, they have different functions.
The present participle is a verb form which describes a current action. It is formed by ending the inflection '-ing' to the base form of the verb.
Fig 2. 'Running' can be a gerund or a present participle
Here are some examples of sentences with present participles;
- Tim is wearing his new shirt.
- While Jane was running she experienced an asthma attack.
- Rachel heard me crying yesterday.
Can you tell the difference between these examples and the previous examples?
In these examples, the -ing words refer to an action that is or was ongoing. They are verbs acting as verbs in the sentence.
Remember: Present participles act as verbs in a sentence; gerunds act as nouns in a sentence.
If you are trying to decide whether a word is a gerund or present participle, try replacing the word in question with a similar noun:
Running is a great form of exercise.
Tennis is a great form of exercise.
The sentence remains grammatically correct, so we know that 'running' functions as a gerund in this sentence.
Compare this to the following example:
She is running as a form of exercise.
She is tennis as a form of exercise.
The sentence is no longer grammatically correct. Therefore, 'running' is functioning as a present participle verb in this example.
Gerunds and infinitives
Sometimes we have no choice but to use gerunds as particular verbs can only be followed by gerunds (e.g. running) and not infinitives (e.g to run).
Here is an example of a verb that can be followed by either a gerund or the infinitive form:
Despite my warnings, you continue to speak.
Despite my warnings, you continue speaking.
The sentence remains grammatically correct if the infinitive (to speak) is replaced by the gerund (speaking).
However, not every verb can be followed by either an infinitive or gerund. Some verbs become grammatically incorrect if the gerund is replaced with an infinitive, and vice versa.
I recommend using the Internet for research purposes.
I recommend to use the Internet for research purposes.
If our gerund (using) is replaced with an infinitive, the sentence becomes grammatically incorrect.
Recommend is one of the verbs that must be followed by a gerund.
Here are some other verbs that are only followed by gerunds:
Stop: Stop running down the road.
Enjoy: I really enjoy reading before bed.
Keep: Michael keeps forgetting to turn the lights off.
Justify: You really cannot justify deciding to leave.
Finish: Did you finish washing the dishes?
Again, if there is uncertainty as to whether a verb cannot be followed by a gerund, try saying the sentence aloud. If it sounds strange, the verb most likely cannot be followed by a gerund.
Conversely, particular verbs cannot be followed by gerunds. Here is an example:
Do you want to sit with me?
Do you want sitting with me?
The second sentence is grammatically incorrect as 'want' is a verb that must be followed by an infinitive and not a gerund.
Gerunds - Key takeaways
- A gerund is a verb ending in -ing that functions as a noun.
- A gerund phrase includes the gerund and any accompanying modifiers or objects.
- Gerunds and present participle verbs look the same but function differently. Present participles refer to ongoing actions, while gerunds are the subject/object of their respective sentences.
- If you are trying to decide whether a word is a gerund or a present participle, try replacing the gerund with a similar noun.
- There are 6 main types of gerunds where they function as a subject, subject complement, direct object, object complement, object of a preposition, and object of a possessive.
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