What do gerund mean when is it used how is it formed give examples

What Is A Gerund? Definition And Examples

Sometimes, looks can be deceiving. Jumping to conclusions about things can land you in trouble. This is certainly the case when it comes to words we use in English. Take gerunds for example: they look a lot like verbs but they don’t act like them at all. In fact, they prefer to act like nouns.

What gives? Gerunds come from verbs, after all, so why do they refuse to act like them? Are they going through a rebellious phase? Do nouns throw better parties? It isn’t our place to judge the habits of parts of speech, but it is worth taking a closer look at gerunds to figure out the best ways to use them in sentences. (You don’t want their identity crisis to make you look like a fool who uses improper grammar!)

What is a gerund?

A gerund is a form of a verb that ends in -ing that is used as a noun. As you may know, a verb is a word that refers to actions or states of being, and a noun is a word that we use to refer to people, places, things, and ideas. A gerund is like a blend of verbs and nouns. It looks like a verb, but it acts like a noun. For example, the word swimming is an example of a gerund. We can use the word swimming in a sentence as a noun to refer to the act of moving around in water as in Swimming is fun. When used in sentences, gerunds are treated as third person singular nouns (like he, she, and it).

A gerund phrase is a phrase that includes the gerund, its objects, and its modifiers. Because they are derived from verbs, gerunds can take objects or be modified by adverbs. Just like noun phrases, gerund phrases are treated as nouns in sentences. In the sentence I love carefully collecting action figures, the gerund phrase carefully collecting action figures is the direct object (phrase).

To turn a verb into a gerund, all you need to do is add -ing to the base form of a verb. The base form is the form of a verb you will find if you look up a verb in our dictionary. When making a gerund, there are a few things to watch out for:

As with present participles, sometimes we double a final consonant when making a gerund. For example, the gerund of run is running. Generally speaking, these are the rules of when to double a final consonant to form a gerund:

List of gerunds

You can turn any verb you want (except a modal verb) into a gerund. Here is a list of gerunds formed from a variety of verbs:

Examples of gerunds in a sentence

Let’s take a look at some sentences that use gerunds:

How do gerunds function?

Just like nouns and noun phrases, gerunds and gerund phrases can be used in several different ways in sentences. In general, there are four different ways that we use gerunds: as subjects, subject complements, direct objects, and objects of prepositions.

Gerunds as nouns

As stated already, gerunds look like verbs but behave like nouns. Likewise, gerund phrases behave like noun phrases. In practice, this means that gerunds and gerund phrases can be the subject of sentences/clauses or be the subject complement connected to the subject by an auxiliary verb (helping verb). Let’s look at examples of each of these ideas:

Gerunds as objects

Just like nouns and noun phrases, gerunds and gerund phrases can be used as objects in sentences/clauses. They can be used as both direct objects as well as objects of prepositions:

Gerund vs. participle phrase

Gerunds have the exact same spelling as present participles of verbs. For example, both the gerund and present participle of go is going. However, gerunds and participles serve different functions in sentences. The biggest difference between the two is that gerunds are used as nouns while present participles are not. Instead, present participles are used to form the continuous verb tenses and are used in participle phrases. Unlike gerunds, participle phrases are used as adjectives and not nouns. For example, in the sentence Feeling confident, she sang with passion, the participle phrase feeling confident modifies the pronoun she.

To review, gerunds are used as nouns, while present participles are used in verb tenses and participle phrases are used as adjectives. The following sentences show how gerunds and participles/participial phrases are used differently.

If you are still a little confused, remember that gerunds are used as nouns. This means that gerunds can only do the same jobs that nouns do: act as subjects, subject complements, and objects. Gerunds don’t act as modifiers and are not used as verbs.

Let’s look at a few more sentences. Read each sentence carefully and see if you can tell if the bolded word is a gerund or a participle.

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Answers: 1. Gerund 2. Participle, continuous verb tense 3. Participle 4. Gerund 5. Gerund 6. Participle, continuous verb tense 7. Gerund 8. Participle

Gerunds: What Is A Gerund? Useful List & Examples

Gerunds! What is a gerund? Learn how and when to use Gerunds in English with useful grammar rules, example sentences, video and ESL worksheets.

Table of Contents

What Is A Gerund?

What is a gerund? Gerunds are verbals that function as nouns and have an –ing ending.

(This is the present continuous. “Waiting” here is part of the verb. It is not a gerund.)

I don’t like waiting. (Gerund)

(This is present simple, but it contains a gerund. “Waiting” is the direct object of this sentence.)

How to Use Gerunds with Examples

The gerund form of verbs is used as follows:

The Gerund Can be Used as Subject of a Sentence

Writing in English is difficult.

Watching TV is my favorite pastime.

The Gerund Can be Used as Direct Object of a Sentence

I like writing in English.

I love going out to restaurants.

The Gerund Can be Used as a Subject Complement

My cat’s favorite activity is sleeping.

One of his duties is doing homework.

The Gerund Can be Used as an Object of a Preposition

We shall be interested in hearing your comments.

Would you like to walk instead of taking the bus?

The Gerund Can be Used after Certain Expressions

It’s no use, it’s no good, there’s no point in…

It’s no use tying it; you have to glue it.

There’s no point in wasting time.

Gerunds Examples & Usage | Images

Verbs Followed by Gerunds List

Learn useful list of Verbs Followed by Gerunds in English with example sentences.

Miss

He had missed being elected by a single vote.

Postpone

He postponed returning to Paris.

Practice

Today we’re going to practice parking.

Prefer

Chantal prefers travelling by train.

Quit

She quits worrying about the problem.

Recall

I don’t recall seeing any cars parked outside.

Recollect

I recollect seeing Ryder some years ago in Bonn.

Recommend

I would never recommend using a sunbed on a regular basis.

Regret

I regret leaving school so young.

Resent

Many conscripts resent having to do their military service.

Resist

She can never resist buying new shoes.

Risk

He risked being caught.

Sanction

They will not sanction copying without permission.

Start

He started tipping the pea pods into a pan.

Stop

I hoped he would stop asking awkward questions.

Suggest

Tracey suggested meeting for a drink after work.

Tolerate

We don’t tolerate smoking in the library.

Try

They decided they would try living in America for a while.

Герундий в английском языке

В этой статье мы разберем правила образования герундия, его формы и приведем примеры употребления.

Герундий — это форма глагола в английском языке, ему нет аналога в русском. Из статьи вы узнаете, что такое герундий, как он образуется и в каких случаях употребляется.

Образование герундия

Swimming is really good for your back. — Плавание очень полезно для спины.
I enjoy reading non-fiction books. — Мне очень нравится чтение научно-популярных книг.
We ran 7 kilometers without stopping. — Мы пробежали 7 км без остановок.

to think (думать) – thinking (размышление)
to sing (петь) – singing (пение)
to find (находить) – finding (нахождение, находка)
to marry (жениться) – marrying (женитьба)

Особенности правописания герундия:

to lie (лгать) – lying (ложь)
to die (умирать) – dying (смерть)

Отрицательная форма герундия образуется при помощи частицы not. Ставим ее перед герундием.

I love not having to get up early in the morning. — Мне очень нравится, что мне не приходится вставать рано по утрам.
Not lying is the best thing to do. — Не врать — самое лучшее, что можно сделать.

Формы герундия в английском языке

В английском языке есть две формы герундия — простая (Simple) и перфектная (Perfect). Простая форма герундия используется для действия, которое происходит одновременно с действием глагола-сказуемого. Перфектная форма герундия используется для действия, которое предшествует глаголу-сказуемому.

Кроме того, герундий можно использовать как в активном, так и в пассивном залогах. Активный залог — действие происходит с подлежащим. Пассивный залог — действие происходит над подлежащим.

Когда используется герундий

to fancy, to feel like — хотеть
to enjoy — наслаждаться
to (not) mind — (не) возражать
to dislike — не любить
can’t stand — не выносить

I don’t mind meeting with him. — Я не против с ним встретиться.
She dislikes being interrupted. — Она не любит, когда ее перебивают.

to admit — признавать
to deny — отрицать
to consider — обдумывать
to imagine — представлять
to recommend — рекомендовать
to suggest — предлагать

He admitted stealing the money. — Он признался в краже денег.
I cannot imagine keeping such a secret from everyone. — Я не могу представить, как сохранить такой секрет от всех.

to commence — начинать
to keep (on) — продолжать
to give up — сдаваться, бросать, прекращать
to finish — заканчивать

The planes commenced bombing at midday. — Самолеты начали бомбардировку в полдень.
She gave up smoking 5 years ago. — Она бросила курить 5 лет назад.
Grace doesn’t want to retire. She intends to keep on working for another year or two. — Грейс не хочет выходить на пенсию. Она намеревается продолжить работать еще год или два.

to go dancing — ходить на танцы
to go swimming — ходить на плавание
to go fishing — ходить на рыбалку
to go skating — ходить кататься на коньках
to go running — ходить на пробежку
to go shopping — ходить за покупками

She goes shopping every weekend. — Она ходит за покупками каждые выходные.
We will go skating on Monday. — Мы пойдем кататься на коньках в понедельник.

to accuse of — обвинять в
to blame for — винить за
to carry on — продолжать
to complain of — жаловаться на
to congratulate on — поздравлять с
to depend on — зависеть от
to dream of — мечтать о
to hear of — слышать о
to insist on — настаивать на
to keep from — удерживаться от
to look forward to — предвкушать, с нетерпением ждать
to praise for — хвалить за
to prevent from — предотвращать от
to succeed in — преуспевать в
to suspect of — подозревать в
to take up — начинать делать
to thank for — благодарить за
to think of — думать о

He was accused of robbing the shop. — Его обвинили в ограблении магазина.
I am looking forward to visiting Rome. — Я с нетерпением жду посещение Рима.
She was trying to prevent her brother from being arrested. — Она пыталась предотвратить арест своего брата.

to be afraid of smth — бояться чего-либо
to be ashamed of smth — стыдиться чего-либо
to be engaged in smth — быть занятым чем-либо
to be fond of smth — любить что-либо, увлекаться чем-либо
to be good/bad at smth — хорошо/плохо уметь что-либо, быть способным/неспособным к чему-либо
to be interested in smth — интересоваться чем-либо
to be proud of smth — гордиться чем-либо
to be responsible for smth — быть ответственным за что-либо
to be sorry for smth — сожалеть о чем-либо
to be tired of smth — уставать от чего-либо

You are responsible for keeping the room tidy. — Ты ответственный за порядок в комнате.
Are you ashamed of making all this noise? — Тебе стыдно за весь этот шум?
They are really good at painting birds and animals. — У них очень хорошо получается рисовать птиц и животных.

to begin, to start — начинать
to continue — продолжать
to intend — намереваться
to bother — стараться что-либо сделать
to prefer — предпочитать

He continued talking / to talk. — Он продолжил говорить.
They started watching / to watch a film 30 minutes ago. — Они начали смотреть фильм 30 минут назад.

Надеемся, вам теперь понятно, что такое герундий в английском языке и как его использовать. Пройдите тест, чтобы закрепить материал.

What is a Gerund? Definition, Examples of Gerunds in Sentences

Home » The Writer’s Dictionary » What is a Gerund? Definition, Examples of Gerunds in Sentences

Gerund definition: A gerund is a noun formed from a verb. A gerund will always contain the ending “-ing.”

What is a Gerund?

What are gerunds? Any verb ending in “-ing” and used as a noun is a gerund.

Examples of Gerunds:

In the first sentence, “run” is used as a verb. I am “doing” the action “to run.” In the second sentence, “running” is used as a gerund (noun) and “like” is the verb.

In the first sentence, “sings” is used as a verb. Sara is “doing” the action “to sing.” In the second sentence, “singing” is used as a gerund and “makes” is the verb.

Note: A gerund will always be used as a noun and does not replace the progressive form of the verb.

Functions of Gerunds

Gerunds as Subject

Because a gerund is a noun, it can be the subject of a sentence.

Gerund Example:

Here, “singing” is the noun doing the action “to make.” Because it completes the action, “singing” is the subject of the sentence.

Gerunds as Direct Object

Because a gerund is a noun, it can be the direct object.

Gerund Example:

Here, “singing” is the subject of the sentence, “enjoys” is the verb, and “singing” is the direct object. Singing is what Sarah enjoys doing.

Gerunds as Indirect Object

Because a gerund is a noun, it can be an indirect object.

Gerund Example:

Here, “singing” is a noun following the verb “made.” “Priority” is the direct object of the sentence. “Singing” is a noun acting as an indirect object in the sentence.

Gerund as Subject Complement

Because a gerund is a noun, it can be a subject complement.

Gerund Example:

Here, “Sarah” is the subject complement of the sentence because it follows the linking verb “was.” “It” is the subject and the gerund “singing” serves as the complement.

Gerund as Object of Preposition

Because a gerund is a noun, it can be the object of a preposition in a prepositional phrase.

Gerund Example:

Here, “Sarah” is the subject of the sentence, “likes” is the verb and “dancing” is the noun (direct object). However, “besides singing” has been added to the sentence as a prepositional phrase opener. “Singing” is a noun and the object of the preposition “besides.”

Gerunds vs. Present Participles

A gerund is not the same thing as a present participle even though both terms end in “-ing.”

A gerund always acts as a noun.

A present participle is always part of a verb phrase.

What are Gerund Phrases?

Like a gerund, a gerund phrase functions as a noun.

A gerund phrase is a group of words beginning with a gerund and including any modifiers to that gerund.

Gerund Examples:

The italicized texts in the above examples are the gerund phrases. Each one starts with a gerund and includes modifiers.

The first example includes the adverb modifier “at the concert” telling where the singing is taking place.

The second example includes the adjective modifier “three songs” telling how many songs Sarah enjoyed singing.

Summary: What is a Gerund?

Define gerund: A gerund is a noun that is formed from a verb, ending in “ing.”

When considering gerunds, remember:

What is the meaning of a gerund? ( Lots of Examples)

When you say “ I am swimming”, In this sentence, we want to say that it is an action happening now. Swimming functions as a verb.

“Swimming is good for you” In this sentence swimming is a noun (a thing that people do)

More Examples of Gerunds

Drinking tea in the morning is good for you.

Learning English is easier as an adult.

Eating meat is bad for the environment.

I like meeting new people.

I enjoy dancing samba.

I avoid sleeping during the day.

I am looking forward to driving home.

Keeping up with the Kardashians is impossible!

Let’s understand more about these examples

Gerunds as the Subject of the sentence

The subject of the sentence is the person/thing that does the action.

John plays the guitar.

In this subject “John” is the subject of the sentence. John is a noun. Gerunds are verbs that function as nouns so they can be the subject of the sentence.

Playing the guitar is fun.

Gerunds as the Object of the sentence

Nouns can also be the object of a sentence (the receiver of the action).

I enjoy reading

“I” is the subject,

“Like” is the verb

“Running” is the object

Gerunds and infinitives

This is one of the most difficult topics when you are learning English and you should practice this a lot especially if you have a B2 level.

Basically, some verbs need a Gerund after them and some need an infinitive. You need to learn which verbs!

Gerunds examples

I like swimming

I deny taking the chocolate.

I finished making the coffee.

I don’t mind waiting a little bit longer.

Infinitive examples

I want to go home

I need to buy a car.

I decided to stay in a hotel.

I arranged to stay with my sister.

So you can see that verbs like “enjoy” and “like” need a gerund after the main verb and other verbs like “want” and “need” have infinitives.

Here is a list of the most common verbs:

Gerund and Present Participle – What’s the difference?

The Gerund and the Present Participle look the same but they serve a different function in the sentence.

Walking is both a Gerund and a Present Participle because it has the -ing form

But look how we use the word:

I am walking to work now.

In this example,” Am Walking” is the verb tense. We use the present participle (Walking) to form the Present Continuous Verb Tense (Read my article on the present continuous here).

Walking is an activity that we do every day.

In this example “ Walking” is a noun. It is a Gerund.

What is a Gerund Phrase?

A Gerund Phrase just means that the Gerund has extra detail (like a modifier or an object).

Walking to work is an activity we do every day.

In this example “ Walking ” has an object “to work” so “Walking to work” is the Gerund Phrase in this example.

Driving slowly is safer for pedestrians.

Dancing to the music is important to learn the rhythm of Salsa.

Talking too much will get you into trouble in school.

Making bets in the casino is bad in the long run.

Gerunds in Spanish and Portuguese

Estoy comiendo la tarta.(Spanish)

Estou comendo o bolo.(Portuguese)

This is the verb form and is not a gerund in English.

What did we learn?

Please write some more examples of gerunds in the comments.