Gerunds
Essential Question
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When (and why) does a verb act like a noun? |
Grammar in the World
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If swimming is your favorite sport, dancing is your favorite activity, or you really enjoy traveling, then you are at least somewhat familiar with gerunds. A gerund looks like a verb but acts like a noun in a sentence, and a noun names a person, place, thing, or idea.
What Do I Know?
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Let's see what you already know about gerunds with a short quiz:
Building Blocks
Grammar is a complex system and structure of language. Mizzou Academy Grammar Lab spotlights one skill (or block) at a time, but it’s often helpful to see how a skill works together with other, related blocks to build the language structure as a whole. You may find the following resource topics helpful as context for this lesson:
In particular, make sure you feel confident in your understanding of what nouns do in a sentence: nouns name a person, place, thing, or idea; nouns are objects; or nouns re-name the subject of a sentence.
In a sentence, a gerund acts exactly like a noun.
Learn About Gerunds
A gerund is one type of the so-called verbals -- words that combine the characteristics of a verb and a noun. In the case of a gerund, the verb (an action word) takes on an -ing at the end and then functions as a noun in a sentence.
When you add just* -ing to a verb, you're using that new word to name an action. More specifically, you’re turning the word into the name of an action. And naming a thing is the job of a noun. Ta da! Now you have a gerund: a verb root that plays the role of a noun.
*If the -ing verb comes with a form of "to be" (e.g. I am leaving or We were laughing), then it's a different kind of verb. Gerunds work alone.
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A gerund looks like a verb, but it performs the function of a noun, so it can do anything that other kinds of nouns can do. |
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It can be the subject of a sentence: what the sentence is about; performs the action of a verb. |
Exercising is important for good health. Moving gets your heart rate up and improves lung health. |
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It can be a direct object : receives the action of a transitive action verb. |
I enjoy running. Mom thinks walking is better. |
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It can be the object of a preposition : follows a preposition and is governed by that preposition. |
My doctor says it’s important to hydrate well before training . It’s also important to replenish electrolytes after sweating. |
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It can be a subject complement (called a predicate nominative): follows a linking verb and renames or defines the subject of the sentence. |
My favorite part is the stretching. The best workout for the mind is meditating . |
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Words that end with -ing also can act as verbs and other parts of speech. Remember: It’s only a gerund if it acts as a noun . |
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A verb form that ends with -ing and appears with a helping verb is part of a verb phrase. Unlike a gerund that acts as a noun, the verb phrase works together like one verb that performs the action. |
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A verb form that ends with -ing and describes a noun is called a participle. Unlike a gerund that acts a noun in the sentence, a participle acts as an adjective . |
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Try these tricks and tips to help recognize the difference between a gerund and other kinds of -ing words. |
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Replace the -ing word with the noun form of that word or with any other noun. If the sentence still makes grammatical sense, it’s a gerund! |
Example 1: Someday, I will be performing at the Olympic level. Test: Replace the -ing word with a word you know is a noun:
Example 2: I started an exercise program because I value living . Test: Replace the -ing word with a word you know is a noun:
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Look at the word that comes right before the -ing word.
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Example 1: My health plan requires walking three days each week. Preceding word: requires (action verb) Question: Requires what ? Answer: Requires walking .
Example 2: My sister does sprints before finishing; therefore, I never work out with my sister. Preceding word: before (preposition) Question: before what ? Answer: before finishing .
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Look at the word that comes right after the -ing word.
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Example 1: Before a difficult training session, I stretch. Following word: session (noun) Question: What kind of session? Answer: a “training” session.
Example 2: I’ve had to skip some walks this week because most days have required working lunches. Following word: lunches (noun) Question: What kind of lunches? Answer: “working” lunches.
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Image courtesy of Pixabay.com Links to an external site.
The key to understanding gerunds and using them correctly is to look at the words around them and to think about how the words fit together.
- Identify the -ing word.
- Look at the words that appear before and after that word in the sentence: Does it follow a transitive action verb? Is it next to a noun? Does it come after a preposition?
- What does the word DO in the sentence?
It’s a gerund if it ends with -ing and if it plays a noun role.
Do I Get It?
Now, let's see how well you can recognize gerunds and how they're used with the following quiz: