Gerund definition, examples, and gerund phrases

The term ‘gerund’ might sound very foreign and strange, and you might think to yourself ‘what even is that’It might come as a surprise to you, but gerunds are a very common part of your daily life, and whether you realize it or not, you use them every single day.

1. Gerund: Definition, Examples, and Gerund Phrases

The term ‘gerund’ might sound very foreign and strange, and you might think to
yourself ‘what even is that’It might come as a surprise to you, but gerunds are a
very common part of your daily life, and whether you realize it or not, you use
them every single day.
In this article, we have discussed gerunds, gerund structure, and gerund
phrases in-depth. And for your better understanding, we have added a fair share
of gerund examples and ing phrases. By the end of this article, you will be able
to understand gerund structure and use gerunds in your everyday writing
comfortably. So, stick till the end to gain a strong recognition of gerunds:
What Is a Gerund?

2. A gerund is abbreviated using the word ‘ger’ and it is defined as one of the
many nonfinite verb forms in different languages and oftentimes, however not
exclusively, one of them acts as a noun.
In English, a gerund carries the properties of both nou n and verb, such as it is
able to take a direct object and has the ability to be modified by an adverb,
respectively. The term ‘ing phrases’ or ‘ -ing form’ is commonly used in the
English language to talk about gerunds specifically. The traditional grammar
differentiates between the -ing phrases when used in gerunds and present
participles. However, that difference is not followed in the modern types of
grammar, including The Cambridge Grammar of the English Language and A
Comprehensive Grammar of the Engli sh Language.
Moreover, in English grammar the gerund is used to mean an -ing form that is
found in non-finite clauses, for instance, playing on computers. This, however,
is not common for a Latin gerund. Another difference is that the English clause
can act in a sentence as the subject or object, but that is impossible for a Latin
gerund to do.
Just like all the things in grammar, gerunds can take a bit of time and some
detective skills for you to spot them in a sentence. The problem with identifying
gerunds is that present participles also end in -ing. The best way to get
familiarized with the way gerunds are used in a sentence is by studying
examples. So, let’s get to that!
Gerund Examples
The sentences given below illustrate the uses of gerund, and also demonstrate
how a gerund clause can act as a noun when used in larger sentences:

3.  Dancing is fun. (gerund is the subject i.e., gerund subject, of the
sentence)
 I like knitting. (gerund, in this example, is used as the direct
object)
 I never gave reading all that much attention. (gerund, in this
sentence, is used as an indirect object)
 Drinking tea in front of the computer is one way to rest. (gerund
phrase, here, is used as the subject)
 Do you fancy watching movies ? (gerund phrase. in this example,
is used as the direct object)
 On being elected prime minister , he shifted with his wife to the
city. (gerund phrase, in the sentence, is used as a complement of
the preposition)
One surprising aspect of gerunds is that if you use gerunds of the right auxiliary
verbs, you can make gerund clause s that show passive voice and perfect
aspect:
 Being disobeyed can make anyone feel furious. (passive voice)
 Having visited the website once before makes me more
confident. (perfect aspect)
 He is not proud of having been skating all day. (perfect
progressive aspect)

What Is a Gerund Phrase?

4. A gerund phrase is basically a combination of a gerund, which is a verb, and the
-ing phrase. The combination then works as an object, a noun with a modifier,
or both. That sounds pretty intimidating, right?
Let us simplify it for you.
First of let’s look at a gerund phrase being used in a sentence:
Eating a piece of cake quickly is a recipe for indigestion.
Now, if we break it down, it will look like this:
 The gerund used in this sentence is ‘eating’, we have highlighted
it in bold letters. (Keep in mind that the gerund is the noun that
came into being after the addition of a verb and -ing)
 The gerund phrase’s object in the sentence, the thing on which
the gerund is acting, is the piece of cake.
 And, lastly, the modifier is the word ‘quickly’.

5. Sentences With Gerund Phrases
Here are some good examples for you to fully understand sentences with gerund
phrases:
 Watching television peacefully is my favorite pastime.
 My favorite pastime is watching television peacefully .
 I recommend watching television peacefully to pass the time.
These three sentences perfectly demonstrate the use of gerund phrases in
different ways. Moving on:
 Consuming alcohol excessively is not good for your health.
 Watching funny movies defined my adult life.

6.  Jumping with knives on a wet floor was a stupid idea.
 I would not recommend camping without camps .
 His son loves washing dirty cars.
 Do you like travelling with pets?
 As part of her new fitness regime, Susie made eating through the
day her top priority.
 Barton gave running for class president his best shot.
 We make reading four books a mandatory condition to pass our
course.
 The main underlying issue of his arrest wasn’t sleeping on the
road.
 My biggest issue is staying awake throughout the day . (What is
my biggest issue? It is staying awake through the day ).
 Her favorite thing is dancing in the rain.
 A good career choice for him might be counselling students .
 Exercise is useless without dieting healthily.
 She wanted to know more about using a laptop.
 Teachers were happy after finding the assignments .
 The physician recommended doing some light exercise for resting
through the night. (For what purpose? For resting through the
night).
What Are Roles of Gerund Clauses in a Sentence?

7. Gerund clauses can have different types of roles when they are used in a
sentence:

Role of Gerund Clause Example
A Subject Drinking juice is nice.
B Extraposed subject It can be nice drinking juice.
C Subject Complement
What I am eagerly looking forward to is drinking
juice.
D Direct object I cannot stop drinking juice.
E Prepositional object I dreamt of drinking juice.
F Adverbial She walks the streets drinking juice.
G Part of the noun phrase It is a portrait of a woman drinking juice.
H Part of the adjective phrase They are all preoccupied with drinking juice.
I
Complement of the
preposition
He takes great pleasure in drinking juice.

W hen used in the traditional types of grammar, the term ‘gerund’ is not used
when talking about the roles demonstrated in F, G, and H.
Conclusion
Gerunds are not easy to understand, especially because of their uncanny
resemblance with present participles. However, when you have to study English
at any level or grade, be it introductory English or complex English Literature,
you need to be familiar with the use of gerunds, beforehand.
This is the reason we curated our article around students who are still getting
used to the gerund and its use in English. Use the examples to understand its

8. uses and types better. Before you even know it, you will be using gerunds in
your day-to-day life as an expert!