Gerund

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

In Latin and English grammar, the gerund is a non-finite verb form that can function as a noun. The English
gerund ends in -ing (as in I enjoy playing basketball); the same verb form also serves as the English present
participle (which has an adjectival or adverbial function), and as a pure verbal noun. The gerund is the form that
names the action of the verb (for instance, playing is the action of "to play"). In some cases a noun ending in ing sometimes serves as a gerund (as in I like building / I like building things, I like painting / I like painting
pictures, and I like writing / I like writing novels), while at other times serving as a non-gerund indicating the
product resulting from an action (as in I work in that building,That is a good painting, and Her writing is good).
The latter case can often be distinguished by the presence of a determiner before the noun, such as that, a,
or her in these examples.
The Latin gerund (gerundium) is a verb form which behaves similarly to a noun, although it can only appear in
certain oblique cases. (It should not be confused with the Latin gerundive, which is similar in form, but has
a passive, adjectival use.)
In relation to other languages, the term gerund may be applied to a form which has noun-like uses like the Latin
and English gerunds, or in some cases to various other non-finite verb forms, such as adverbial participles.
Gerund comes from the Latin gerundium, which itself derives from the gerundive of the Latin verb gero,
namely gerundus, meaning "(which is) to be carried out".
Contents
[hide]

1 Gerunds in various languages

2 Gerunds in English
o

2.1 Forms of Gerund

2.2 Examples of use

2.3 Distinction from other uses of the -ing form

2.4 Gerunds with a specified subject

2.5 Verb patterns with the gerund

2.5.1 Verbs followed by a gerund or a to-infinitive

2.5.1.1 With little change in meaning

2.5.1.2 With a change in meaning

2.6 Borrowings of English gerunds in other languages

3 In popular culture

4 See also

5 References

Gerunds in various languages[edit]

Meanings of the term gerund as used in relation to various languages are listed below.

As applied to English, it refers to the -ing form of a verb when it is used, as a verb, to form a noun
phrase (for example, the verb learning in the sentence "Learning English is an easy process for some").
[1]

See the sections below for further detail.

As applied to German, Dutch, and the other continental West Germanic languages it refers to a neuter

verbal noun that is identical or similar in form to the infinitive.

As applied to French, it refers either to the adverbial participlealso called the gerundiveor to the
present adjectival participle.

As applied to Italian, it refers to an adverbial participle (a verbal adverb), called the gerundio, formed
by appending -ando or -endo, to the verb stem, like how litigare becomeslitigando and cadere
becomes cadendo.

As applied to Latin, its form is based on the participle ending, similarly to English. The ns ending is
replaced with -ndus, and the preceding or is shortened. However, the gerund is only ever seen in
the accusative form (-ndum), genitive form (-ndi), dative form (-ndo) or ablative form (-ndo). (See Latin
conjugation.) If the gerund is needed in thenominative form, the present infinitive is used instead.

As applied to Macedonian, it refers to the verb noun formed by adding the suffix - (-jki) to the verb
form, like in (jade, he eats) (jadejki, while eating).

As applied to Japanese, it designates verb and verbals adjective forms in dictionary form paired with
the referral particle no, which turns the verbal into a concept or property noun, or also can refer to the -te
form of a verb.

As applied to Portuguese, it refers to an adverbial participle (a verbal adverb), called gerndio.

As applied to Romanian, it refers to an adverbial participle (a verbal adverb), called the gerunziu,
formed by appending -nd or -ind, to the verb stem, like in cntnd/fugind".

As applied to Spanish, it refers to an adverbial participle (a verbal adverb), called in Spanish

the gerundio.

As applied to Turkish, it refers to the Turkish verbal nouns formed by appending -ma or -me,
depending on vowel harmony,( not to confuse with the negational -ma postfix.)

As applied to Persian, it refers to the verb's action noun, known as the ism-masdar form (Persian:
).

As applied to Arabic, it refers to the verb's action noun, known as the masdar form (Arabic: ).
This form ends in a tanwin and is generally the equivalent of the -ing ending in English.

As applied to Hebrew, it refers either to the verb's action noun, or to the part of the infinitive following
the infinitival prefix (also called the infinitival construct).

In other languages, it may refer to almost any non-finite verb form; however, it most often refers to an action
noun, by analogy with its use as applied to English or Latin.

Gerunds in English[edit]
In English, the gerund is one of the uses of the form of the verb ending in -ing (for details of its formation and
spelling, see English verbs). This same verb form has other uses besides the gerund: it can serve as a
present participle (used adjectivally or adverbially), and as a pure verbal noun.
A gerund behaves as a verb within a clause (so that it may be modified by an adverb or have an object); but
the resulting clause as a whole (sometimes consisting of only one word, the gerund itself) functions as
a noun within the larger sentence.
For example, consider the sentence "Eating this cake is easy." Here the gerund is the verb eating, which takes
an object this cake. The entire clause eating this cake is then used as a noun, which in this case serves as
the subject of the larger sentence.
An item such as eating this cake in the foregoing example is an example of a non-finite verb phrase; however,
because phrases of this type do not require a subject, it is also a complete clause. (Traditionally such an item
would be referred to as a phrase, but in modern linguistics it has become common to call it a clause.) A gerund
clause such as this is one of the types of non-finite clause.

Forms of Gerund[edit]
A gerund has four forms two for the active voice and two for the passive: [2]

Active

Passive

Present or Continuous

Loving

Being loved

Perfect

Having loved

Having been loved

Examples of use [edit]

The following sentences illustrate some uses of gerund clauses, showing how such a clause serves as a noun
within the larger sentence. In some cases the clause consists of just the gerund (although in many such cases
the word could equally be analyzed as a pure verbal noun).

Swimming is fun. (gerund as subject of the sentence)

I like swimming. (gerund as direct object)

I never gave swimming all that much effort. (gerund as indirect object)

Eating biscuits in front of the television is one way to relax. (gerund clause as subject)

Do you fancy going out? (gerund clause as direct object)

On being elected president, he moved with his family to the capital. (gerund clause as complement
of a preposition)

Using gerunds of the appropriate auxiliary verbs, one can form gerund clauses that express perfect
aspect and passive voice:

Being deceived can make someone feel angry. (passive)

Having read the book once before makes me more prepared. (perfect)

He is ashamed of having been gambling all night. (perfect progressive aspect)

For more detail on when it is appropriate to use a gerund, see Verb patterns with the gerund below, and
also Uses of English verb forms: Gerund.

Distinction from other uses of the -ing form[edit]

Gerunds are distinguished grammatically from other uses of a verb's -ing form: the present participle (which is
a non-finite verb form like the gerund, but is adjectival or adverbial in function), and the pure verbal noun
or deverbal noun.
The distinction between gerund and present participle is illustrated in the following sentences:

John suggested asking Bill. (asking Bill is the object of the verb, i.e. a noun, so asking is a gerund)

I heard John asking Bill. (asking Bill is adjectival, describing John, so asking is a participle)

The distinction between the gerund and the pure verbal (deverbal) noun is that the gerund itself behaves as a
verb, forming a verb phrase which is then used as a noun, whereas the pure noun does not in any way behave
grammatically as a verb.[3] This is illustrated in the following examples:

I like playing football. (playing takes an object, so is a gerund)

Her playing of the Bach fugues was inspiring. (playing takes a prepositional phrase rather than an
object; not a gerund)

For more details and examples of the distinctions introduced here, see -ing: uses.

Gerunds with a specified subject [edit]

A gerund cannot take a grammatical subject as a finite verb does. (The -ing verb form can take a subject
in nominative absolute constructions such as The day being over, ..., but here it is a present participle rather
than a gerund.) Normally the subject of the gerund is considered unspecified, or is understood to be the same
as the subject of the main clause: in a sentence like "Meg likes eating apricots", the subject of eating is
understood to be the same as the subject of the main clause, namely Meg what Meg likes is a situation
where she herself is eating apricots (see also raising verb). However in other cases it is necessary to specify
explicitly who or what is to be understood as the subject of the gerund.
Many prescriptive grammarians prefer the subject of such a gerund to be expressed using the possessive form,
since the gerund clause serves as a noun phrase. Hence:

We enjoyed their singing. (i.e. the singing that was done by them)

The cat's licking the cream was not generally appreciated. (i.e. the licking that was done by the cat)

We were delighted at Paul's being awarded the prize. (i.e. the awarding of the prize to Paul)

The above construction is common in formal English; however in informal English it is often more usual to use
just the noun or noun phrase (in the objective case, in the case of personal pronouns) to indicate the subject,
without any possessive marker.

We enjoyed them singing.

The cat licking the cream was not generally appreciated.

We were delighted at Paul being awarded the prize.

The above usage, though common, is criticized by prescriptivists, since it apparently places two noun phrases
(the agent and the gerund clause) together without any indication of their syntactic relation. It is compared with
a superficially identical construction in which the -ing form is a present participle, and it is entirely appropriate
for it to be preceded by a noun phrase, since the participial clause can be taken to qualify that noun phrase:

I saw the cat licking the cream. (i.e. I saw the cat, and the cat was licking the cream)

The use of a non-possessive noun to precede a gerund is said to arise as a result of confusion with the above
usage with a participle, and is thus sometimes called fused participle[4] or geriple.[5] This construction
represents common informal usage with gerunds; however, if the prescriptive rule is followed, the difference
between the two forms may be used to make a slight distinction in meaning:

The teacher's shouting startled the student. (shouting is a gerund, the shouting startled the student)

The teacher shouting startled the student. (shouting can be interpreted as a participle, qualifying the
teacher; the teacher startled the student by shouting)

I don't like Jim's drinking wine. (I don't like the drinking)

I don't like Jim drinking wine. (I don't like Jim when he is drinking wine)

In some cases, particularly with a non-personal subject, the use of the possessive before a gerund may be
considered redundant even in quite a formal register. For example, "There is no chance of the snow falling"
(rather than the prescriptively correct "There is no chance of the snow's falling").

Verb patterns with the gerund[edit]

Verbs that are often followed by a gerund include admit, adore, anticipate, appreciate, avoid, carry on,
consider, contemplate, delay, deny, describe, detest, dislike, enjoy, escape, fancy, feel, finish, give, hear,
imagine, include, justify, listen to, mention, mind, miss, notice, observe, perceive, postpone, practice, quit,
recall, report, resent, resume, risk, see, sense, sleep, stop, suggest, tolerate and watch.
Additionally, prepositions are often followed by a gerund.
For example:

I will never quit smoking.

We postponed making any decision.

After two years of analyzing, we finally made a decision.

We heard whispering.

They denied having avoided me.

He talked me into coming to the party.

They frightened her out of voicing her opinion.

Verbs followed by a gerund or a to-infinitive [edit]

With little change in meaning[edit]
advise, recommend and forbid:
These are followed by a to-infinitive when there is an object as well, but by a gerund otherwise.

The police advised us not to enter the building, for a murder had occurred. (Us is the object
of advised.)

The police advised against our entering the building. (Our is used for the gerund entering.)

consider, contemplate and recommend:

These verbs are followed by a to-infinitive only in the passive or with an object pronoun.

People consider her to be the best. She is considered to be the best.

I am considering sleeping over, if you do not mind.

begin, continue, start; hate, like, love, prefer

With would, the verbs hate, like, love, and prefer are usually followed by the to-infinitive.

I would like to work there. (more usual than working)

When talking about sports, there is usually a difference in meaning between the infinitive and gerund (see the
next section).

With a change in meaning[edit]

like, love, prefer
In some contexts, following these verbs with a to-infinitive when the subject of the first verb is the subject of the
second verb provides more clarity than a gerund.

I like to box. (I enjoy doing it myself.)

I like boxing. (Either I enjoy watching it, I enjoy doing it myself, or the idea of boxing is otherwise
appealing.)

I do not like gambling, but I do like to gamble."

dread, hate and cannot bear:

These verbs are followed by a to-infinitive when talking subjunctively (often when using to think), but by a
gerund when talking about general dislikes.

I dread / hate to think what she will do.

I dread / hate seeing him.

I cannot bear to see you suffer like this. (You are suffering now.)

I cannot bear being pushed around in crowds. (I never like that.)

forget and remember:

When these have meanings that are used to talk about the future from the given time, the to-infinitive is used,
but when looking back in time, the gerund.

She forgot to tell me her plans. (She did not tell me, although she should have.)

She forgot telling me her plans. (She told me, but then forgot having done so.)

I remembered to go to work. (I remembered that I needed to go to work.)

I remembered going to work. (I remembered that I went to work.)

go on:

After winning the semi-finals, he went on to play in the finals. (He completed the semi-finals and later
played in the finals.)

He went on giggling, not having noticed the teacher enter. (He continued doing so.)

mean:

I did not mean to scare you off. (I did not intend to scare you off.)

Taking a new job in the city meant leaving behind her familiar surroundings. (If she took the job, she
would have to leave behind her familiar surroundings.)

regret:

We regret to inform you that you have failed your exam. (polite or formal form of apology)

I very much regret saying what I said. (I wish that I had not said that.)

try:
When a to-infinitive is used, the subject is shown to make an effort at something, attempt or endeavor to do
something. If a gerund is used, the subject is shown to attempt to do something in testing to see what might
happen.

Please try to remember to post my letter.

I have tried being stern, but to no avail.

stop, quit:
When the infinitive is used after 'stop' or 'quit', it means that the subject stops one activity and starts the activity
indicated by the infinitive. If the gerund is used, it means that the subject stops the activity indicated by the
gerund.

She stopped to smell the flowers.

She stopped smelling the flowers.

Or more concisely:

She stopped walking to smell the flowers.

He quit working there to travel abroad.

Borrowings of English gerunds in other languages[edit]

English verb forms ending in -ing are sometimes borrowed into other languages. In some cases they
become pseudo-anglicisms, taking on new meanings or uses which are not found in English. For
instance, camping means "campsite" in many languages, while parking often means a parking lot. For more
details and examples, see -ing words in other languages.

In popular culture[edit]

In the Molesworth books by Geoffrey Willans and Ronald Searle, Searle included a series of cartoons on the
"private life of the gerund",[6] intended to parody the linguistic snobbery of Latin teachers' striving after strict
grammatical correctness and the difficulty experienced by students in comprehending the construction.
Owen Johnson's "Lawrenceville Stories" feature a Latin teacher who constantly demands that his students
determine whether a given word is a gerund or a gerundive.
In an episode of Dan Vs., "The Ninja", after Dan's milk carton exploded from the ninja's shuriken, a teenager
said to Dan "Drinking problem much?" and Dan complained that the sentence had no verb, just a gerund. [citation
needed]

In the shout outs at the beginning of his song 'Fuck Shit Stack', Reggie Watts asks "Where my gerunds at?" as
a satirical jab at the stereotypical grammatical rules of rap.

See also

Gerunds and Infinitives Part 3

13. Some verbs can be followed by a gerund or an infinitive, but with a difference in
meaning. List of Verbs Followed by a Gerund or Infinitive (Different Meaning)
Examples:

Nancy remembered getting married. NANCY HAS A MEMORY OF GETTING MARRIED.

Fred remembered to bring sunblock to the beach. FRED REMEMBERED THAT HE

NEEDED TO BRING SUNBLOCK.

14. Some verbs can be followed by a gerund or an infinitive with little difference in
meaning. List of Verbs Followed by a Gerund or Infinitive (Similar Meaning)
Examples:

She likes swimming.

She likes to swim.

Although the difference in meaning is small with these particular verbs, and gerunds
and infinitives can often be used interchangeably, there is still a meaning difference.
Using a gerund suggests that you are referring to real activities or experiences. Using
an infinitive suggests that you are talking about potential or possible activities or
experiences. Because of this small difference in meaning, gerunds and infinitives
cannot always be used interchangeably, such as in the examples below.
Examples:

The British reporter likes living in New York. HE LIVES IN NEW YORK AND HE LIKES
WHAT HE EXPERIENCES THERE.

The British reporter likes to live in New York whenever he works in the United
States. HE LIKES THE OPTION OR POSSIBILITY OF LIVING IN NEW YORK WHEN HE WORKS IN THE
UNITED STATES.

I like speaking French because it's such a beautiful language. I LIKE THE
EXPERIENCE OF SPEAKING
LANGUAGE.

FRENCH, AND THE WAY IT MAKES ME FEEL WHEN I SPEAK THE

I like to speak French when I'm in France. I PREFER THE OPTION OF SPEAKING FRENCH
WHEN

I AM IN FRANCE.

15. There are many "be + adjective" combinations that are commonly followed by
infinitives. List of Be + Adjective Combinations Followed by Infinitives
Examples:

They were anxious to begin.

She was delighted to receive such good feedback.

He is lucky to have such good friends.

16. There are also many nouns that are commonly followed by infinitives. List of Nouns
Followed by Infinitives
Examples:

It was a good decision to move to San Francisco.

His wish to become an actor was well known.

Laura's desire to improve impressed me.

17. Sometimes infinitives are used to express the idea of "in order to do something."
Examples:

He bought the English dictionary to look up difficult words. IN ORDER TO LOOK UP

Janine sold her car to get the money that she needed. IN ORDER TO GET

Juan uses Englishpage.com to learn English. IN ORDER TO LEARN

This idea of "in order to do something" is found in many English patterns.

too + adjective/adverb + infinitive
Examples:

The box is too heavy to carry.

The television is too expensive to buy.

Fiona ran too slowly to win the race.

We arrived too late to see the beginning of the movie.

adjective/adverb + enough + infinitive

Examples:

She is tall enough to reach the book on the shelf.

Brian was smart enough to enter college at the age of 12.

Linda runs quickly enough to win the race.

enough + noun(s) + infinitive

Examples:

He has enough money to buy his own car.

Cheryl owns enough books to start her own library!

Diane needs enough time to finish writing her book.

18. Certain expressions are followed by "ING" forms. List of Expressions followed by
Verb+ing Forms
Examples:

He had fun fishing.

They had difficulty finding a parking place.

She spent her time practicing the piano.

19. Verbs which indicate location can often be followed by "ING" forms. This pattern is
VERB OF LOCATION + LOCATION + VERB+ING. List of Verbs of Location
Examples:

Sarah stood at the corner waiting for Tom.

Melissa lay in bed thinking about her future.

Don clung to the side of the cliff looking down.

20. In addition to simple gerund and infinitive forms, there are progressive gerund and
infinitive forms, passive gerund and infinitive forms and perfect gerund and infinitive
forms as well as combinations of these forms. Progressive forms are used to emphasize
that an action is taking place now. Passive forms are used to emphasize that the subject
of the sentence is being acted upon. Perfect gerund and infinitive forms are used to
emphasize completion in both the past and the future. Study the examples below to
help understand these concepts. To learn more about progressiveness, the passive
voice and the perfect aspect, complete the Englishpage.com Verb Tense Tutorial.
GERUND FORMS

INFINITIVE FORMS

SIMPLE

The teacher enjoys teaching.

The teacher wants to

teach.

PROGRESSIVE

Mr. Smith is really

enjoying teaching his class.

Mr. Smith would like to

be teaching his class.

LOOKS THE SAME AS SIMPLE FORM

ABOVE.

PASSIVE

The students enjoy being taught.

The students want to be

taught.

PERFECT

The retired teacher

recalled having taught.

The teacher was

expecting to have
taught that already.

PASSIVE +
PROGRESSIVE

The students are enjoying being

taught by such an exciting new
teacher.

The students would

like to be being
taught by Mr Smith.

LOOKS THE SAME AS THE PASSIVE FORM

ABOVE.

PASSIVE +
PERFECT

The older students

recalled having been taught that
already.

The students were

expecting to have been
taughtthat by now.

Exercises Based on Part 3 of the Gerunds and Infinitives Tutorial

ABOUT ME GERUND PRACTICE WARM-UP

April 8, 2013 by Amelia in Activity Instructions 1 Comment

This was at the end of the game, when they had already guessed all my answers correctly and with beautiful grammar!

For high-beginners or low intermediates, introducing the concept of gerunds and infinitives can be a little
tricky. I know Ive tried activities that have bombed, as well as others that have helped to clarify the
concept from the get-go. Heres one that got my students laughing, participating and using the grammar
correctly, even before they totally understood it. It could also be used as a day two review or an activity
that helps students recall what they learned in the last class before moving on to teaching verbs that are
followed by infinitives.

Best of all, it takes almost no materials and virtually no prep!

The basic instructions:

1. Put up the five phrases on the white board, just like you see them on the students papers.
2. Now, add your own ideas using gerunds. (See my example in the photo)
3. Divide the students into groups. The groups have three minutes to discuss how the words should
be matched. (I wrote on the board a phrase that they could use, as they are lower level students.)
4. Give the first group one guess at a correct sentence. If they are right, give them one point and go
on to the next group. If they are wrong, the next group has a chance to guess for TWO points
but they have to guess for a different phrase. (If the last team guessed what I cant stand, they
have to choose a different phrase.) This really makes it a more challenging listening and memory
activity, and it also forces them to use a variety of phrases.
5. When they get the answer right, to really increase the listening challenge, dont mark the answer
on the board. That means they have to hold it in their heads or risk repeating their classmates
mistakes!
6. The point value of a correct answer increases every time a group before you makes a wrong guess.
(If three groups have guessed incorrectly, your group can steal all those points and get 4 point for
a correct answer!)
7. At the end, offer three extra point to any group that can correctly write down all five correct
answers. This is a nice way to give all the groups a chance at glory.

This is the sheet the students will be filling out.

8. After the game, hand out the slips of paperto the students, who write their own answers and then
play with a partner or group of 3.
Now, my suspicion is that this simple game could be useful for all sorts of grammar points, or even just as
an icebreaker. What about adding some that used infinitives? That way, knowing which verbs

accompanied which would be strategically useful? What about practicing different kinds of modals? (I
cant, Every day I must, At school I shouldnt)

Expansion Activities
Fundamentals of English Grammar, 3rd Edition
Chapter 13: Gerunds and Infinitives
Activity: Talk It Over Using Gerunds and Infinitives
Page 1 of 2
Copyright 2007 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Permission granted to
reproduce for classroom use.
Materials needed: Copies of the board game provided for each small group. Each
group also
needs a marker for each player (a nickel, a dime, a pencil eraser, a button, etc.),
and each group
needs a coin to flip.
Description: This is a guided-speaking activity with conversation prompts. The
prompts
encourage use of gerunds and infinitives following a main verb. Students can play in
groups of
three or four, using a coin to flip. You can use heads moves one and tails moves
two, or to create
more competition, heads moves one and tails moves three.
Students should use the questions as prompts, and rather artificially, speak with a
few full
sentences in order to practice the use of gerunds and infinitives. However, beyond
that,
encourage students to converse freely about the questions, asking each other
questions for more
details.

Activity: Talk It Over Using Gerunds and Infinitives

Page 2 of 2
Copyright 2007 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Permission granted to
reproduce for classroom use.
Start here
What do you enjoy
doing in your free
time?
What will you
never stop doing?

What do you
sometimes put off
doing?
What is something
you promised your
mother to do?
What would you
like to learn to do?

Have you ever

forgotten to do
something
important?
What?
What is something
special you really
want to do before

you die?

What are thinking

about doing next
summer?

Why do you believe

or not believe in
ghosts?

What are you

nervous about
doing in your
future?
What chores were
you responsible for
doing when you
were a child?
What are you
doing in the future
that you are excited
about?
Do you ever feel to
shy to do
something?
Explain.

What do you think

you are too young
to do?

What do you think

you are too old to
do?

Do you have
enough time to do
what you need to
do in your life?
Explain.

Are you
considering any job
or career changes?
Explain.

What are you good

at doing?

What topics are

you interested in
reading about?

What do you hate

doing?

END
What is something
you cant wait to
do?

When and where is

the last place you
went sightseeing?

What do you need

to do to succeed in
school?

Dancing, singing, eating, sleeping: an

activity for practicing gerunds
Posted by Alice.Savage On September 29th, 2011 / 14 Comments

Many teachers have a love/hate relationship with teaching gerunds. On one

hand, gerunds can easily be confused with participle adjectives as in a
dancing bear, or they can be confused with the present participle in verb
phrases as in, We were joking.
The following semi-controlled activity is designed to help clarify gerunds as
nouns by having students identify and discuss activities that they enjoy.
Level: Intermediate
Time: about 20 minutes
Stage: After a presentation and controlled practice with gerunds.

Preparation:

Make enough copies of this chart for each student.

Procedure:

1. Demonstrate the chart on the whiteboard or projector. Elicit examples

and put them in the chart to provide a model.

2. Instruct students to fill in the chart with gerunds of their own. They
should put at least one gerund in each box and several if they can.
3. Oral pair practice: Have students work in pairs to ask questions and
discuss answers using the question stem provided. Consider modeling
with a stronger student and pointing out the different ways that the
gerund appears. For example:
A: What do you enjoy doing for fun?
B: I enjoy playing soccer.
A: Why?
B: Playing soccer helps me use my energy.
4. Writing practice: Have students choose one box as a writing topic.
Have them write a paragraph about the activity and why they enjoy it.

Lesson Topic: Gerunds

(Although it is not necessary, we highly recommend that you look at our lesson on infinitives after
doing this lesson. To see our lesson on infinitives, click here.)
Your English teacher probably told you that some verbs are not used in progressive tenses, for
example, I am knowing you. No one would ever say I am knowing you. This is INCORRECT.
We have also told you this in previous lessons. (Just take a look at our lesson about the present
perfect progressive.) Many verbs simply cannot have -ing. Here are a few more examples (they are
all INCORRECT):
We are loving our teacher.
It is existing in my mind.
The children are hating my soup.
Now we are going to say something CRAZY. Hold onto your seats!
Add -ing to all verbs! That -ing can now go on
almost any verb!
Did we change the rules of English grammar? No.
book recommendation
Grammar Tests and Exercises (with all the
answers and explanations!)
Here's help for anyone who has something to say or
write but has difficulty doing so. Better Grammar in
30 Minutes features thorough coverage of key
grammar skills, clear explanations with a minimum of
grammatical terms and an abundance of exercises
and activities to help reinforce new skill development.
An answer key in the back encourages readers to
work at their own pace. Click here for more
information.
So what happened? Well, it is time to explain. The rules that we, as well as your teacher, taught you
are still correct. Many verbs cannot have -ing. These kinds of verbs are called stative verbs. These
verbs have little or no physical activity. To see a list of stative verbs, click here.
So, let's explain gerunds. Look at the following sentences? Which words are the nouns?
Alaska is fun.
English is difficult.
That is ice cream.
Which words are the nouns? Of course you know. The nouns are Alaska, English, and ice cream.
You chose these words because you know that you need nouns in those places. The red lines below
show you where nouns are required.
______ is fun.
______ is difficult.
That is ______.
You can put any noun on these red lines (as long as it makes logical sense). What if you want to
sayan action is fun or difficult? That is when you need a gerund. If you want to use an action word

1. I watch airplanes take off. It is very relaxing.

Gerund or gerund phrase: watching airplanes take off.
Answer: Watching airplanes take off is very relaxing.
2. Jaesung got hit by the ball. That sent Jaesung to the hospital.
Gerund or gerund phrase: getting hit -OR- getting hit by the ball
Answer: Getting hit sent Jaesung to the hospital. -OR- Getting hit by the ball sent Jaesung to the
hospital.
3. You should brush your teeth twice daily. This is what all dentists recommend.
Gerund or gerund phrase: brushing your teeth
Answer: Brushing your teeth twice daily is what all dentists recommend.
4. Franklin was warned about drinking and driving . It forced him to be much more careful on the
highway.
Gerund or gerund phrase: Having been warned about drinking and driving
Answer: Having been warned about drinking and driving forced him to be more careful on the highway.
NOTE: Was warned is the past passive voice. Thus, use the passive voice form of gerunds.
5. She wants to be a journalist. It is her dream.
Gerund or gerund phrase: wanting to be a journalist
Answer: Wanting to be a journalist is her dream.
6. You have to take the TOEFL. It is the only way to get into that college.
Gerund or gerund phrase: taking the TOEFL
Answer: Taking the TOEFL is the only way to get into that college.
7. We have studied Spanish. This helped us on our trip to Barcelona.
Gerund or gerund phrase: having studied Spanish
Answer: Having studied Spanish helped us on our trip to Barcelona.
8. Tom Lee took lots of biology classes. Those helped him in medical school.
Gerund or gerund phrase: Having taken lots of biology classes
Answer: Having taken lots of biology classes helped him in medical school.
9. The boys always get in trouble. That isn't any fun.
Gerund or gerund phrase: getting in trouble
Answer: Getting in trouble isn't any fun.
10. People cry. That can make your whole face red.
Gerund or gerund phrase: crying
Answer: Crying can make your whole face red.

Rules to Remember!
1

Gerunds are nouns that look like ing-ending verbs. They can be both subjects and objects.
Gerund as a subject: Cooking is a very enjoyable activity.
Gerund as an object: My father loves cooking.

Gerunds are usually not plural. You cannot say

Playings are fun.

For a list of verbs that are followed by gerunds, click here.

For a list of common go + gerund combinations, click here.
For all charts that relate to gerunds and infinitives, click here.

In general, when a noun is required in a sentence, a gerund can be used. For example
X is easier than Y.
Working is easier than studying.

Although it is not necessary, we highly recommend that you look at our lesson
on infinitives after doing this lesson. To see our lesson on infinitives, click here.

Hello team Streetcar! I know you're still busy catching up with your other academic
requirements but i'll just remind you of your final paper work.
1. Progress Report (by team)
- summarize all important activities that your team has accomplished from day 1 of the
production process.
include attendance sheets...separate for artistic and production staff.
2. Reflection Paper (individual)
- share about the experiences you have had in the class and cite how these experiences
have helped you grow in the process. You can also share your views about the creative
process, about the specific art form that you have produced and how essential this is to you
as a student or person.
Both papers must be encoded on short bond paper and to be submitted on March 14, 2014.
Is that enough time already?
I would also like to meet you on wednesday March 5, 9-10:30am for an evaluation and
updates on collection as well as our future plans
If the date is not good, please provide the date youd wish for us to meet. congratulations
once again! I am truly proud of you all!

2. Gerund Subject of a sentence Object of a sentence a. Object of preposition b. Object of

some verb Go + Gerund

3. Example Gerund of subject : fishing is enjoyable Gerund of object : A. Gerund of

preposition : I am absent from joining English class B. Gerund of some verbs : he finish playing at
10.00 Go + Gerund : she goes riding her bike in the afternoon

4. Love StoryWe were both young when I first saw youI close mw eyes and the flashback
startsIm standing there on a balcony in summer airSee the lights see the party the ball gownsSee
you make your way through the crowdAnd say Hello Little did I knowThat you were Romeo, you
throwing pebblesAnd my daddy said stay away from JullietAnd I was crying on the
staircaseBegging you, Please dont goAnd I said....Reff:Romeo, take me somewhere we can be
aloneIll be waiting, all thats left to do is runYoull be the prince and Ill be the princessIts a love
story, Baby just say yesRomeo save me, theyre trying to tell me how to feelThis is difficult but its
realDont be afraid, well make it out of this messIts a love story, Baby just say yesI got tired of
waitingWondering if you were ever coming aroundMy faith in you was fadingWhen I met you on the
outskirts of townAnd I said......Romeo, save me, Ive been feelling so aloneI keep waiting for you but
you never comeIs this in my head ? I dont know what to thinkHe knelt to the ground and pulled out a
ring and saidMarry me, Julliet , youll never have to be aloneI love you and thats all I really knowI
talked to your dad- go pickout a white dress Not GerundIts a love story, Baby just say yesCause we
were both young when I first saw you

5. Lets sing a songWe were both young when I first saw That you were Romeo, you wereyou
throwing pebblesI close my eyes And my daddy said stay away fromAnd the flashback starts JulietIm
standing there And I was crying on the staircaseOn a balcony in summer air Begging you please
dont go, and I saidSee the lightsSee the party, the ball gownssee you make your way through
thecrowdAnd say hello, little did I know

6. Lets sing a songRomeo take me somewhere we can So I sneak out to the garden to
seebe alone youIll be waiting all theres left to do is We keep quiet cause were dead ifrun they
knewYoull be the prince and Ill be the So close your eyesprincess Escape this town for a little
whileIts a love story baby just say yes Cause you were Romeo, I was a scarlet letter And my daddy
said stay away from Juliet But you were everything to me I was begging you please dont go and I
said

7. Lets sing a songRomeo take me somewhere we can be I got tired of waitingalone

Wondering if you were ever comingIll be waiting all theres left to do is run aroundYoull be the prince
and Ill be the My faith in you is fadingprincess When I met you on the outskirts ofIts a love story baby
just say yes town, and I saidRomeo save me, they try to tell me how Romeo save me Ive been
feeling soto feel aloneThis love is difficult, but its real I keep waiting for you but you neverDont be
afraid, well make it out of this comemess Is this in my head? I dont know what toIts a love story baby
just say yes thinkOh oh He knelt to the ground and pulled out a ring

8. Lets sing a songAnd said, marry me JulietYoull never have to be aloneI love you and thats
all I really knowI talked to your dad, go pick out awhite dressIts a love story baby just say yesOh, oh,
oh, ohCause we were both young when Ifirst saw you