PG 3
What is a Gerund?
A gerund is a verb form that ends in “-ing” and functions as a noun in a sentence. It represents an action or activity and we can use it in various ways. Here are some examples:
- Subject:
- Swimming is my favorite hobby.
- Running helps me stay fit.
- Singing brings me joy.
- Direct Object:
- She enjoys reading books.
- They love playing soccer.
- I appreciate your help.
- Object of Preposition:
- I’m interested in learning new languages.
- He’s afraid of speaking in public.
- They’re excited about traveling to new places.
- Complement:
- Her passion is dancing.
- His goal is becoming a doctor.
- The best part of the job is helping people.
Note that we can use adverbs to modify gerunds or be part of a gerund phrase. For example:
- She loves swimming quickly in the pool.
- Reading books before bed is relaxing.
Gerunds are versatile and allow us to express actions or activities in a noun form. Mastering their usage helps improve your overall English language skills and allows you to construct grammatically correct and meaningful sentences.
Welcome to gerunds and infinitives
DRILL
Instructions: Listen read and repeat the following sentences.
- Enjoy: I enjoy swimming in the ocean.
- Like: She likes dancing in her free time.
- Dislike: They dislike cleaning the house.
- Love: We love traveling to new places.
- Hate: He hates studying for exams.
- Practice: She practices playing the guitar every day.
- Admit: He admitted making a mistake.
- Avoid: They avoid eating junk food.
- Consider: We considered going to the concert.
- Imagine: I can’t imagine living without my phone.
- Finish: She finished writing the report.
- Mind: Do you mind opening the window?
- Suggest: They suggested going for a walk.
- Keep: Please keep quiet while the presentation is going on.
- Delay: He delayed starting his new project.
- Risk: They risked losing everything.
- Postpone: We had to postpone organizing the event.
- Practice: He practices speaking English with native speakers.
- Recommend: The doctor recommended taking vitamins.
- Start: They started learning a new language.
- Finish: She finished reading the book.
- Keep: He kept talking despite the interruption.
- Mind: Do you mind me asking a question?
- Consider: They considered moving to a different city.
- Recommend: The teacher recommended practicing daily.
- Imagine: I can’t imagine living without my family.
- Avoid: We avoid eating processed foods.
- Appreciate: I appreciate you taking the time to help me.
- Continue: She continued working on her research.
- Start: They started organizing the event.
Go here for the Spelling of Gerunds
