Gerunds in English
Level Five: Lesson 56
Gerunds in English
Gerunds are words that end with “ing.” They look like verbs because of the “ing” ending, but they actually function as nouns.
- Traveling to new places is fun. (The word “traveling” is a gerund.)
- We enjoy going to movies. (“Going” is a gerund.)
- She’s interested in acting. (The word “acting” is a gerund.)
(CEFR: B1)
When you hear that a gerund functions as a noun, it just means that the gerund can take the place of a noun—as a subject or an object.
Teaching is a good profession.
He began teaching as a young man.
He still enjoys teaching.
You can learn more about gerunds in this video.
56. gerunds as subjects
In these sentences, the subject is a gerund.
- Exercising is a good way to stay fit. (The word “exercising” is the subject of the sentence.)
- Cooking helps me relax.
- Skiing requires a good sense of balance.
- Writing an essay can be a challenge if you have never done it before.
Note: Gerunds are singular, so choose a singular verb to match the subject.
56. gerunds as subjects
- Running is a good form of exercise.
- Eating pizza with friends is one of life’s greatest pleasures.
Notice the separation between the gerund and the main verb: is.
56. gerunds as objects
In these sentences, a gerund comes after the verb.
- I enjoy skiing.
- We miss living in Chicago.
- She hates waking up early.
- You should avoid driving during rush hour.
- They’re thinking about moving to a new location. (In this sentence, “moving” is the object of the preposition “about.”)
- Our teacher says that he’s interested in writing a book. (The gerund “writing” comes after the preposition “in.”)
- The student apologized for being late. (The gerund “being” is the object of the preposition “for.”)
Verbs such as enjoy, like, hate, avoid, keep, finish, miss, can’t help, can’t stand are often followed by gerunds.
56. gerunds as objects
- He enjoys watching movies.
- She’s not very good at typing.
The gerund “typing” is the object of the preposition “at.”
56. gerund phrases
A gerund phrase includes other words immediately after it. It’s helpful to recognize a gerund phrase because you can think of it as one thing or one activity.
- Riding your bike to work is a good way to save money. (The subject in this sentence is “riding,” which is a gerund.)
- Drinking too much coffee is causing stomach problems for Joe.
- Vanessa can’t stand working at the place where she is now. (In this sentence, the gerund phrase is the object of the verb.)
Note: Gerund phrases are singular, so choose a singular verb to match the gerund phrase if it is the subject.
56. gerund phrases
- Eating pizza with friends is one of life’s greatest pleasures.
- Giving flowers to your girlfriend is a good way to win her over.
56. gerunds vs. continuous tenses
One reason to pay attention to gerunds is because they might be confused with continuous tenses. Take a look at these differences:
- I’m working today. (present continuous tense: am + working)
- Working is essential. (gerund: working)
- He was playing his guitar. (past continuous tense: was + playing)
- Playing guitar is a lot of fun. (gerund: playing)
- They‘re fixing my clock. (present continuous tense: are + fixing)
- They’re very good at fixing things. (gerund: fixing)
Notice that a verb in the continuous form has a helping verb: the verb “be.” A gerund does not use a helping verb.
Making videos is fun! (gerund)
I enjoy making videos. (gerund)
I’m making a video. (present continuous)
A Quick Exercise
Exercise: Choose the correct word for each sentence:
She enjoys (to read / reading) novels.
(Swim / Swimming) is good exercise.
He avoids (to drive / driving) at night.
They are interested in (learn / learning) English.
I stopped (to talk / talking) to my friend.
The next lesson, Lesson 57, shows you how to use infinitives.