Summary
In-depth Explanation
What Is a Gerund?
Even though gerunds look like verbs, they do not act as verbs. Instead, they act as subjects, objects or complements in sentences. For example:
Swimming is fun. → “Swimming” is the subject of the sentence.
I enjoy reading books. → “Reading” is the object of the verb “enjoy.”
Her favorite hobby is cooking. → “Cooking” is the complement of the verb “is.”
How to Form a Gerund
For many verbs, we form a gerund by simply taking the base form of the verb and adding -ing to the end. For example:
eat → eating
talk → talking
go → going
For verbs that end in -e, we drop the -e and add -ing:
write → writing
have → having
come → coming
For verbs that end in -ie, we change -ie to -y and add -ing:
lie → lying
die → dying
For verbs that end with a single vowel followed by a consonant (except w, x, or y) and the final syllable is stressed, we double the final consonant and add -ing:
run → running
swim → swimming
sit → sitting
control → controlling
How to Use Gerunds
Gerund as a subject: A gerund can be the subject of a sentence. The subject is the person or thing doing the action. For example:
Reading is my favorite hobby.
Swimming is good exercise.
Cooking takes time.
Gerund as an object: A gerund can be the object of a verb. The object is the person or thing that receives the action of the verb. For example:
I enjoy dancing.
They love playing soccer.
She avoids eating fast food.
Gerund as a complement: A gerund can also act as the complement of the verb “to be.” In this case, it renames or defines the subject. For example:
My favorite activity is running.
His job is writing scripts for commercials.
The hardest part is waiting.
Gerund after prepositions: Gerunds often follow prepositions (in, at, with, after, etc.). For example:
He’s interested in learning Spanish.
She’s good at painting.
After finishing his homework, he went to bed.
Gerunds vs. Present Participles
It is important to note that gerunds look the same as present participles (both end in -ing), but they have different functions in sentences.
A gerund acts as a noun:
Running is fun. (Gerund = subject)
A present participle acts as part of the verb or as an adjective:
He is running fast. (Present participle = verb in continuous tense)
The crying baby needs attention. (Present participle = adjective describing “baby”)
Common Verbs Followed by Gerunds
Some verbs are often followed by a gerund (not the infinitive form). Here are some common verbs that take a gerund:
enjoy → I enjoy reading.
avoid → He avoids talking loudly.
suggest → She suggests trying the new restaurant.
finish → They finished cleaning the house.
mind → Do you mind opening the window?