Escolar Documentos
Profissional Documentos
Cultura Documentos
Although the term might sound foreign, the gerund is a common part of speech that most of us
use every day, whether we know it or not. In these notes you will take an in-depth look at
gerunds and see several examples of gerunds so youll feel comfortable using them in your
writing, and so that you will be able to recognize them when you see them.
Gerunds are words that are formed with verbs but act as nouns. Theyre very easy to spot, since
every gerund is a verb with ing tacked to its tail. There are no exceptions to this rule.
Like all things grammar, gerunds do take a tiny bit of detective work to spot. The problem here is
that present participles also end with the letters ing. Besides being able to spot gerunds, you
should be able to tell the difference between a gerund and a present participle.
Lets go back to the definition of a gerund for a moment. Remember that gerunds are words that
are formed with verbs but act as nouns. Present participles do not act as nouns. Instead, they act
as modifiers or complete progressive verbs. To find gerunds in sentences, just look for a verb +
ing that is used as a noun. Its that simple.
Examples of Gerunds
As you read these examples of gerunds, notice the verbs they contain, and notice that every single
one of them ends in ing. By the end of this quick lesson, youll have no problem recognizing
gerunds when you see them.
1. Swimming in the ocean has been Sharons passion since she was five years old.
2. Lets go dancing at the club tonight.
3. Ive been dreaming of summer all winter long.
4. Holly decided that flying above the clouds was the most incredible experience shed ever
had.
5. Bill avoided doing his math assignment because the World Series was on.
1
The key here is that in all these examples, you have to ask yourself what is the meaning in its
relation to the subject (What has been Sharons passion? What should we do tonight? What have I
been dreaming all winter long? What has Holly decided?)
Examples:
Infinitives are the "to" form of the verb. The infinitive form of "learn" is "to learn." You can
also use an infinitive as the subject, the complement, or the object of a sentence.
Examples:
Examples:
Gerunds sound more natural and would be more common in everyday English. Infinitives
emphasize the possibility or potential for something and sound more philosophical. If this sounds
confusing, just remember that 90% of the time, you will use a gerund as the subject or
complement of a sentence.
Examples:
1
Nikoli pa ne gre nedoloniki predlog to v kombinacijo z glagolnikom (gerund)
2
As the object of a sentence, it is more difficult to choose between a gerund or an infinitive. In
such situations, gerunds and infinitives are not normally interchangeable. Usually, the main verb
in the sentence determines whether you use a gerund or an infinitive.
Examples:
Examples:
Examples:
Exercice
2. Max avoided_______________his cell phone when other people were in the room. (USE)
5. Frank completed_______________the new barn last week. Next, he is going to paint it red.
(BUILD)
6. Don't worry, I don't mind_______________dinner. I think I'll make fish with steamed vegetables,
and a big salad on the side! (MAKE)
3
7. Crying, the mother looked into the television camera and said, "Society will no longer
tolerate_______________." (DRINK AND DRIVE)
8. Karen and Neil would like_______________that new dance club downtown. It's supposed to have
one of the largest dance floors in the world. (TRY)
9. I can't see_______________a car when you don't even have a driver's license. That doesn't make
any sense! (BUY)