Recommended level: Advanced (C1)
Quick Reference
Gerunds are verbal nouns which are formed with a verb+ing. For example, swimming, dancing, playing, fixing, etc.
Gerunds (cooking) and gerund phrases (cooking in the kitchen) function as nouns in sentences.
Gerunds have five main uses:
1. Subject of a sentence: Running makes me tired.
2. Object of a verb: She stopped calling me.
3. Subject complement: One of my favourite activities is swimming.
4. Object of a preposition: I'm tired of listening to him.
5. Object of a possessive: I'm sick of his complaining.
Gerunds can also be used to form passive sentences in the present (with being) and the past (with having been):
Present: Nobody likes being used.
Past: We were thrilled about having been selected for the award.
The difference between a gerund and a present participle is function. Gerunds act as nouns. Present participles have numerous functions, including as verbs in the continuous tenses, adjectives, and as part of participial phrases.
"What's a gerund?" If you have ever asked this question, you are probably an English learner or an English teacher. The truth is, most people who speak English as a first language have never heard of this term even though they use gerunds every day. In this lesson, you will learn the main functions of gerunds, including how to use them in their passive forms.
So, what is a gerund?
A gerund is a word which looks like an -ing verb, but which functions as a noun. Another way to think of a gerund is as a verbal noun. Here are some common examples of gerunds: swimming, reading, playing, talking, arguing, fishing, smoking, drinking, and...you get the picture.
To add to this, we can also create gerund phrases. For instance, dancing in the park, reading alone, talking in class, fishing by the lake, playing basketball, arguing non-stop, and so on.
So far, so good? Okay, now, let's get down to business.
How to use gerunds: The 5 core functions
So far, we have learned that gerunds are verbal nouns, and that they can also be used to make phrases. With these points in mind, gerunds and gerund phrases can do everything that nouns can do. What does this mean? Let's go step by step.
A gerund can be the subject of a sentence.
This one is simple enough to understand. Take a look at these examples:
Smoking damages your lungs.
Swimming helps increase your lung capacity.
Boxing has been around for thousands of years.
Learning a second language can reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease.
Spending too much time in front of a screen has been proven to increase fatigue and depression.
In all of these cases, the gerund or gerund phrase is in the subject position. The sentence is about the gerund or gerund phrase. Let's move on.
A gerund can be the object of a verb.
This one is also simple enough. Look at these five examples:
We have finished cleaning.
Please stop shouting.
I miss going to the library once a week.
She enjoys reading on weekends.
Have you considered moving to a different city?
As you can see, the gerund in these cases is not a subject, but always comes after a verb, and is therefore the object of a verb. Got it? Good. Let's keep going.
A gerund can be a subject complement.
A subject complement is a word or phrase which gives you more information about, and which completes, the subject of sentence. In these cases, the subject is usually a longer phrase which is usually followed by the linking verb, be. Don't worry. We'll go slowly with this one. Here are some examples:
One of the most important aspects of filmmaking is editing.
Her favourite winter sport is skiing.
One of his favourite things to do was playing board games.
His focus became helping others to succeed.
My primary concern is finding a solution to this problem.
While I used the verb became in one of the examples above, the verb be is used as the linking verb in 99% of English sentences of this type, so you should stick with it. If you are wondering why the gerunds and gerund phrases above are called subject complements, it's because they are necessary to complete the subject and provide more information about it. Also, you can flip the sentences and have the same meaning. For instance, instead of saying, "Her favourite winter sport is skiing," it's just as possible to say, "Skiing is her favourite winter sport." The two parts opposite the verb be need each other. This is not the case with a verb such as enjoy. For example, while you can say "She enjoys reading," it would be considered ungrammatical and strange to say, "Reading enjoys she."
Okay. Let's keep going.
A gerund can be the object of a preposition.
Remember: Prepositions (at, for, on, with, etc.) need objects. Objects are nouns, noun phrases, or pronouns. We have already established that gerunds act like nouns, so it makes sense that they can follow prepositions as well. Take a look:
I'm tired of painting.
Are you excited about moving?
He was accused of stealing.
I'm not that good at baking.
I wasn't accustomed to waking up that early.
There are countless phrases which end in prepositions. If you would like to follow those prepositions with an activity, that activity will typically use the verb+ing gerund form. If you are wondering about the word to in a sentence like, "I want to see you," it does not function as a preposition in this case, but as a particle--a "junk word" which we use to complete a structure. For more information on this topic, you can watch my video on 20 "to" Phrases which Can Use Verb+ing. For now, let's take a look at the final core function of a gerund.
A gerund can be the object of a possessive.
You have probably heard sentences like these, and perhaps you have even used them yourself:
I want to improve my speaking.
I'm sick and tired of your complaining.
Darek's writing is very neat.
I love my mom's cooking.
Your reading has improved since our last lesson.
Of course, context is important. For instance, it's much more common to say, "I need your help," than "I need your helping." If there is another noun form available instead of a gerund, it is sometimes preferred, or at least possible. For example, instead of saying, "I'm sick and tired of your complaining," you could also say, "I'm sick and tired of your complaints."
I realize this is a lot of information, but I hope you now have a better idea of how and when to use gerunds. But wait! We are not finished just yet. There are still two more things we need to learn.
Passive present gerunds - "being"
You can create passive sentences with gerunds. In the present form, these all begin with the word being followed by a past participle to create a gerund phrase. You can use the passive with all five structures mentioned above. Let's take a look at five examples:
Being ignored doesn't feel good. (gerund as subject of a sentence)
No one likes being lied to. (gerund as object of a verb)
What the players love most is being given the freedom to practice how they want. (gerund as subject complement)
I'm sick of being treated like a number. (gerund as object of a preposition)
We talked about your being promoted. (gerund as object of a possessive)
This is a more advanced structure, so to practice it, finish these sentences with your own ideas. Remember, you must follow being with a past participle verb in these cases:
No one likes being...
I'm tired of being...
I miss being...
Now, let's move on to passive gerunds in the past.
Passive past gerunds - "having been"
To make a passive past gerund, use having been plus a past participle verb. The having been part of the sentence clarifies that something happened before another past action. Let's take a look at five examples with the five functions we have already discussed.
Having been criticized for his work made him feel insecure. (gerund as subject of a sentence)
They didn't like having been overlooked for the award. (gerund as object of a verb)
My proudest moment was having been selected to join the team. (gerund as subject complement)
She told me about having been scolded for her mistake. (gerund as object of a preposition)
Have you informed him about her having been fired? (gerund as object of a possessive)
If you felt a little strange while you were reading these sentences, don't worry. The truth is, this structure is not very common, as most English speakers will usually opt to use the present form being, since the past is usually clear from context. For instance, it makes perfect sense to say, "They didn't like being overlooked for the award" instead of "They didn't like having been overlooked for the award." Both sentences are correct and can be understood as referring to the past based on context.
Also, there is another usage of having been which looks like a gerund phrase, but is in fact called a participial phrase. Take a look:
Having been given the job, he decided to celebrate with his family.
This is a participial phrase since it doesn't act as a noun, which is what is necessary for a gerund or gerund phrase. Instead, it acts more like an adjective to describe why he decided to celebrate with his family. The gerund phrase in this case would need to be followed by a verb, for instance, "Having been given the job helped to boost his confidence."
In the end, this type of "grammar chopping" can become a bit annoying. The most important things is that you understand the meaning of each sentence. Only grammar teachers really need to worry about the terminology.
And speaking of terminology and grammar chopping, we have just one small question to address before we finish. That question is...
What is the difference between a gerund and a present participle?
We know that gerunds are formed with a verb+ing, and that they act as nouns or noun phrases. But about these sentences?
We were playing soccer in the backyard.
She has a wandering mind.
I've been waiting here for an hour.
She is being helped by someone.
They are discussing the agenda for the meeting.
It's moving day!
Walking to school, he saw an ambulance.
These are all present participles. A present participle has numerous functions. To keep things efficient for now, they are used in all continuous tenses in English (including the passive, as in the sentence, "She is being helped"), they can function as adjectives, and, as in the section above this one, they can be used in participial phrases to give us more context about a situation. This is also the case for, "Walking to school, he saw an ambulance."
In short, function is what differentiates gerunds and present participles. If you remember that gerunds function as nouns and noun phrases, you should be able to identify a present participle with ease, as they are used in all other verb+ing cases which are not covered by a gerund.
Conclusion: 7 ways to use gerunds
To sum up, a gerund is a verbal noun. This means that it looks like an -ing verb, but it functions as a noun or noun phrase. It can be the subject of a sentence, the object of a verb, a subject complement, the object of a preposition, the object of a possessive, and it can be used in present and past passive constructions. Gerunds are different from present participles, which are used in the continuous tenses, as adjectives, and as part of participial phrases. If you remember that a gerund functions as a noun, you should be able to differentiate between gerunds and present participles without too much difficulty.
And that's it! I hope you enjoyed this lesson, and that you now have a clearer idea of what gerunds are and how they work.
Finally, if you would like to support my ability to continue doing this type of work, please consider buying one of my books. They are available in PDF, e-Book, and paperback formats. Until next time, thanks for reading, and remembering to keep practicing.
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