Ampayon, Butuan City 8600, Philippines

GERUND
URL: www.carsu.edu.ph

PHRASE
EEP 1 ENGLISH FOR TERTIARY STUDIES
 DEFINITION
A gerund phrase is a phrase that begins
with a gerund, and functions as a noun.

It is a verb ending with –ing, but, it works

as a noun and can act as a subject,
object, or complement in a sentence.
 DEFINITION
A phrase is a group of words that contains
either a subject (noun) or a verb — but
not both.

So together, a gerund phrase can also act

as a subject, object, or complement, while
adding more details to the sentence.
 PARTS
A. Gerund
A gerund looks just like an –ing verb,
but it is NOT being used in the sentence
as an action word. Instead, it is being
used as a noun.
 EXAMPLES

The fish were swimming in the pond.

In this sentence, swimming is a verb

because it is the action that the subject
(fish) takes.
 EXAMPLES

Swimming is my favorite exercise.

In this sentence, swimming is a

gerund because it is the subject- the
thing that the sentence is about.
 PARTS
A. Phrase
The second part of a gerund phrase
is the phrase. Remember, a phrase is a
group of words that work together, and
have only a subject (noun) or a verb –
not both.
 EXAMPLES

Dogs enjoy barking at strangers.

In this sentence, the two parts of the

gerund phrase are:
(a) the gerund ‘barking’, and,
(b) the phrase ‘at strangers’.
 TYPES

A gerund phrase always works as

a noun; therefore, the types of
gerund phrases match the ways
that a noun can be used : as a
subject, object, or complement.
 TYPES
A. Gerund Phrase as Subject

Eating after midnight is a bad habit.

In this example, the sentence is about ‘eating

after midnight’, and so this gerund phrase acts
as the subject of the sentence.
 TYPES
B. Gerund phrase as object

•Direct object – receives the action

of the verb.
•Object of prepositions – receives
prepositions.
 TYPES
Example 1

Eric’s friends tried setting a birthday party for him.

In this sentence, ‘setting a birthday party for

him’ is the direct object of the verb ‘tried’; it is
receiving the action of ‘tried’.
 TYPES
Example 2

Janice got a permit for running an online business.

Here, the gerund phrase ‘running an online

business’ is the object of the preposition ‘for’.
 TYPES
C. Gerund Phrase as Complement

Pablo’s favorite hobby is playing the piano.

‘Playing the piano’ re-states what Pablo’s hobby is,

and gives us more information about it. Therefore, it
is a gerund phrase acting as the complement to
‘hobby’.
Enjoy learning. Stay safe!