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for CHAPTER 3: THE PHRASE pages 107=108

Gerunds
3g. A gerund is a verb form ending in –ing that is used as a noun.

EXAMPLES Bicycling is the perfect exercise for me.

Tommy prefers jogging to other forms of exercise.
Give stretching a try before you begin an activity.

EXERCISE A Underline all the gerunds in the sentences below.

Example 1. When a tropical dry forest is the focus, studying can be a pleasure.

1. Exploring enables botanist Mark Olson to find unusual or rare habitats.

2. In order to examine some plants, collecting has played an important part in his work.
3. The small amounts of rainfall are predictable and make forecasting a dependable science.
4. Under these climatic conditions, surviving is not what one would expect from such a wide
variety of plant life.

5. Whether in Madagascar or Mexico, the thrill of discovering never fades.

EXERCISE B Underline the gerunds in the following sentences. Then, above each gerund, identify its
function in the sentence by writing S for subject, PN for predicate nominative, DO for direct object, IO for
indirect object, or OP for object of preposition.
PN PN
Example 1. For tomorrow’s job market, are the important skills researching and programming?

6. Rosa quit dancing for six weeks after she sprained her ankle.
7. Carita had to decide between golfing and swimming.
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

8. Taxiing is the airplane’s method to move between airport terminal and runway.
9. American artisans have kept alive the crafts of tatting and crocheting.
10. Darla gave sleeping a high priority after she finished her final exams.
11. Isaac did enjoy in-line skating when he had the time.
12. After an hour of searching, Bettie had enough information from the Internet for her report.
13. Would painting have held his attention longer if he had been able to sell his work?
14. The sawing and hammering made so much noise that the baby woke up.
15. Exercising is my favorite way to reduce stress.

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for CHAPTER 3: THE PHRASE

GRAMMAR

pages 108=109

Gerund Phrases
3h. A gerund phrase consists of a gerund and any modifiers or complements the gerund has. The
entire phrase is used as a noun.

EXAMPLES Working efficiently is key to finishing a job.

I like walking in the park or sitting in the porch swing.

EXERCISE A Underline the gerund phrases in the following sentences.

Example 1. Connie kept handing out toys until every child at the shelter had received one.

1. Equipment for sledding and ice-skating around this pond may be rented over there.
2. On tonight’s program, let’s give engineering in this century a closer look.
3. Departing and arriving through customs is now easier for international passengers.
4. Tullie didn’t mind licking the new, mint-flavored stamps.
5. Many students support local charities by volunteering time after school.
6. Voting for your favorite candidate is the best way to promote responsible government.
7. Without excavating further, the archaeologist could not estimate the age of the site.
8. Doesn’t raising the flag on the mailbox tell the letter carrier we have mail for pickup?
9. Once the train left the station, it made up time and began running on schedule again.
10. Two important parts of Stan’s business were greeting customers and managing time.

EXERCISE B Underline the gerund phrases in the following sentences. Then, above each gerund phrase,
identify its function in the sentence by writing S for subject, PN for predicate nominative, DO for direct

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

object, IO for indirect object, or OP for object of preposition.
IO
Example 1. Give visiting Australia a second thought.

11. Riding on the top level of a double-decker bus lets tourists see better.
12. All the actors gave singing in the melodrama their wholehearted effort.
13. Grandmother loves dropping in for a visit with us.
14. According to the committee’s air quality report, carpooling for work would be an asset.
15. Is autographing books for their fans a task most authors enjoy?
16. First on Juan’s checklist was verifying names, addresses, and phone numbers.
17. The electrician began removing the knockout circles on the box for the light switch.
18. Our cheering and yelling at the celebration party took the team by surprise.
19. Gary’s job at the grocery store today was sorting and arranging items on the pasta aisle.
20. My running out of thank-you notes happened at a very bad time.

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GRAMMAR
NAME CLASS DATE

for CHAPTER 3: THE PHRASE pages 107=109

Gerunds and Gerund Phrases

3g. A gerund is a verb form ending in –ing that is used as a noun.

3h. A gerund phrase consists of a gerund and any modifiers or complements the gerund has. The
entire phrase is used as a noun.

GERUNDS Boris likes hiking and camping.

GERUND PHRASE Waiting on tables is a good way to earn money in the summer.

EXERCISE A Underline the gerund in each of the following sentences.

Example 1. Traveling is more fun with family or friends.

1. When the day is over, reading is a pleasant way to relax.

2. The teacher discouraged whispering.
3. When the water temperature is right, diving can be an exhilarating experience.
4. Weeding is essential for a healthy garden.
5. After exams are over, dancing helps to get rid of tension.

EXERCISE B In the following sentences, underline the gerund phrases. Then, above each gerund phrase,
identify its function by writing S for subject, PN for predicate nominative, DO for direct object, IO for indirect
object, or OP for object of preposition.
S
Example 1. Swimming at the beach is our usual summer activity.

6. Understanding quantum physics is difficult for many people.

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

7. Gareth was soon bored with weeding the garden.

8. For Leo, acting in the school play was the greatest thrill.
9. Vivian exercises by jogging through the park.
10. Admitting his guilt was not easy but made Jerry feel better.
11. Howard enjoyed coaching the children’s soccer team.
12. Volunteering with Big Sisters helped Mari decide to become a counselor.
13. Gordon gave designing skyscrapers as a career his best effort.
14. Cristina’s mistake was signing the contract without legal advice.
15. Writing to a European pen pal can be a rewarding experience.

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Participial Phrases and Gerund Phrases

3f. A participial phrase consists of a participle and any modifiers or complements the participle
has.The entire phrase is used as an adjective.

3h. A gerund phrase consists of a gerund and any modifiers or complements the gerund has.The
entire phrase is used as a noun.

PARTICIPIAL PHRASE Designing a chair, he first made several rough sketches. [participial phrase
used as an adjective to modify he]
GERUND PHRASES Evan likes designing the work and drawing the sketches. [gerund phrases
used as direct objects of likes]

EXERCISE In the paragraph below, identify each underlined phrase by writing above it PART for participial
phrase or GER for gerund phrase.
GER
Example [1] Winning the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race four times has brought Susan Butcher a
certain amount of fame.

[1] Determined and driven toward her goals, Butcher raises her own dogs. [2] Tucked away in
the Alaskan wilderness not far from the Arctic Circle, her kennel is a four-hour drive from the

nearest grocery store. [3] Butcher believes that only when she remains this isolated from society
can she concentrate on creating a tight bond with her 150 dogs. [4] Having been a veterinary

technician previously, she has raised huskies in her own unique way for more than twenty years.

[5] From the moment each puppy is born, getting it used to her voice and her touch requires plen-
ty of time. [6] Breathing on a newborn puppy so that it can also learn her scent, she handles and

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

talks to the puppy frequently. [7] Growing closer and closer to Butcher, the puppy is personally

fed, trained, and even sung to and massaged by her. [8] When the puppy is four and one-half

months old, Butcher begins training it in harness. [9] By showing the dogs her love for them,
Butcher gains the devotion needed to create championship teams. [10] In the Iditarod, crossing

approximately 1,160 miles of mountains, frozen seas, and snowy wilderness between Anchorage
and Nome is the ultimate test of a dog team’s devotion.

58 ELEMENTS OF LANGUAGE Fifth Course