Gerunds

Gerunds
Gerunds always end in –ing

• They are used in the sentence as nouns

and in every way that any other noun can
be used:
– Swimming is a good exercise. (subject)
– Jane does not enjoy cooking. (direct object)
– After eating, relax for a while. (object of
preposition)
 Gerund Phrases
• Like participles, gerunds can have a direct
object.
• To find out whether or not the gerund has
a direct object, begin with the gerund and
ask the following question:

• Gerund + whom/what? = direct object

 Gerund Phrases
• Example:
• Giving the money proved a mistake.

• Giving + What? = money

• Money is the direct object of the gerund.

 Gerund Phrases
• Gerund phrases can also have indirect
objects:

• To find out whether or not the gerund

phrase has an indirect object, begin with
the gerund, locate the direct object, then
ask the question to/for whom/what?
 Gerund Phrase
• Example:
• Giving Jerry the money proved a mistake.
• Giving + what = money (direct object)

• Giving money to/for whom? = Jerry

• Jerry is the indirect object of the gerund
phrase.
 Gerund Phrases
• Gerund phrases can also have
prepositional phrases in them:

• Giving Jerry the money on Friday night

proved a major mistake.

• Since on Friday night tells when? The

prepositional phrase functions as an
adverb. It completes the gerund phrase.
 Gerunds
• Gerunds end in –ing

• Gerunds are nouns.

• To find out how they function as a noun,

isolate the gerund or gerund phrase,
locate the main verb in the sentence and
the main direct object (if there is one). Ask
the following question:
Key Questions to Determine Noun
Functions in Gerunds
• What? + the main verb = subject
• Example:
– Giving Jerry the money on Friday night proved
a major mistake.
– Proved is the main verb. Mistake is the direct
object.
– What? + Proved a mistake=Giving Jerry the
money
– The gerund phrase is the subject of the main
sentence.
 Key Questions to Determine Noun
Functions in Gerunds
• Subject + verb + what? = direct object

• We can’t afford making the same mistake.

• We + can afford + What? = direct object

• Answer:

• Making the same mistake is the direct object of

the sentence.
 Key Questions to Determine Noun
Functions in Gerunds
• Preposition + gerund phrase = Object of
the Preposition
• Example:
• After waiting patiently for an hour Bill left
the office.
• Waiting patiently for an hour functions
as the object of the preposition.
Key Questions to Determine Noun
Functions in Gerunds
• Subject + verb + direct object + to/for
what? = indirect object
• The tribe gave naming their children
extreme importance.
• Tribe gave importance to what? =
naming their children
• Naming their children functions as the
indirect object of the sentence.
 Key Questions to Determine Noun
Functions in Gerunds
• Subject + Linking verb + what? = Predicate
nominative
• His hobby is collecting stamps.
• His mother is driving a car.
• Note: since the subject hobby cannot do the
action of the verb (collect), collecting is a
gerund.
• Collecting stamps becomes the gerund phrase
and it functions as predicate nominative.
 Summary of Noun Functions
• What? + main verb = subject
• Subject + verb + what = direct
object
• Subject + Linking verb + what =
predicate nominative
• Subject + verb + Direct Object + to/for
what? = indirect object
• Preposition + gerund phrase =
object of the preposition.
 Summary
• Gerunds always end with –ing
• Gerunds are always nouns
• Gerunds can be
– Subjects
– Direct objects
– Indirect objects
– Objects of the prepositions
– Predicate nominatives
 Note
• Ask the key questions:
– What + the verb = subject
– Subject + verb + what = Direct object
– Subject + linking verb + what =
Predicate nominative
– Subject + verb + direct object + to/for what =
indirect object
– Preposition + gerund = object of the
preposition