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What Is a Gerund and Why Care?
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What is a gerund and why do you need to know? Maybe it would be better to
answer the second part of the question first so that you have some
motivation to identify gerunds. If you are able to pick the gerund(s) out
in your sentence, you will avoid a grammar gaffe that often goes unnoticed
even by seasoned editors. Is your curiosity at least somewhat piqued?
Gerunds, also called verbal nouns, are formed when verbs have -ing
added to them and are used as nouns.
Examples:
Walking is great exercise.
Hiking up that steep mountain seems impossible.
Talking more about this will not change my mind.
Note that in each of the examples above, the -ing word—the
gerund—acted as the subject of the sentence.
Gerunds, like other nouns, may also act as direct objects, indirect
objects, and objects of the preposition.
Examples:
We like
talking on the phone every night. (direct object)
I give him credit for
talking. (object of the preposition for)
It is helpful to recognize gerunds because if a noun or pronoun precedes a
gerund, it is usually best to use the possessive form of that noun or
pronoun.
Correct:
My running ahead bothered him.
Incorrect:
Me running ahead bothered him.
Correct:
Their separating does not mean they won't continue to be good parents
to their three children.
Incorrect:
Them separating does not mean they won't continue to be good parents to
their three children.
Examples:
Alex's skating was a joy to behold.
Ben's walking improved once his ankle healed.
The girl's dancing won her a trip to Hawaii.
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Pop Quiz
Identify the gerund in each sentence. If there is a noun or pronoun
preceding it, make the noun or pronoun possessive.
1. Working efficiently is required in the restaurant business.
2. She won three gold medals for swimming.
3. The devaluing of the dollar continued throughout the summer.
4. Don't criticize me trying to get his attention.
5. I'd like to know Alicia thinking about the issue.
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Wordplay
Pop Quiz Answers
1. Working efficiently is required in the restaurant
business.
2. She won three gold medals for swimming.
3. The devaluing of the dollar continued throughout the
summer.
4. Don't criticize my trying to get his
attention.
5. I'd like to know Alicia's thinking about the
issue.
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English In A Snap:
68 One-Minute English Usage Videos FREE |
Learn all about who and whom, affect and effect, subjects and verbs, adjectives and adverbs, commas, semicolons, quotation marks, and much more by just sitting back and enjoying these easy-to-follow lessons. Tell your colleagues (and boss), children, teachers, and friends. Click here to watch.
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