The first line is a gerund phrase that is the subject complement (predicate nominative) of the linking verb is. Examples of Gerund Phrases. Remember, in every instance below, the gerund is working as a noun. Object of Preposition. They can act as subjects, direct objects, indirect objects, predicate nominatives, or objects of a preposition in a sentence. In the following examples, the gerund phrase is acting as a predicate nominative. Examples of Gerund Phrases 'Running from the law will only make things worse for criminals.' For example: “Do you mind my borrowing these supplies?” At a quick glance, borrowing could easily be labeled as a verb. Direct Object. They’re very easy to spot, since every gerund is a verb with ing tacked to its tail. It functions as a noun. It is a participle phrase, which acts like an adjective. Gerunds: A gerund is a present participle that functions as a noun. The gerund phrase functions as the subject of the sentence. Gerund Phrase Examples. (Eating too much food is the gerund. Examples of gerunds or gerund phrases used as the subject: Singing is one of my hobbies. ***Remember the entire gerund phrase becomes one giant noun. Singing for his supper was how he earned his keep. They are created out of verbs, but function as nouns. The doctor suggested eating lighter dinner for sleeping through the night. Page and check your text using a unique Contextual Grammar and Spell Checker. More Examples: Driving slowly is safer for pedestrians. Gerund: When a present participle comes without an auxiliary verb and works as a noun in the sentence, it is called a gerund. Getting a promotion is exciting. It's about a woman writing in her journal by candlelight. Gerunds can appear by themselves, or they can be part of a larger gerund phrase. Example 1 So have some fun with gerunds and keep tabs on just how often they appear in our everyday language. A predicate nominative completes the linking verb and renames the subject. Some people call it the -ing form of a verb. Examples: I like writing in English. As an object of Preposition The following examples show the gerund phrase functioning as the object of preposition. Uninstall instructions, End-User License Agreement & Privacy Policy, The Gerund phrase object in the sentence (the thing being acted upon, in this case by eating) is. Gerunds and gerund phrases always function as nouns. They have a variety of roles in a sentence and can be acted upon in varying ways: Sometimes the gerund phrase is the subject; sometimes it is the object or indirect object; other times it is the object of a preposition; and finally, it can also be the predicate nominative. It has the force of a verb and a noun. Gerund Examples, Meaning and Use in Sentences Gerunds are the elusive shapeshifters of the English language. Blowing bubbles on a windy day is the subject of the verb is. I have considered buying that phone. There are three kinds of non–finiteverbs. The direct object is the noun or pronoun that receives the action of the main verb. 1. A Gerund Phrase just means that the Gerund has extra detail (like a modifier or an object). The subject in which the names are used in the sentence is used in the case of the object. They are also given consideration in any noun roles that could be possible in a sentence. Gerund Phrase Examples. The Gerund Can be Used as a Subject Complement. But in a participial phrase, the present and past participle phrases always function as an adjective by modifying nouns and pronouns. The gerund is obtained by adding the -ing tag to a verb root. Making bets in the casino is bad in the long run. Discovery consists of seeing what everybody has seen and thinking what nobody has thought. We could easily replace it with a simpler object noun to confirm that it really is an object. Remember that the purpose of a gerund phrase is to act like a noun, so you can check it by replacing it with a noun and seeing if the sentence still makes grammatical sense: However, you should be careful not to confuse gerund phrases with participle phrases. Running is good exercise. A brief explanation of the function of the gerund phrase follows each example. Breastfeeding a baby regularly can help her to do away with hunger pains. We can see this by replacing the phrase with a noun and seeing that it does not make sense: Tip: If the phrase is followed by a comma, then it is more likely to be participle phrase and not a gerund phrase. The second part of a gerund phrase is the phrase. In this sentence, the gerund is “cooking”. Vying for Gubernatorial posts is a serious ambition. Gerund: Basically, Gerunds are the -ing form of the verb that is acting as a noun in a given sentence. The subject in which the names are used in the sentence is used in the case of the object. EXAMPLES: Eating too much food can cause a person to get sick. A gerund is a verb ending in -ing, but it doesn't behave like a verb. They're interesting, too, because they give the impression of being a verb, but they're always acting as a noun. For examples: Swimming is very good for the body. The Gerund Can be Used as Direct Object of a Sentence. Gerunds – The -ing form of Verb. The Gerund Can be Used as an Object of a Preposition. The gerund phrase will either have a modifier, an object or both. In the following examples, the gerund phrase is acting as the direct object in the sentence. Teaching English is my passion. Gerund phrases as objects of prepositions: Notice that gerund phrases usually include prepositions (about, at, but, by, for, from, in, into, of, on, onto, since, to, until, upon, with). Just remember they're not the only players in the game ending in -ing. There are no exceptions to this rule. If you remove the gerund, the sentence makes no sense.) A gerund phrase includes the gerund, plus any modifiers and complements. Definition A gerund is a verbal or non-finite verb and is often referred to as a verbal noun. )We could also use this gerund phrase as an indirect object.Like many indirect objects, the gerund phrase running with scissors is introduced with the preposition to. The Gerund Phrase Recognize a gerund phrase when you find one. Copyright © 2020 LoveToKnow. For example, 'yellow house,' 'high school teacher,' and 'the large dog' are all noun phrases. A gerund phrase is created when a gerund – a verb that takes an –ing form and functions as a noun – has a modifier, object or both. Let me show some examples of gerunds and gerund phrases! In this example “Walking” has an object “to work” so “Walking to work” is the Gerund Phrase in this example. We enjoyed seeing each other after a long time. So… Walking to work is an activity we do every day. The four types of gerunds and gerund phrases follow: 1. Like all things grammar, gerunds do take a tiny bit of detective work to spot. 50 examples of gerunds, Definition and Example Sentences The gerund is a verb that acts like a noun in a sentence. In the following examples, the gerund phrase is acting as the object of the preposition in the sentence. Arithmetic is the ability to count up to twenty without taking off your shoes. The phrase will have singular agreement with a verb. 2. The second line, however, is an example of a present participle phrase … its word-form (formation ofwords) 2. Here, “Sarah” is the subject complement of the sentence because it follows the linking verb “was.” “It” is the subject and the gerund “singing” serves as the complement. Gerunds are the elusive shapeshifters of the English language. Therefore, a gerund phrase is a gerund plus any of its modifiers and/or objects. Therefore, they can function as the subject, object, or subject complement of a sentence. Words like swimming, tying, dreaming, eating, fishing, and drinking can all be used as gerunds. Here is an example of a sentence using a one word appositive to rename another noun. A gerund phrase is a group of words that will always begin with a gerund. The gerund is obtained by adding the -ing tag to a verb root. Walking in the rain can be difficult. Given below are some examples of gerund phrases. Well, it is not acting like a noun and thus does not satisfy the four rules of gerund phrases. Signing autographs takes time. Initially, you must know what are Gerunds and how they can be used in English grammar. Examples include: Taking my dog for a walk is fun. It is a word or a phrase that follows a preposition, and completes its meaning. Syntax i.e. For example, in the examples below the gerund phrases answer or define the first part of the sentence. The doctor suggested drinking warm milk for sleeping through the night. Gerund as Object of Preposition. 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