Meaning of a Gerund
The gerund is a noun formed from a verb. Simply put, we create Gerunds by adding ing to the end of a Verb. Some examples of Gerunds are “running, staying,” and “buying.”
Gerunds are used after certain Verbs, like “enjoy, avoid, finish, suggest,” and “keep.” Below are some examples of the Gerund in action.
Gerunds may appear alone or with other words to form a Gerund Phrase. Collectively, this phrase behaves like a single noun.
Example of a Gerund in a complex sentence
How can I use Gerunds in a full sentence?
(The Gerund is underlined for clarity)
It’s said that you should avoid staring at the Sun. However, looking at the Sun is the job of many Astronomers. They use many specialized tools for Sun Gazing, such as black tinted sunglasses.
A Bit of Grammar
What about syntax and Gerunds?
Typically, “stare, look,” and “gaze” is used as Verbs. For example, your mother might have once said “Don’t stare at the Sun.” This is a straightforward sentence: “don’t” is the Negative Verb, “stare” is the Verb and “Sun” is the final Noun.
However, when using a Gerund, the Verb becomes a Noun. This concept may be hard to grasp at first, even native English speakers struggle with the concept at first because sentences with Gerunds appears to read like this:
Verb Group | Preposition Group | Noun Group
But this just isn’t so. Looking at our example, “Staring at the Sun” is no longer an action but a thing, a thing you happen to do.
Examples of Gerunds
- Alexi has enjoyed running along the beach in the morning.
- We avoid staying awake so late on weekdays.
- He suggested buying a refrigerator magnet as a souvenir.
Let’s practice
- Try making your own sentence using a gerund in it.
- Name some of the things you should keep doing to improve your English skills.
- Should you avoid eating fast food? Why or why not?
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Eigooo, the English Training Chat Application
To improve your English, the best way is to practice every day.
Eigooo supports you with a 24/7 chat service with real teachers.
- You can chat with the teacher one-on-one.
- The teacher will make immediate corrections to your messages.
- No need to make a reservation. You can start whenever you want.
- The free trial is ready.
Sign up now and get free messages to try it out
