Unit 16 Grammar

Notes: Gerunds

Pages 274-275

1.

A gerund is a noun made from a verb. To form a gerund, add

–ing to the base form of a verb.

1.

A gerund is a noun made from a verb. To form a gerund, add

–ing to the base form of a verb.

1.

For example:

Cooking is my hobby. I like eating, too.

1.

Gerunds and gerund phrases perform

the same functions as nouns.Function Example

They act as subjects. Talking with friends is enjoyable.

They act as objects. I love getting together with friends.

They act as complements (phrases that describe or

explain the subject or object of a sentence)

Our favorite activity is playing cards. (subject complement)

She has trouble making friends. (object complement)

1.

Add not before a gerund to make a

negative statement.

1.

For example:

Not calling her was a big mistake.

2.

Many verbs and verb phrases in

English have gerunds as

objects.

Common examples are avoid,

consider, enjoy and mind.

2.

For example:

I enjoy meeting new people.You should avoid working

late.

2.

We often use go + gerund to talk

about recreational activities:

go skiing, go swimming, go hiking,

go shopping, etc.

2.

For example:

We go skiing every weekend in the winter.

3.

Gerunds act as objects of

prepositions.

.

3.

For example:

I made friends by joining a club.

3.Many preposition combinations

are followed by gerunds:a. verb +

prepositionThey insisted on giving us a present.

b. Adjective + preposition

She’s good at making friends.

3. Be Careful!The word to can be a preposition

or part of an infinitive.to as a preposition:

He will adjust to working hard.

to as part of an infinitive:

He tries to work hard.

4.

In writing and formal speaking,

use a possessive noun or

pronoun before a gerund to

show possession.

.

4.

For example:

Pete’s dominating every

conversation bothers me.

His dominating every conversation

bothers me.

4.

Usage note:

In conversation, native speakers often

use a name or an object pronoun

instead of a possessive in this kind of

sentence.

4.

For example:

Pete dominating every conversation

bothers me.

Him dominating every conversation

bothers me.

5.

Gerunds can occur in simple or past

form. We can use a simple gerund

(without a past participle) to a make a

generalization.

5.

For example:

Making friends is a natural thing to

do.

5.

We can use a past gerund (having +

past participle) to show an action that

occurred before the action of the main

verb in the sentence.

5.

For example:

Having met Jane in my first week of

college helped me throughout my

college career.

5.

Note:

We use a past gerund to emphasize

the difference in time between the two

actions. The simple gerund is also

correct in many situations.

5.

For example:

Having gone to college is one of the

best things I’ve ever done.

or

Going to college is one of the best

things I’ve ever done.

5.

Gerunds can occur in passive form. In

the present, use being + past

participle. In the past, use having

been + past participle.

5.

For example:

She hates being ignored.

She is still angry at having been

ignored.

5.

Be careful!

Many words in English end in –ing

Do not confuse gerunds with verbs

used in the progressive form or with

present participles used as adjectives

in adverb phrases.

5. For example:

I’ve been making friends at work.

(progressive verb form)

Mary is enrolled in a cooking class.

(adjective)

Walking on the beach, I wondered why she was

angry at me.

(adverb phrase)