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Gerunds
In this video, we’ll dive into the world of gerunds and their crucial role in the English language. Learn what gerunds are, how they are formed, and see common examples to help you use them correctly in everyday conversation. Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and hit the notification bell to stay updated with our latest lessons!
Grammar
Transcript
Introduction:
- Host: Hello and welcome to the English Magnet. Today’s video: Gerunds Made Easy! Ever wondered what a gerund is? Maybe you’ve only recently heard this word, well no need to actually remember that term, but the concept behind it is essential when learning English. Here’s a clue; it’s one of those -ING words. Seriously, most native speakers don’t even know what a gerund is, so by the end of this video you’ll be ahead of the game! So, we’ll go over the definition, formation, types of gerunds and various -ING parts of speech. Here we go!
Part 1: Definition
Put simply a gerund is a word that looks like a verb due to its -ing ending but is actually a noun. It’s part of the larger category of verbals which include words looking like verbs but taking on different roles. So, it looks like a verb but it acts like a noun. I’d say that mimicry is a great analogy here. That’s when some plants or animals have a close external resemblance to another animal or plant to help them survive like the stick insect or the hoverfly. The stick insect is a bug but it looks with a twig and the hoverfly looks like a wasp but it’s just a colorful fly. Well, it’s the same here, although granted, gerunds aren’t as cool. The main takeaway from this part is that some -ing words aren’t always verbs, it depends on the context or sentence.
Part 2: Formation
Alright, so gerunds and present participles (the continuous form of verbs) are formed the same way; you simply add ING at the end.
Example:
cook – cooking
play – playing
taxi – taxiing
And yes, there are a handful of exceptions, let’s look at them:
- Remove the final e – when the base form ends in -e.
Example:
bribe – bribing
commercialize – commercializing
giggle – giggling
Keep in mind that ‘be’ and verbs ending in -ee don’t lose an -e.
Example:
be – being
disagree – disagreeing
referee – refereeing
- Double the final consonant of a short base form ending with the pattern consonant-vowel-consonant. In other words, a one-syllable or two-syllable verb ending in CVC (CVC = consonant-vowel-consonant shown on screen) usually doubles its final letter before adding -ing.
Example:
transmit – transmitting
wrap – wrapping
zigzag – zigzagging
But we don’t add a w or an x.
Example:
slow – slowing
relax – relaxing
- Base forms ending in -ie will swap these vowels for a -y + ing.
Example:
tie – tying
But not pie! pie – pieing!
- Base forms ending in -c add -k + ing.
Example:
magic – magicking
Part 3: Types
Now it helps to use gerunds in sentences to understand their role; it’s all about context! When the -ing form is used to talk about a continuous action, that action is taking place as we speak. For instance (Sophie is running), which means that Sophie is currently moving quickly thanks to her legs. Here ‘running’ is a verb in the form of a present participle.
However, when the -ing form is used as a gerund the action is not taking place. Instead it’s focusing on the activity as a whole and not a single instance.
Moreover, since a gerund acts as a noun it can play different roles, how about looking at some of them:
- as a subject
Jogging is awful in the winter. – Here ‘jogging’ is about the activity in general, not a specific time someone is jogging, and it’s the subject of the sentence.
Traveling to a new country always cheers me up! Here I’m not traveling at the moment, it’s not about a certain time being abroad, it’s rather about the activity of traveling cheering me up. It’s also the subject of the verb ‘cheers’.
- as an object
I can’t stand waiting in long lines. Here ‘waiting’ is an object, it answers ‘I can’t stand what?’ the activity of waiting.
My sister admitted stealing the last piece of cake. The verb here is ‘admitted’, but ‘admitted what?’ the stealing of a piece of cake. Again the gerund ‘stealing’ fills the function of an object.
- After a preposition (object of a preposition)
Several structures require a preposition followed by a gerund
- Verb + preposition + ing noun (succeed in, worry about, rely on + gerund)
Example:
Children benefit from eating fruits and vegetables.
- adjective + preposition + ing noun (good at, tired of, interested in + gerund)
Example:
Are you afraid of flying?
- Noun + preposition + ing noun (chance of, idea of, reason for + gerund)
Example:
We all have a problem with scheduling on Fridays.
- In compound words
Gerunds can help form compound words. These are formed by combining two or more individual words to create a new word with its own distinct meaning.
Some are written as single words.
Example:
Sightseeing is lots of fun in the fall in Paris.
Many landlocked countries don’t know much about shipbuilding.
Others are written as separate words but convey a single idea.
Example:
I need advice on how to improve my (decision making).
(Mountain climbing) is an expensive hobby.
And some are connected by a hyphen (-)
Example:
People are exasperated by governmental foot-dragging.
Please note that most hyphenated compound words are adjectives not nouns.
Part 4: Gerunds vs Present participles vs Adjectives
Now we know that gerunds are nouns ending in -ing, but we still need to clarify the distinctions with other possible roles for these words. So, apart from a gerund, we might be dealing with:
Present participles – That’s the continuous form of verbs, you will encounter them accompanied with an auxiliary in the present, past & future continuous. (other forms as well) The key is that the present participle refers to a specific instance of the action happening. It shows the occurrence of the action, clearly a verb!
Example:
You are listening.
We were learning with chalk and blackboards.
As soon as they come in, they will be reviewing our work.
Adjectives – Some -ing words are adjectives. These words are used to qualify or describe a noun. Usually -ing adjectives describe the cause of an emotion. Most adjectives are either attached to a noun or follow the verb ‘to be’.
Example:
This lesson is so exciting or perhaps it’s a tad boring? (sorry if it’s the latter) 🙂
Do you see the stunning toucan?
Alright, time to compare all 3 with a classic: going!
Try to guess whether we are dealing with an adjective, a gerund or a verb.
Going to the party will be fun! – (3-2-1) Gerund, it’s the subject of the sentence and acts like a noun.
She’s going to the office in a minute. – (3-2-1) Present participle/verb, it’s a verb and it describes the action of moving from one place to another.
The going rate is no longer acceptable. – (3-2-1) Adjective, it qualifies the rate, it tells us how the rate is. In this case, ‘usual’ is a synonym.
One more for good measure: running.
Example:
An hour ago, they were running a marathon. – (3-2-1) Present participle/verb, it shows they made the action of competing in a race.
There’s no running water after 9 o’clock in the morning. (3-2-1) Adjective, it describes the water, that’s the kind of water. Like tap water or flowing water from pipes.
We enjoy running by the canal. – (3-2-1) Gerund, it’s the object of the sentence; we enjoy what? ‘running’ is a noun here.
In a vacuum, -ing words have lots of potential, the better you can identify the role they play in a sentence, the greater your understanding!
Wrap upHost: So, there you have it! When in doubt with an -ing word; pause and look at its role in the sentence; it’s either a verb, an adjective or a noun aka gerund! Repetition leads to mastery, so if you’re in the mood, be sure to watch more of our videos! Hopefully, this has been helpful. A link to some free material to practice by yourselves can be found in the description below. Keep practicing, and you’ll get the hang of it. Thank you for watching. Until next time!