Lesson Six:�Gerund Phrases

Today we’re going to learn about gerund phrases.

What is a gerund?

• First, we need to talk about what a gerund is.
• I need to explain that gerunds are not really modifiers, but they sort of fit with participles. That’s why I included them here.
• Participles and gerunds are both verb forms that are used as other parts of speech.
• A gerund is a form of a verb that is used as a noun.
• Gerunds will always look the same as the present participle form of a verb (-ing form).
• Since gerunds are used as nouns, that means they can do the same jobs that a nouns does. Gerunds can be:
• simple subjects
• predicate nominatives
• direct object
• indirect object
• object complement
• object of the preposition
• appositive

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Then, what is a gerund phrase?

• A gerund phrase is a group of words where the gerund is the most important word in the phrase.
• Since a gerund is a verb form, it can be modified or complemented by the same things that modify or complement a verb:
• adverbs
• adverbial prepositional phrases
• direct object (if the participle is an action verb)
• predicate nominative or predicate adjective (if the participle is a linking verb.

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Let’s look at some examples.

• Find the gerund phrase in each sentence.
• Walking around the neighborhood can be good exercise.
• “Walking around the neighborhood” is the gerund phrase.
• It is the simple subject of sentence because it names the thing that can be good exercise.
• “Around the neighborhood” is a prepositional phrase that tells “walking where?”
• Their hobby is painting landscapes.
• “Painting landscapes” is the gerund phrase.
• It is a predicate nominative of the sentence because it renames the subject “their hobby”.
• “Landscapes” is a direct object because it names what is being painted.

Let’s look at some examples.

• I like eating pizza for lunch.
• “Eating pizza for lunch” is the gerund phrase.
• It is a direct object of the sentence because it names the thing that I like.
• “Pizza” is a direct object because it tells what was eaten.
• “For lunch” is an adverbial prepositional phrase because it tells “eating when?”
• We gave bowling competitively a try.
• “Bowling competitively” is the gerund phrase.
• It is an indirect object because it names the thing that got the try.
• “Competitively” is an adverb because it tells “bowling how?”

Let’s look at some examples.

• The mother took her children shopping for clothing.
• “Shopping for clothing” is the gerund phrase.
• It is an object complement because it names the place where the children were taken.
• “For clothing” is an adverbial prepositional phrase because it tells “shopping how?”
• The man was scared of flying internationally.
• “Flying internationally” is the gerund phrase.
• It is the object of the preposition “of”.
• “Internationally” is an adverb because it tells “flying how?”
• Their class, dancing for beginners, was cancelled.
• “Dancing for beginners is the gerund phrase.
• It is an appositive because it renames the word “class”.
• “For beginners” is an adverbial prepositional phrase because it tells “dancing how?”

That wasn’t so bad; was it?

• Gerunds are not really that difficult.
• They are simply that present participle form of a verb (-ing form) used to name an activity that is being talked about.
• Walking around the neighborhood can be good exercise.
• Their hobby is painting landscapes.
• I like eating pizza for lunch.
• What activities are being named?
• Walking around the neighborhood, painting landscapes, and eating pizza for lunch, are the activities being named.
• Even though they look like verbs since I am naming things, the words are indeed nouns.

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The End�of Lesson Six

Now go out and attack activity sixteen and seventeen in your packet like the English warrior you are.