I. GERUNDS AND INFINITIVES: INTRODUCTION AND REVIEW (ALL ABOUT GERUNDS AND INFINITIVES)
2. Gerunds
2.1 Gerunds as Subjects
A noun or noun phrase is usually used as the subject of a sentence.
Examples
Doubts about our abilities often trouble us.
Tennis is good exercise.
Communication skills are important to our career.
A gerund can be used as an alternative to a noun or noun phrase as the subject of a sentence.
Examples
Doubting our abilities often troubles us.
Playing tennis is good exercise.
Communicating with skill is important to our career.
A gerund can be used as an alternative to a noun or noun phrase as the subject of a clause.
Examples
When people were working in the past, coffee breaks were a part of their workday.
When people were working in the past, taking coffee breaks was a part of their workday.
Remember that a Gerund is not the same as a noun. It can have an object, just like a verb can have an object.
Gerund = Bold, Object of the Gerund = Underlined
Washing your car is a pleasant thing to do on a hot day.
My mother loved singing a song while she was baking in the kitchen.
Notice that a Gerund is singular and requires a singular verb after it.
Compare:
Doubts about our abilities often trouble us.
Playing tennis is good exercise. (linking verb)
Doubting our abilities often troubles us. (3rd-person singular verb has 's' added to it)
Since a Gerund is written with an '-ing' form, be careful not to confuse Gerund forms with the Continuous Tense Verbs. The Continuous Tense Verb has the verb 'BE' in front of the '-ing' form of the verb, while the Gerund does not have the verb 'BE'.
Here, the sentence pattern of 'subject + linking verb + modifier' uses the verb BE as the linking verb. In this sentence pattern, if the verb BE is followed by a gerund, it may look like a continuous tense verb.
To see this more clearly, switch the Gerund modifier to the position of subject of the sentence.
Example
The most important thing is [coming to work on time].
[Coming to work] on time is the most important thing.
Exercise 1: Use a Gerund from the following list to complete the sentences.
Word List: applying, organizing, calling, receiving, communicating, collecting.
1. your desk can improve your mental focus.
2. a friend when you are stressed can reduce your anxiety.
3. money for hungry children helped Jordan express his empathy.
4. your needs at work helps others to know how best to work with you.
5. a well-thought-out gift can make you feel appreciated.
6. for a job these days has become mostly online.
Exercise 2: Write your own gerund as a subject in the blanks below.
7. $200 could really make your day a good one.
8. a good job is not always easy.
9. with your parents is sometimes difficult.
10. a pet is usually a good experience.
11. a messy room can make you depressed.
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