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Gerunds - words that look like verbs and act
like a nouns.
You can spot a gerund by looking for a verb +
ing that is acting as a noun.
 Swimming is fun.
▪ Swim is a verb. Swimming is a verb with ing. In this
sentence swimming is acting as a noun.
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Gerund Phrases- contains a gerund and
words that modify and complement it.
 Running marathons is my favorite activity.
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There are 4 types of gerund phrases
1. Subjects
2. Predicate Nominative
3. Direct object
4. Object of preposition
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A gerund (or gerund phrase) can be the subject
of a sentence.
 Gardening is my favorite leisure activity.
▪ The gerund Gardening is the subject of the sentence.
 Decorating our house has been a family tradition at
Christmas for years.
▪ Decorating our house is the gerund phrase that is the subject
of the sentence.
 Roaring filled the air at the track.
▪ Roaring is a gerund used as the subject.
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Usually found at the beginning of the sentence.
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Most of it was cheering.
 Cheering is a gerund used as the predicate
nominative.
 Gerund as a predicate nominative is a noun found
in the predicate.
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A predicate nominative completes the
meaning of a linking verb.
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Mary hates biting her fingernails.
 Biting her finger nails is the gerund phrase. It is a
direct object in this sentence.
 Remember direct objects can be found by: subject
+verb+ who or what (direct object)?
 Mary=subject, hates= verb, Mary hates what? =
biting her fingernails (direct object).
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We could hear thundering.
 Thundering is a gerund used as a direct object.
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Receives the action of the verb.
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When the cars entered the track, we turned
our attention toward racing.
 Racing is the gerund used as the object of the
preposition.
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Make sure it is in a prepositional phrase by
finding the preposition.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Hours of editing the newspaper ruined their day.
Hanging pictures on the wall was more difficult
than she had anticipated.
Try to slip away without telling your friends about
it.
Each afternoon Tom enjoyed swimming a few laps.
Winning at poker makes Matt feel important.
I am demoting the officer for disobeying orders.
Without studying for the test, you are taking a big
risk.
Abby is enjoying listening to Rolling Stones’ music.
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Partner Work:
Write sentences using the following gerunds.
 Be sure to write one sentence for each type of
gerund phrase: Subject, Predicate Nominative,
Direct Objects, Objects of Preposition.
•Asking
•Diving
•Flying
•Leaping
•Marching
•Skipping
•Swinging
•Tumbling
•Twirling