What is a Gerund? How Can a Noun be Derived from a Verb?

A gerund is a type of verbal that has the form of a verb but acts as a noun. In fact, because a gerund looks identical to the present participle some grammarians refer to it as the gerund-participle. This is because both the gerund and the present participle end in -ing and are formed from verbs.

Let’s clarify: Some grammar sites will tell you that a participle can function as a noun and this is technically true, but you could say that a present participle that functions a noun is a gerund.

But how can a word derived from a verb and called a verbal act as a noun? There’s a simple explanation. The gerund expresses the abstract concept of the verb.

A gerund is a verbal. This means that it expresses and abstract concept. A thing. For example, walking is a thing. You do this thing or you act on this thing. Thinking is a thing you do. So is loving, eating, swimming, and running.

Let’s delve deeper into what a gerund actually represents. So we know that a gerund is formed from a verb. A verb is defined as either an action or a state of being. A gerund, in effect, represents the concept of the action, not the actual performance. We can use gerunds to talk about these actions or states of being in an abstract way.

So a way to think about gerunds is to view them as a representation of a concept or a thing that you do or are.

In this lesson, you will learn about the gerund as the subject, the subject complement, the direct object, and the object of the prepositions. The gerund as the indirect object and the object of a possessive pronoun will be discussed in a future lesson.

There is a short quiz where you will test your knowledge.

00:00 Introduction
00:10 Definition of the Gerund
02:22 The Gerund and Its Function in the Sentence
02:38 The Gerund as the Subject of the Sentence
03:07 The Gerund as the Subject Complement
03:33 The Gerund as the Direct Object
03:59 The Gerund as the Object of the Preposition
04:27 CAUTION: Not all Words Ending in -ING are Gerunds
06:18 QUIZ
07:19 Closing Remarks