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- Definition and Nature: A gerund is a verbal noun formed by adding -ing to a verb. It functions as a noun while retaining verb characteristics, such as suggesting an action.
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Distinctions:
- Gerund vs. Participle: A gerund acts as a noun, whereas a participle acts as an adjective or a verb.
- Gerund vs. Plain Noun: Some -ing words are simply the names of things (like "the painting") and are considered plain nouns rather than gerunds.
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Noun Functions:
The gerund can perform several roles typical of a noun:
- Subject of a sentence: e.g., "Cycling relaxes me."
- Object of a main verb: e.g., "I love embroidering."
- Subject complement: e.g., "My favourite pastime is reading."
- Object of a preposition: e.g., "Sahil is good at acting."
- Advanced Noun Roles: Gerunds can be modified by possessive forms (e.g., "Mayank's praising"), act as adjectives qualifying other nouns (e.g., "running shoes"), or follow determiners/adjectives (e.g., "a thorough reading").
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Verb Functions:
Because it is derived from a verb, a gerund can:
- Take an object: Like a transitive verb (e.g., "Learning new languages").
- Be modified by an adverb: (e.g., "working hard").
- Gerunds and Infinitives: Gerunds can often be replaced by to-infinitives without changing the meaning (e.g., "likes painting" vs "likes to paint"). However, with certain verbs, the replacement changes the meaning (e.g., "remembered meeting" implies a past memory, while "remembered to meet" implies a task to be performed).
- The Gerund Phrase: A gerund phrase consists of a gerund plus its objects, complements, or adverbials. The entire phrase functions as a single noun unit and can serve as a subject, object, or complement within a sentence (e.g., "Travelling through the countryside made me nostalgic").
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