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Gerunds

  1. Verbals
  2. Gerunds
  3. Participles
  4. Infinitives
  5. Practice

First and foremost, a gerund is the form of a verb, but it is not a verb.

Second, it is a noun.

And finally, it ends in "ing."

[In the following examples, the gerund is bold and the verb is underlined.]

  1. Many local governments and school districts forbid releasing student information to any outside group, including the military, colleges or corporations.
    1. First find the subject and verb: GOVERNMENTS and DISTRICTS are the subjects and FORBID is the verb. Is it an action verb? Yes? Do they forbid something? Yes. What? RELEASING. So, RELEASING is a direct object, which is a noun. A form of a verb that ends in ING and acts as a noun is a gerund.
  2. The burning oil and the smashing atoms are good for the environment.
    1. First find the subject and verb: BURNING and SMASHING are the subjects and ARE is the verb. Therefore, BURNING and SMASHING are nouns. A form of a verb that ends in ING and acts as a noun is a gerund.
  3. Coal mining yields 5,000 watts per square meter per day, and an oil field yields close to 10,000.
    1. First find the subject and verb of the clause: MINING is the subject and YIELDS is the verb. Therefore, MINING is a noun. A form of a verb that ends in ING and acts as a noun is a gerund.
  4. The story is the same for high-tech farming.
    1. STORY is the subject. IS is the verb. FARMING is the object of the preposition FOR. An object is a noun. A form of a verb that ends in ING and acts as a noun is a gerund.
  5. Kids enjoy surfing the 'Net, but it doesn't mean that their minds are engaged.
    1. KIDS is the subject. ENJOY is the verb. SURFING is the direct object of the verb. An object is a noun. A form of a verb that ends in ING and acts as a noun is a gerund
  6. The study does not show a link between using computers and improving student performance
    1. The subject is STUDY. The verb is DOES SHOW. USING and IMPROVING are objects of the preposition BETWEEN.