Comprehensive Study Guide: Gerunds and Gerund Phrases

Overview and Success Criteria

• Learning Objectives:

  • Define gerunds and gerund phrases.

  • Utilize gerunds and gerund phrases correctly within sentence structures.

• Success Criteria:

  • The ability to define both terms precisely.

  • The ability to apply these forms in original writing.

Definitions and Fundamental Concepts

• Gerunds: These are specific verb forms that function exclusively as nouns within a sentence. They are derived from verbs by appending the "-ing" suffix.

• Placement and Role: Because they function as nouns, gerunds occupy standard noun positions, such as the subject of a sentence, a direct object, or the object of a preposition.

• Gerund Phrases: A gerund phrase consists of a gerund accompanied by its modifiers (adjectives or adverbs) and/or complements (direct objects, indirect objects, or objects of prepositions).

  • The entire phrase operates as a single noun unit within the sentence.

Functions of Gerunds in Sentences

Gerunds and gerund phrases perform various grammatical functions including, but not limited to:

• Subject (S): The entity performing the action or being described.

  • Example: "Swimming is my favorite hobby."

  • Example: "Running in the park every morning is a great way to stay fit."

• Direct Object (DO): The recipient of the action of a transitive verb.

  • Example: "I enjoy reading books."

  • Example: "He loves playing the guitar with his friends."

• Object of a Preposition (OP): Follows a preposition (e.g., in, of, by, for, before).

  • Example: "Her talent lies in singing."

  • Example: "After the accident, Laura was afraid of driving her car."

• Subject Complement (SC): Follows a linking verb and renames the subject.

• Compound Uses: They can be used in compound subjects or objects.

• Possessive Forms: Gerunds can be used in conjunction with possessives (e.g., "I appreciate your helping me").

Modifiers and Complements within Gerund Phrases

• Modifiers: Gerund phrases can include adjectives and adverbs that qualify the action.

  • Example: "She enjoys reading interesting novels." (The adjective "interesting" modifies the gerund phrase).

• Complements: Objects and prepositional phrases can be part of the gerund phrase structure.

  • Example: "I appreciate your helping me with the project." (The complement consists of "me with the project").

Identification Exercises (Group Work Analysis)

• Identifying Phrases and Functions:

  • Sentence: "After the accident, Laura was afraid of driving her car."

    • Gerund Phrase: "driving her car."

    • Grammatical Function: Object of the preposition (OP) because it follows the preposition "of."

  • Sentence: "Learning a new language is taking longer than I expected."

    • Gerund Phrase: "Learning a new language."

    • Grammatical Function: Subject (S) of the sentence.

  • Sentence: "Paul finished painting the kitchen."

    • Gerund Phrase: "painting the kitchen."

    • Grammatical Function: Direct Object (DO).

  • Sentence: "Carlos had a knack for juggling different types of objects."

    • Gerund Phrase: "juggling different types of objects."

    • Grammatical Function: Object of the preposition (OP).

  • Sentence: "After lunch on Tuesdays, talking with friends is my favorite thing to do."

    • Gerund Phrase: "talking with friends."

    • Grammatical Function: Subject (S).

  • Sentence: "Isabel enjoys playing racquetball at the gym."

    • Gerund Phrase: "playing racquetball at the gym."

    • Grammatical Function: Direct object (DO).

  • Sentence: "Running in the rain is a fantastic feeling!"

    • Gerund Phrase: "Running in the rain."

    • Grammatical Function: Subject (S).

Practice Scenarios and Sentence Completion

• Gerunds as Subjects (S):

  • "$\dots$ to school takes me $10\,\text{minutes}$."

  • "$\dots$ takes me $1\,\text{hour}$."

  • "$\dots$ in class will make the teacher angry."

  • "$\dots$ is forbidden and will incur a $1000\,\text{baht}$ fine."

  • "$\dots$ is bad for our health."

  • "$\dots$ might harm or even kill you."

  • "$\dots$ will help us beat the attacking aliens."

• Gerunds as Objects (O):

  • "The cat keeps $\dots$ even though I tell it to stop."

  • "I enjoy $\dots$ in my spare time."

  • "I love $\dots$ and $\dots$."

  • "I hate $\dots$."

  • "Please forgive our $\dots$."

  • "Zombies love $\dots$."

  • "Vampires like $\dots$."

  • "I have stopped $\dots$."

  • "I love two activities above all else: $\dots$ and $\dots$."

• Gerunds as Objects of Prepositions (OP):

  • "Sue punishes her brother by $\dots$."

  • "Jenny was talking about $\dots$."

  • "By $\dots$, you can complete a jigsaw."

  • "In cookery class, the teacher gave a lesson on $\dots$."

  • "We can escape the prison by $\dots$."

  • "The boy was arrested by the police for $\dots$."

  • "I clean my teeth before $\dots$."

Questions & Discussion

• Think-Pair-Share: What are gerund phrases and what is their usage?

  • Response: A gerund phrase is a phrase containing a gerund (an "-ing" verb used as a noun) along with any modifiers or complements related to it. Its usage is to function as a noun within a sentence, allowing actions to occupy the roles of subjects, objects, or complements.

External Resources and Exit Tasks

• Exit Ticket: A quiz is available at: https://wayground.com/signup/qdp?quizId=5ff5d64cb61900001bcfa313&ctaSource-use_activity_cta&fromPage=/admin/quiz/5ff5d64cb61900001bcfa313/gerunds-and-gerund-phrases&action=use_activity