What is a gerund?
Q: What is a gerund?
A: A gerund is a verb used as a noun. It is formed by adding -ing to the end of the verb root.
Q: How does it behave within a clause?
A: Within a clause, the gerund can act like a verb and be modified by an adverb or have an object. The entire clause then acts as a noun within the larger sentence.
Q: What is an example of using a gerund?
A: An example of using a gerund would be "Eating this cake is easy". In this sentence, "eating this cake" functions as the non-finite clause and "eating" is the verb while "this cake" is its object.
Q: Are all words that end in -ing considered to be gerunds?
A: No, not all words that end in -ing are considered to be gerunds. Gerunds are verbs that retain their verb characteristics and function simultaneously as both nouns and verbs, while other deverbal nouns ending in -ing only act as common nouns without any verb characteristics.
Q: What distinguishes between deverbal nouns and gerunds?
A: The formal distinction between deverbal nouns and gerunds lies in how they function; deverbal nouns only act as common nouns without any verb characteristics whereas gerunds are verbs that retain their verb characteristics and function simultaneously as both nouns and verbs.
Q: How do you form a gerund in English?
A: To form a gerund in English, you add -ing to the end of the verb root.
