Identify gerunds and their functions

Key Notes:

What is a Gerund?

A gerund is a verb ending in –ing that acts as a noun in a sentence.
Example: Swimming is fun. 🏊‍♂️
(“Swimming” looks like a verb, but here it is used as a noun)

How to Identify a Gerund

Ask: Is the –ing word naming an activity or thing?
If YES → It is a gerund (noun).

Functions of Gerunds (How gerunds are used in sentences)

Gerunds can function as:

Function	Description	Example	Emoji
Subject	Gerund doing the action	Reading improves your mind.	📚
Direct Object	Receives the action of the verb	I love dancing.	💃
Object of a Preposition	Comes after a preposition (in, on, at, for, with, etc.)	She is interested in painting.	🎨
Subject Complement	Renames or describes the subject after is/am/are/was/were	Her hobby is singing.	🎤
Object Complement	Completes meaning of the object	They saw him playing.	🏏

Examples with Emojis

Sentence	Gerund	Function
Running is good for health. 🏃‍♂️💪	Running	Subject
I enjoy drawing. ✏️	drawing	Direct Object
He is good at cooking. 🍳	cooking	Object of Preposition
Her passion is writing. ✍️	writing	Subject Complement
We heard the baby crying. 👶😢	crying	Object Complement

How to Check if a Word is a Gerund

Try replacing the –ing word with a noun like it or the activity.

Example:
I love swimming. → I love it. ✅ (Gerund)

But if the word shows an action happening now, it is NOT a gerund; it is a present participle.

Example:
She is swimming now. ❌ (Not a gerund – verb form)

Gerund vs Present Participle (Quick Check)

Gerund (Noun)	Present Participle (Verb/Adjective)
Swimming is relaxing. 🏊‍♀️	She is swimming now.
I like reading. 📖	The reading child smiled.

Quick Practice

Identify the gerund and its function:

1. Dancing makes me happy. 💃
2. He avoids eating junk food. 🍔
3. They talked about traveling. ✈️
4. My goal is learning English. 🇬🇧

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