Which Sentence Contains A Gerund

What is a Gerund Phrase?

A gerund phrase is created when a gerund – a verb that takes an –ing course and functions equally a substantive – has a modifier, object or both. That sounds quite technical, so let'due south pause it down for a elementary explanation of a gerund phrase:

Beginning, here is an example of a gerund phrase in a judgement

Eating a slice of pie rapidly is a recipe for disaster .

And then, we tin breakdown the gerund phrase similar so:

The gerund in the judgement is eating . (Remember, a gerund is a noun that is formed past adding the -ing suffix to a verb.)
The Gerund phrase object in the sentence (the affair beingness acted upon, in this case by eating) is a slice of pie .
The modifier in the judgement is speedily .

How do y'all recognize a gerund phrase when you see one?

A gerund phrase will follow these rules, which can help you place a gerund phrase in a sentence:

The phrase will always start with a gerund.
The gerund phrase will either accept a modifier, an object or both.
The unabridged phrase will function as a substantive.
The phrase will accept atypical agreement with a verb.

Look at these examples with the gerund phrases used in different means:

Reading books quietly is my favorite pastime.
My favorite pastime is reading books quietly
I recommend reading books quietly to pass the time.

Regardless of where the gerund phrase reading books quietly appears in the judgement, it satisfies the 4 rules listed to a higher place. Remember that the purpose of a gerund phrase is to human action like a substantive, so you tin can check it by replacing it with a noun and seeing if the sentence nevertheless makes grammatical sense:

Television is my favorite pastime.
My favorite pastime is television.
I recommend television to pass the time.

However, you should be careful not to confuse gerund phrases with participle phrases. The differences are subtle, every bit shown below:

Drinking beer heavily is bad for your health. (gerund phrase)
Drinking beer heavily, Tom and Jim became more raucous. (non a gerund phrase)

How practise we know the second case is non a gerund phrase? Well, it is not acting like a noun and thus does not satisfy the four rules of gerund phrases. It is a participle phrase, which acts similar an describing word. We can run into this by replacing the phrase with a noun and seeing that it does not brand sense:

Alcohol is bad for your health. (sentence withal makes sense)
Alcohol , Tom and Jim became more raucous. (judgement no longer makes sense)

Tip: If the phrase is followed by a comma, so it is more likely to be participle phrase and not a gerund phrase.

Gerund Phrase Examples

While the rules of gerund phrases gear up out before help united states of america recognize them in a judgement, gerund phrases have various uses in a sentence. They take a variety of roles in a judgement and can exist acted upon in varying means: Sometimes the gerund phrase is the subject area; sometimes it is the object or indirect object; other times it is the object of a preposition; and finally, it can also be the predicate nominative.

Examples of gerund phrases for each group are given below:

Subject area Examples

In the post-obit examples, the gerund phrase is acting as the subject field of the sentence. The subject is the matter or person that carries out the action of the verb.

Sleeping through the nighttime is difficult for me.
Making noise is what happy children and most all teenagers do best.
Watching bad television defined my teenage years.
Running with scissors on a slippery floor was a terrible idea.
Travelling beyond France should be a rite of passage for all writers.

Direct Object Examples

In the following examples, the gerund phrase is interim as the direct object in the sentence. The direct object is the substantive or pronoun that receives the action of the main verb.

I dearest sleeping through the night .
My parents prefer eating dinner lonely .
Nosotros would not recommend travelling without insurance .
His daughter enjoys fixing cleaved bicycles .
Do they similar pond with dolphins ?

Indirect Object Examples

In the following examples, the gerund phrase is interim as the indirect in the judgement. The indirect object is affected by the activity of the verb, but it is not its main object.

As part of her new wellness regimen, Jenny made sleeping through the night her priority.
Clinton gave running for president her best shot.
We make writing 3 poems a requirement to pass our course.
Men don't always run across raising children well equally an accomplishment.
Why don't you brand completing a marathon your main goal?

Predicate Nominative Examples

In the following examples, the gerund phrase is interim as a predicate nominative. A predicate nominative completes the linking verb and renames the subject. For example, in the examples below the gerund phrases reply or define the beginning part of the sentence.

My biggest difficulty is sleeping through the dark . (What is my biggest difficulty? It is sleeping through the night .)
Our top priority was getting everyone on the plane .
The critical upshot of his arrest wasn't driving without a license .
Her favorite thing was listening to music .
A good career for her might be coaching soccer .

Object of a Preposition Examples

In the following examples, the gerund phrase is acting as the object of the preposition in the sentence. The object of a preposition is simply a discussion or phrase that is preceded by a preposition and completes its meaning.

The doctor suggested drinking warm milk for sleeping through the night . (For what? For sleeping through the nighttime .)
By crying like a baby, you won't get anywhere in life .
Practise is futile without eating healthily .
He wanted to learn more about riding a cycle .
Detectives were relieved after finding the show .