GERUND PHRASES

What Is a Gerund Phrase? (with Examples)

* Eating ice cream and not exercising is great. The downside is your health is not so good.

A gerund is a verb form ending in "-ing" that is used in a sentence as a noun rather than as the verb. A gerund phrase consists of a gerund, its object, and all modifiers. For example:

Eating blackberries without washing them will make you ill.

In the gerund phrase above:

• Eating is the gerund.
(A gerund phrase always starts with the gerund.)
• The word blackberries is the object of the gerund.
(The object of a gerund is also called the gerund complement.)
• The phrase without washing them is a modifier.
(In this case, the modifier is an adverbial phrase.)

Knowing the truth has helped them a lot.
Helping the poor has always been his main goal.
Raising children can be a very tiring profession.
Ironing shirts is more complicated than washing them.
Breathing the polluted air in large cities can seriously damage your health.

Gerund Phrase

What is a gerund phrase?

Though the term might sound a bit intimidating, it really is simple. Here, we’ll take a close look at gerund phrases and provide several examples so you can easily recognize them and use them to create interesting sentences.

Decoding the Gerund Phrase

Time for a quick refresher: A gerund is a noun formed with a verb ending in ing. Words like swimming, tying, dreaming, eating, fishing, and drinking can all be used as gerunds.

Now that we’ve refreshed your memory, let’s take a look at the gerund phrase. A gerund phrase always follows these rules:

• Gerund phrases always start with gerunds
• Gerund phrases always include modifiers and often include other objects
• A gerund phrase always functions as a noun
• Gerund phrases are always subjects, objects, or subject complements in sentences.

Gerund Phrase Examples

In the following gerund phrase examples, the gerund is highlighted in bold and the entire gerund phrase is underlined. A brief explanation of the function of the gerund phrase follows each example.

• Eating ice cream on a hot day can be a good way to cool off.

Eating ice cream on a hot day is the subject of the verb can be.

• Jessica really enjoys bothering the neighbors with loud music.

Bothering the neighbors with loud music is the direct object of the verb enjoys.