Twelve Standard >> Gerund

A Gerund is that form of the verb which ends in -ing, and though it looks like a verb it actually does the job of a Noun. So Gerund is actually is a Verbal Noun.

          Gerund has got much in common with Infinity. Infinity looks like a verb and yet does the job of a Noun. An Infinitive is usually preceded by a to and Infinity is always in a simple present form. Whereas Gerund always ends in -ing.

Ex:1) Playing cards is his obsession.

      In this sentence, the word playing looks like a verb but actually does the job of a Noun.

  2)Walking on the grass is forbidden.

         In this sentence word waking very much looks like a verb but then if you ask the question what to the verb is then what is the answer you are giving? What is forbidden? Walking on the grass is forbidden. So Walking is looking like a verb but actually does the job of a Noun. And it ends in -ing. So Walking is a Gerund. 

How does Gerund work as the object of a transitive verb?

 Ex: I like playing cricket.

        Like is the transitive verb in this sentence and playing is acting as the object of the transitive verb. Playing acting as the object of the transitive verb like. Playing is looks like a verb but actually does the job of a Noun. And it ends in -ing. So 'playing' is a Gerund. 
       
How does Gerund work as the object of a Preposition?

Ex: I am tired of waiting.

     What am I tired of? I am tired of waiting. Waiting looks like a verb does the job of a Noun and it ends in -ing. It also acts as the object of the preposition 'of'. So' believing' is the Gerund that acts as the object of the preposition.  

How does Gerund work as the complement of a Verb?

 Ex: Seeing is believing.

    In this sentence 'is' is the verb. 'Beliving' looks like a verb but actually does the job of a Noun and it ends in -ing. It also acts as the object of the verb 'is'. So 'believing' is the Gerund that acts as the complement of the verb.  

A single word may act like a participle, a verb, or a Gerund, or an infinity.

Ex: (i) Waking is a good exercise.
      (ii) The old man lost his walking stick.
      (iii) To walk is a good exercise.
      (iv) I am waking now.

In the first sentence, walking is acting as the subject of the sentence. It looks like a verb but actually does the job of a Noun. It ends in -ing. Therefore it is a Gerund.

In the second sentence, the stick is a noun. And the word walking actually describes that Noun stick.  It tells us something about the Noun stick. Although the word walking looks like a verb but actually does the job of an adjective. Therefore it is a participle. It ends in -ing. Therefore it is a present participle. 

In the third sentence "to walk" acts as the subject of the sentence and infinity.

In the last sentence "walking" acts as a simple verb.