A Gerund
is a Non-Finite Verb that ends with “ing” (i.e. V1+ ing) and functions
as a Noun and a Verb. It is
generally called a Verbal Noun.
For Example :
1.
Painting
is
her hobby.
2.
Smoking
is
injurious to health.
3.
He made singing his
profession.
4.
Some people are fond of talking.
In the above sentences, Painting, Smoking, Singing and Talking are Gerunds.
Uses of Gerund
1. As
the Subject of a Verb :
(i)
Calling
names
is bad manners.
(ii)
Swimming
is
a very useful exercise.
(iii)
Stealing is a punishable offence.
(iv)
Jogging
is
a very healthy activity.
(v) Dieting can be an effective tool to control weight.
2.
As
the Object of a Verb :
(i)
I like painting.
(ii)
I liked his daring acts.
(iii)
He exhibited his driving skills.
(iv)
He prefers eating Indian food.
(v)
We enjoyed listening to old songs.
3.
As
the Object of a Preposition :
(i)
I am fond of listening to music.
(ii) They were accused of cheating.
(iii)
Are you not tired of making excuses?
(iv)
The captain saved the ship from
hitting against a big rock.
(v)
He is very fond of dancing.
4.
As
Complement of a Linking Verb :
(i)
Her primary duty is attending telephone calls.
(ii) Seeing is believing.
(iii)
What I advise most students is standing up for truth.
(iv) Her favourite pastime is gardening.
(v)
My first preference is becoming a great orator.
5.
As
part of a noun phrase :
(i)
The time of the dancing of the peacocks has come.
(ii)
Playing
in
Wankhede stadium is a great experience.
(iii)
The taming
of
the horse requires a special skill.
(iv)
Watching the snowfall was a memorable moment.
(v)
Running
after
a car can be fatal.
6.
As
part of Compound Noun :
(i)
He likes his breakfast at the dining-table only.
(ii) They were sitting in waiting-room.
(iii)
The blind man used walking- stick to avoid a fall.
(iv) He was looking for his shaving-kit.
(v)
I possess a nice pair of boxing-gloves.
7.
As
simple nouns :
(i)
Greetings
are
very effective means of communication.
(ii)
Meetings
can
become boring sometimes.
(iii) I never like partings.
8.
With
Possessive Adjectives/Pronouns :
(i)
I don’t like your boasting.
(ii)
Please excuse my coming late.
(iii)
He insisted on her being not
there.
(iv)
Nobody liked Rana’s going there.
9.
Passive
form of Gerund :
(i)
The cricketers love being surrounded by fans.
(ii)
The film stars love being praised.
(iii)
I did not like being asked questions.
(iv)
The army officers hate being transferred every two years.
(v)
Children don’t like being advised too
much.
10.
In
apposition to the Pronoun ‘It’ :
(i)
It is no use crying over spilt milk.
(ii)
It is wrong telling lies.
11.
Gerund
in passive form :
(i)
Bhagat Singh
was proud of having
done his duty devotedly
for his motherland. (Perfect Active)
(ii)
The king liked being told the facts. (Passive Form)
(iii)
Ravi didn’t like having fought over trifles. (Perfect Active)
(iv)
We learned of his
having won a medal.
(Perfect Active)
(v)
She forgot having written a written a letter. (Perfect Passive)
12.
In
short prohibitions :
(i)
No smoking.
(ii)
No cheating
in
the exams.
(iii)
No trespassing.
(iv)
No plucking
of
the flowers in this garden..
13.
In
combining sentences :
(i)
The police
arrived at the accident spot. They helped
the victims. On arriving at the accident spot, the police helped the victims.
(ii) He completed his race. He sat in a corner. After completing the race,he sat in a corner.
Exercise 12 (Solved) Complete
the following sentences using Gerund :
1.
She is good at (dance).
2.
He is crazy about (sing).
3.
He doesn’t like (play) cards.
4.
I am afraid of (swim)
in the canal.
5.
He should give up (smoke).
6.
Harry dreams of
7.
I am always interested in
(be)
a great athlete.
(make)
friends.
8.
He is scared of (travel)
by air.
9.
They insisted on (cook)
the dinner at home.
10.
I suggest (do) some more sums.
Answers :
1.
She is good at dancing.
2.
He is crazy about singing.
3.
He doesn’t like playing cards.
4.
I am afraid of swimming in the canal.
5. He should give up smoking.
6.
Harry dreams of being a great athlete.
7.
I am always interested in making friends.
8.
He is scared of travelling by
air.
9.
They insisted on cooking the dinner at home.
10.
I suggest doing some more sums.
Exercise 13 (Solved) Fill
in the blanks with suitable Gerunds :
1.
(The end) of those movies were disappointing.
2.
(Use) computers saves a lot of time.
3.
Fans enjoy (see) a good game.
4.
They don’t mind (sit)
in the cold night air.
5.
They hate (see) their team lose.
6.
I thanked him for (fix)
my door.
7.
You can open it by (use)
a knife.
8.
What’s it for? It is for (tie)
things together.
9.
Jason read the manual
before (begin) the installation.
10.
You can’t turn it on without (plug)
it in.
Answers :
1.
The
endings of those movies were disappointing.
2.
Using
computers
saves a lot of time.
3.
Fans enjoy seeing a good game.
4.
They don’t mind sitting in the cold night air.
5.
They hate seeing their team lose.
6.
I thanked him for fixing my
door.
7.
You can open it by
using a knife.
8.
What’s it for? It is
for tying things together?
9.
Jason read the manual before beginning the
installation.
10.
You can’t turn it
on without plugging it in.
Exercise 14 (Unsolved) Complete
the following sentences using Gerund :
1. I am afraid of (tell) the truth.
2.
She never ceased (talk)
of increasing prices.
3.
He regrets (say) such
words.
4.
What about (take) a cup of tea?
5.
How about (sleep) in the verandah?
6.
I hate (tell) lies.
7.
He advises (do) more activities before resting.
8.
Fans enjoy (see) a good game.
9.
They enjoyed (see) him win the trophy.
10.
Avoid (eat) sweets.
Exercise 15 (Solved) Combine
the following sentences by using a gerund :
1.
He goes to his office. He finds
it closed.
2.
They have to write an essay everyday. They don’t like it.
3.
He heard the news of my
arrival. He was overjoyed.
4.
She began to grumble over her problems.
Nobody liked it.
5.
He acts on the stage. He wins
many prizes.
Answers :
1.
He finds his office closed on reaching there.
2.
They don’t like writing an essay every day.
3.
He was overjoyed on hearing the news of my arrival.
4.
Nobody liked her grumbling over her problems.
5.
He wins many prizes by acting on the stage.
Exercise 16 (Unsolved) Combine
the following sentences by using a Gerund :
1.
He serves his nation. He gets satisfaction.
2.
She eats fruits. She keeps
herself fit.
3.
The boys were flying kites.
They spent the whole evening.
4.
A boy has stolen
his book. There was enough
proof of that.
5.
Follow traffic rules. It is everyone’s duty.
