What is Gerundial phrase?

A gerund phrase is a phrase consisting of a gerund and any modifiers or objects associated with it. A gerund is a noun made from a verb root plus ing (a present participle). A whole gerund phrase functions in a sentence just like a noun, and can act as a subject, an object, or a predicate nominative.

What is gerund with example?

A gerund is a form of a verb that ends in -ing that is used as a noun. It looks like a verb, but it acts like a noun. For example, the word swimming is an example of a gerund. We can use the word swimming in a sentence as a noun to refer to the act of moving around in water as in Swimming is fun.

Is enjoying a gerund?

Only a gerund can follow the verb “enjoy.” For example, “She is afraid of flying.” In this sentence “of” is the preposition and “flying” is the gerund. You cannot say “She is afraid of to fly.” An infinitive cannot be the object of a preposition, only a gerund can.

Why gerund is important?

A gerund is a verb form which functions as a noun. Gerunds can be used as the subject or the complement of a sentence. Gerunds sound more like normal as subjects or complements. In the following sentences gerunds sound more natural and would be more common in everyday English.

How can I learn gerunds?

Gerunds are formed by adding “-ing” to the verb: “sleeping,” “drawing,” “swimming.” But they are not the “-ing” verb forms that you see in the present or past continuous tense. They look the same, but gerunds are actually verb forms used as nouns.

How do you introduce gerunds?

It is not conjugated in any tense or inflected by any mood or person. It takes the same place in a sentence as a noun, subject of a sentence, object of some verbs, and object of a preposition. When we introduce a gerund in a phrase, we call it a gerundial phrase, Being healthy is my priority, for example.

What is a participial phrase?

A participle phrase is a group of words containing a participle, modifier, and pronoun or noun phrases. The Pronoun/Noun will act the recipient of the action in the phrase. If the Participle Phrase is in the middle or at the end of a sentence, you do not need a comma.

Why do you need a gerund Phrase in a sentence?

Here is a great reason to care about gerund phrases. Gerunds can reduce your word count and improve reading flow. Using normal nouns (i.e., not gerunds) and the prepositions needed to make those nouns often makes a sentence jolty and unnecessarily long.

How is a gerund different from a normal noun?

A gerund is not like a normal noun because a gerund can take a direct object (just like a verb can). The direct object of a gerund is known as a gerund complement.

How is a gerundial phrase different from a participial phrase?

The difference between a participial phrase and a gerundial phrase lies in its function. A participial phrase usually does the work of an adjective or adverb, modifying other words. The gerundial phrase, on the hand, does the work of a noun. These differences are exemplified in the following sentences:

Which is the gerund Phrase for his being hungry?

The gerundial phrase, “Feeding him a slice of orange,” is the subject of the sentence. His being hungry (PA) was no coincidence. The gerund “being” is modified by the possessive personal pronoun “His” (used as an adjective) and takes the predicate adjective “hungry.” The gerundial phrase “His being hungry,” is the subject of the sentence.