A gerund is the -ing form of a verb used as a noun. It can be the subject, object, or prepositional complement of a sentence. Example: "Swimming is great exercise." (subject) / "She loves dancing." (object)
What Is a Gerund?
A gerund is one of the most versatile verb forms in English. It is formed by adding -ing to the base form of any verb, and then using it in the place where a noun would normally appear. Because it comes from a verb, a gerund can still take objects and be modified by adverbs — but because it functions as a noun, it can also be the subject or object of a sentence, or follow a preposition.
Consider the verb swim. As a verb: "I swim every day." As a gerund: "Swimming keeps me fit." In the second sentence, swimming is no longer acting as the main verb — it is the subject, a noun slot, even though it comes from a verb. This dual nature is what makes gerunds both useful and potentially confusing for learners.
Gerunds are extremely common in English and appear in a wide range of structures. Understanding when to use a gerund versus an infinitive is one of the key B1-level grammar challenges. The key principle is this: certain verbs demand a gerund after them, certain verbs demand an infinitive, and a small group can take either (sometimes with a change of meaning).
One reliable rule is that after any preposition (in, on, at, about, for, of, by, without, etc.), English always uses a gerund, never a bare infinitive. So: "She is good at singing", "I am tired of waiting", "He left without saying goodbye."
Gerund as Subject, Object, and Complement
| Function | Example | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Subject | Swimming is excellent exercise. | Takes a singular verb |
| Direct Object | She enjoys reading. | After verbs like enjoy, avoid, finish |
| After preposition | He is good at cooking. | After ALL prepositions |
| Subject complement | Her favourite hobby is painting. | After linking verb be |
| After possessive | I appreciate your helping me. | Formal possessive gerund |
| Compound noun | a swimming pool, a parking space | Modifies following noun |
Verbs Followed by Gerund
The following common verbs must be followed by a gerund, never by a full infinitive: enjoy, avoid, suggest, mind, finish, practise, consider, keep, miss, risk, dislike, deny, admit, imagine, resist, delay, involve, recall, and regret (when referring to a past action).
| Verb | Gerund example |
|---|---|
| enjoy | I enjoy swimming in the sea. |
| avoid | She avoids eating processed food. |
| suggest | He suggested taking a taxi. |
| finish | Have you finished writing the report? |
| consider | They are considering moving abroad. |
| keep | Keep trying — you will get there. |
| practise | Practise speaking every day. |
| mind | Do you mind waiting a moment? |
Common Mistakes
Mistakes to Avoid
I enjoy to swim in the ocean.
I enjoy swimming in the ocean. (enjoy must be followed by a gerund)
She avoided to answer the question.
She avoided answering the question. (avoid + gerund)
He is interested to learn English.
He is interested in learning English. (preposition 'in' must be followed by a gerund)
Swims every morning is healthy.
Swimming every morning is healthy. (use gerund as subject, not a conjugated verb)