Understanding gerund phrases

What is a gerund?

Before learning about gerund phrases, review the definition of a gerund: a verb that works as a noun, depending on how it is used in the sentence. Typically, a gerund is created by adding the letters “-ing” to the end of a verb.

For example, the word “swim” is a verb, but “swimming” can function as a gerund. Here’s an example of how this works:

• Tara has a gift for swimming.

However, it’s important to note that “swimming” is not a gerund when it is written as a present participle verb, like in this example:

• Tara is swimming.

When “swimming” is described as a hobby, it’s a gerund. But when it’s described as an action that someone is performing, it’s a verb.

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What is a gerund phrase?

A gerund phrase has a modifier or object attached to it to create a whole new noun. Once a gerund is combined with other modifying words, it can become its own gerund phrase.

Here are some examples of a gerund by itself, and a gerund phrase that is formed with a modifier:

• Gerund: Swimming is my hobby.
• Gerund phrase: I am swimming with flippers.

In the gerund phrase above, you’ll notice that the phrase “with flippers” is added after “swimming” to create a gerund. If you remove “with flippers” from the sentence, “swimming” no longer works as a gerund.

It’s important to note that adding just any modifier to a gerund will not create a gerund phrase. For instance, if you were to say, “I was swimming yesterday,” it would be a participle phrase with “swimming” functioning as a verb.

Why are gerund phrases useful?

Gerund phrases help make sentences look less cluttered, making the point easier to understand. They can make a sentence more concise to help your readers understand what’s going on without a lengthy explanation.

Let’s use an example of a sentence without a gerund phrase to show how it can be shortened with a gerund phrase:

• The creation of this device will make it easier for people to read books.

Now, let’s shorten the sentence by adding some gerund phrases:

• Creating this device will make reading books easier.

Both sentences have the same point, but the sentence with the gerund phrases gets to the point more quickly.

Get more comfortable with writing rules

Having a good understanding of how writing rules like gerund phrases work will help you bring more depth to your writing. If you’re worried about making mistakes, use a grammar editing tool to catch any errors that might go unnoticed while reviewing. Browse through our writing tips to learn about more important writing terms like tone, compound words, and similes.