Grammar Guide: Gerunds

Sports are a big part of every culture. Here in the United States, baseball is considered an American past time. This block at Nomen Global, we are learning about the different sports that are popular in the United States and around the world. Many American children start playing a sport as early as 3 or 4 years old! Some continue playing through college; others find new hobbies. No matter who you are, sports are generally a big part of life, whether it be playing them, watching them, or hearing about them.


Gerunds
We introduced verbals briefly last week; today our topic will focus on gerunds. Gerunds are -ing verbs used as nouns. That means we can use an -ing verb as the subject, direct object, indirect object, object of a preposition, or predicate nominative. In addition, some verbs in English are followed only by gerunds. Here is a list with examples:

deny                 risk                    delay                              consider
can't help          keep                  give up                           be fond of
finish                 quit                    put off                            practice
postpone           tolerate             suggest                            stop (quit)
regret                enjoy                 keep (on)                       dislike
admit                 avoid                 recall                              mind
miss                  detest                 appreciate                       recommend
get/be through get/be tired of get/be accustomed to get/be used to

Subject
  • Watching football in the fall is my husband's favorite activity.
  • Practicing soccer 4 hours a day is very tiring!
  • Eating hotdogs and drinking Coke while watching a game is popular at the local baseball stadium. 
Direct Object
  • I love playing volleyball on the beach!
  • The league does not tolerate cheating in any sport.
  • After I moved to the United States, I missed playing with my old basketball team.
Indirect Object
  • Eric gave playing football his full attention.
Object of a Preposition
  • Sarah knows nothing about watching sports.
Predicate Nominative
  • Moussa's favorite hobby is playing soccer.
Learn more about gerunds and other grammar subjects at Nomen Global. Visit our website or 'like' us on Facebook!

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