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Linguistics & Grammar vocabulary · Tense, Aspect and Verb Forms

Gerund

Meaning in linguistics & grammar, with examples

/ˈdʒerənd/nounCore term

In linguistics & grammar, gerund means: The -ing form of a verb used like a noun, for example as a subject or object: 'Swimming is good exercise' or 'I enjoy reading'.

In Turkish: isim-fiil, ad-eylem

How it is used

Teachers contrast verbs followed by a gerund (enjoy, avoid, finish) with verbs followed by an infinitive (want, hope, decide). Gerunds also follow prepositions: interested in learning. Some modern grammars simply say -ing form.

Example sentences

  1. After a preposition we use a gerund: 'Thank you for coming.'

  2. In 'Smoking is not allowed here', smoking is a gerund acting as the subject.

Common collocations

  • gerund or infinitive
  • gerund as subject
  • verb followed by a gerund
  • gerund phrase
  • infinitiveThe basic form of a verb, which shows no tense or person, often used with 'to' (to go, to write) and sometimes without it (She can go).
  • participleA verb form without tense used in verb phrases and as an adjective: the present participle ends in -ing (working), the past participle often in -ed or -en (worked, broken).
  • nounA word that names a person, place, thing, idea or feeling and can usually be the subject or object of a verb, such as teacher, Ankara, chair or freedom.
  • verbA word that shows an action, event or state, such as run, become or know; in English it changes its form to show tense and agreement.

More terms: Tense, Aspect and Verb Forms

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