Gerund - Grammar Exercises

Grammar exercises and activities for teaching the Gerund to English language learners. Some exercises include answer keys.

I. Define the forms of the gerund .

1. Skiing is my favourite sport. 
2. I remember his telling me about his coat. 
3. I remember having seen this match. 
4. Before taking up swimming she had been very fond of playing basketball. 
5. The football player was punished for having pushed the centre forward. 
6. The young high jumper was very proud of being praised. 
7. I did not know you had stopped rooting for our team. 
8. I remember having been told about this match.

Gerund examples in literature, proverbs and quotations

Proverbs and Sayings 

1. Comment on the use of the gerund in the following proverbs and sayings. Memorize them.

1. Be slow in choosing a friend, slower in changing him. 
2. He who likes borrowing dislikes paying. 
3. By doing nothing we learn to do ill. 
4. In doing we learn. 
5. Learn to swim by swimming. 
6. Think twice before speaking. 
7. Saying and doing are two things (Saying is one thing and doing another.) 
8. Doing is better than saying. 
9. The word spoken is past recalling. 
10. Seeing is believing. 

The Gerund

• Definition 
• The Forms of the Gerund 
• Functions of Gerunds in Sentences 
• Gerund or Infinitive? 
• Gerundial Complex 

The gerund is a non-finite form of the verb with some noun features. It is formed by adding the suffix -ing to the stem of the verb.

Example:  
Seeing is believing.

The gerund acts like a verb and a noun at the same time.

Like a verb:
     - It expresses action or a state of being.
     - The gerund has grammatical categories of voice and tense.
     - It may be modified by an adverb or have an object.  (E.g.: Reading (gerund) quickly (adverb) tires me.  I like reading (gerund) such books (direct object).)