LDS: Gerund Phrase

Gerund Phrase

The gerund phrase includes the gerund and the object of the gerund or any modifiers related to the gerund.

[In the following examples, the gerund is bold and the gerund phrase is underlined.]

1. Flying above the lake at this time of night seems a little dangerous.
   1. FLYING is the subject of the sentence. A subject is a noun. A form of the verb ending in ING and used as a noun is a gerund. FLYING is a gerund.
2. Bill decided that scrambling over the pile of debris was not safe.
   1. SCRAMBLING is the subject of the dependent clause. A subject is a noun. A form of the verb ending in ING and used as a noun is a gerund. SCRAMBLING is a gerund.
3. Ethan avoided doing his homework because the Ducks were playing the Cougars.
   1. DOING is the direct object of the verb AVOIDED. An object is a noun. A form of the verb ending in ING and used as a noun is a gerund. DOING is a gerund. HOMEWORK is the object of the gerund.
4. The student gathered signatures for increasing the hours of the library.
   1. INCREASING is the object of the preposition FOR. An object is a noun. A form of the verb ending in ING and used as a noun is a gerund. INCREASING is a gerund. HOURS is the object of the gerund.
5. Philip Morris continues its fight to prevent government from regulating tobacco; nevertheless, the government is placing restrictions on marketing cigarettes to youth.
   1. Both REGULATING and MARKETING are objects of prepositions (FROM and ON).
6. The young man opposes marketing smoking cigarettes as if it were glamorous.
   1. MARKETING is the direct object of the verb OPPOSES. SMOKING is a gerund and the object of the gerund MARKETING. CIGARETTES is the object of the gerund SMOKING.
7. Andrew continues his crusade to prevent the university from limiting free speech.
   1. LIMITING is the object of the preposition FROM. SPEECH is the object of the GERUND.