Lesson 212 – Parts of the Sentence – Verbals – Gerunds

A gerund always ends in ing and is used as a noun. Eatingis fun.

The gerund can be a subject (Eating is fun.); a direct object (I like eating.); a predicate nominative (A fun time is eating.); an appositive (A fun time, eating, takes much time.); an indirect object (I give eating too much time.); or an object of a preposition (I give much time to eating.)

Gerunds can have with them direct objects, predicate nominatives, predicate adjectives or modifiers to form what is called a gerund phrase. Example: Eating solid foods is hard for babies. Eating is the gerund used as the subject of the verb is. It has its own direct object foodswith the adjective solid, which together make up the gerund phrase eating solid foods serving as the subject of the sentence.

Instructions: Find the gerund phrases in the following sentences and tell if they are used as subject, direct object, predicate nominative, appositive, indirect object, or object of the preposition.

1. My hobby is working with irises.

2. I like pruning the fruit trees.

3. I had only one desire, leaving for home.

4. Writing a good novel is hard work.

5. With his snoring in his sleep, his wife couldn’t sleep.

–For answers scroll down.

Answers:

1. working with irises = predicate nominative

2. pruning the fruit trees = direct object

3. leaving for home = appositive

4. writing a good novel = subject

5. his snoring in his sleep = object of the preposition

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