Gerunds and Gerund Phrases Verbals, Part I

Today’s Purpose Students will learn the definitions of gerund and gerund phrase; they will identify gerunds and gerund phrases correctly in a variety of sentences. Should you take notes? YES!!

What is a Gerund? A gerund is a verbal that ends in –ing and acts as a noun. Wait.....what????? What is a VERBAL? Take a moment to tell your table partner what a verbal is.

Verbals A verbal is a word that is formed from a verb but acts a another part of speech. A gerund is a type of verbal. A gerund is a verbal that ends in –ing and acts as a noun. Let’s repeat the definition of GERUND at the count of three. 1,2,3...

Let’s Fill in the Blanks Aloud...Ready? A gerund is a ________________ that ends in ____________ and acts as a _______________. verbal -ing noun Kind of like a noun disguised as a verb !

Examples of Gerunds Swimming is my favorite sport. Swimming is a gerund. It ends in –ing. It is a noun – swimming is the THING that is my favorite sport, and the subject of the sentence.

Examples of Gerunds Her singing gets on my nerves! Singing is a gerund. It ends in –ing. It acts as a noun: it is the THING that gets on my nerves, and is the subject of the sentence.

Gerund or Verb? 1. Baking is a hobby of mine. 2. The cake is baking in the oven Which is a gerund? Hold up one or two fingers. If you held up ONE finger, good job! In sentence 1, baking is a gerund. It ends in –ing, AND it is a noun (a thing, and the subject of the sentence). In sentence 2, baking is a verb. It ends in –ing, but it is part of a verb phrase (is baking) and shows action. Get it? Take a moment to turn to your row partner and EXPLAIN why “baking #1” is a gerund and “baking #2” is a verb.

Quick Practice – In your notes, indicate whether each underlined word is a gerund or a verb (4 minutes). 1.My teacher was walking across the quad at lunch. 2.Walking is great exercise! 1.Skiing can be an exciting but dangerous sport. 2.I was skiing down the hill when my scarf blew off. Gerund Verb Gerund Verb

Gerund Phrases A gerund phrase is made up of a gerund and all of its modifiers. Take a look.... Watching reality television is a huge waste of time! The THING that is a waste of time is not just “watching;” it is “watching reality television.’ The PHRASE “watching reality television” acts as the subject of the sentence. It’s a gerund phrase.

Identify the Gerund Phrase! The dog’s barking was responsible for waking the baby. Tell your row partner the gerund phrase. _____________________ Cooking a souffle can be a hard skill to master. Tell your row partner the gerund phrase. ______________________

Quick Practice: Write the gerund phrase in each sentence (3 minutes). 1.Eating too many of those caterpillars will make you sick! 2.Anne’s favorite hobby is sweeping the floor. 3.Teaching English is a difficult and rewarding career. ___________________________________________ ___________________________ _____________________ Thumbs up, down, or sideways: “I understand gerunds and gerund phrases.”

On a separate sheet of paper (to be turned in), write the GERUND or GERUND PHRASE in each sentence. 1.Falling asleep was really hard to do last night. 2.My favorite pastime has always been daydreaming. 3.Are you mowing the lawn tomorrow? 4.Speed eating is NOT an Olympic sport. 1.My teacher said to be quiet, but talking is fun! 2.Are we running the mile in P.E. today? 3.Flying has always fascinated me.

Answer key – how did you do? 1.Falling asleep was really hard to do last night. 2.My favorite pastime has always been daydreaming. 3.Are you mowing the lawn tomorrow? 4. Speed eating is NOT an Olympic sport. 1.My teacher said to be quiet, but talking is fun! 2.Are we running the mile in P.E. today? 3.Flying has always fascinated me.

LEARNING GRAMMAR is fun, right? Gerund phrase