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Gerunds (-ing)

A gerund phrase will begin with a gerund, an ing word, and will include other modifiers and/or objects. Gerund phrases always function as nouns, so they will be subjects, subject complements, or objects in the sentence.  When a verb ends in -ing, it may be a gerund or a present participle. It is important to understand that they are not the same.

When we use a verb in -ing form more like a noun, it is usually a gerund:

• Fishing is fun.

When we use a verb in -ing form more like a verb or an adjective, it is usually a present participle:

• Anthony is fishing.
• I have a boring teacher.

Gerunds as Subject, Object or Complement

Try to think of gerunds as verbs in noun form.

Like nouns, gerunds can be the subject, object or complement of a sentence:

• Smoking costs a lot of money.
• I don't like writing.
• My favourite occupation is reading.

But, like a verb, a gerund can also have an object itself. In this case, the whole expression [gerund + object] can be the subject, object or complement of the sentence.

• Smoking cigarettes costs a lot of money.
• I don't like writing letters.
• My favourite occupation is reading detective stories.

Like nouns, we can use gerunds with adjectives (including articles and other determiners):

• pointless questioning
• a settling of debts
• the making of Titanic
• his drinking of alcohol

But when we use a gerund with an article, it does not usually take a direct object:

• a settling of debts (not a settling debts)
• Making "Titanic" was expensive.
• The making of "Titanic" was expensive.

Do you see the difference in these two sentences? In one, "reading" is a gerund (noun). In the other "reading" is a present participle (verb).

• My favourite occupation is reading.
• My favourite niece is reading.

Hide answer

reading as gerund (noun)	Main Verb	Complement
My favourite occupation	is	reading.
My favourite occupation	is	football.
reading as present participle (verb)	Auxiliary Verb	Main Verb
My favourite niece	is	reading.
My favourite niece	has	finished.

Gerunds after Prepositions

This is a good rule. It has no exceptions!

If we want to use a verb after a preposition, it must be a gerund. It is impossible to use an infinitive after a preposition. So for example, we say:

• I will call you after arriving at the office.
• Please have a drink before leaving.
• I am looking forward to meeting you.
• Do you object to working late?
• Tara always dreams about going on holiday.

Notice that you could replace all the above gerunds with "real" nouns:

• I will call you after my arrival at the office.
• Please have a drink before your departure.
• I am looking forward to our lunch.
• Do you object to this job?
• Tara always dreams about holidays.

The above rule has no exceptions!
So why is "to" followed by "driving" in 1 and by "drive" in 2?

1. I am used to driving on the left.
2. I used to drive on the left.

Hide answer

to as preposition	Preposition
I am used	to	driving on the left.
I am used	to	animals.
to as infinitive	Infinitive
I used	to drive	on the left
I used	to smoke.

Gerunds in Passive Sense

We often use a gerund after the verbs need, require and want. In this case, the gerund has a passive sense.

• I have three shirts that need washing. (need to be washed)
• This letter requires signing. (needs to be signed)
• The house wants repainting. (needs to be repainted)

The expression "something wants doing" is not normally used in American English.

Gerunds after Certain Verbs

We sometimes use one verb after another verb. Often the second verb is in the infinitive form, for example:

• I want to eat.

But sometimes the second verb must be in gerund form, for example:

• I dislike eating.

This depends on the first verb. Here is a list of verbs that are usually followed by a verb in gerund form:

• admit, appreciate, avoid, carry on, consider, defer, delay, deny, detest, dislike, endure, enjoy, escape, excuse, face, feel like, finish, forgive, give up, can't help, imagine, involve, leave off, mention, mind, miss, postpone, practise, put off, report, resent, risk, can't stand, suggest, understand

Look at these examples:

• She is considering having a holiday.
• Do you feel like going out?
• I can't help falling in love with you.
• I can't stand not seeing you.

Some verbs can be followed by the gerund form or the infinitive form without a big change in meaning: begin, continue, hate, intend, like, love, prefer, propose, start

• I like to play tennis.
• I like playing tennis.
• It started to rain.
• It started raining.

 

Recognize a gerund phrase when you see one.

A gerund phrase will begin with a gerund, an ing word, and will include other modifiers and/or objects. Gerund phrases always function as nouns, so they will be subjects, subject complements, or objects in the sentence. Read these examples:

Eating ice cream on a windy day can be a messy experience if you have long, untamed hair.

Eating ice cream on a windy day = subject of the verb can be.

A more disastrous activity for long-haired people is blowing giant bubble gum bubbles with the car windows down.

Blowing giant bubble gum bubbles with the car windows down = subject complement of the verb is.

Wild food adventures require getting your hair cut to a short, safe length.

Getting your hair cut to a short, safe length = direct object of the verb require.

Don't mistake a gerund phrase for a present participle phrase.

Gerund and present participle phrases are easy to confuse because they both begin with an ing word. The difference is that a gerund phrase will always function as a noun while a present participle phrase describes another word in the sentence. Check out these examples:

Jamming too much clothing into a washing machine will result in disaster.

Jamming too much clothing into a washing machine = gerund phrase, the subject of the verb will result.

Jamming too much clothing into the washing machine, Aamir saved $1.25 but had to tolerate the curious stares of other laundry patrons as his machine bucked and rumbled with the heavy load.

Jamming too much clothing into the washing machine = present participle phrase describing Aamir.

Bernard hates buttering toast with a fork.

Buttering toast with a fork = gerund phrase, the direct object of the verb hates.

Buttering toast with a fork, Bernard vowed that he would finally wash the week's worth of dirty dishes piled in the sink.

Buttering toast with a fork = present participle phrase describing Bernard.

My dog's most annoying habit is hogging the middle of the bed.

Hogging the middle of the bed = gerund phrase, the subject complement of the linking verb is.

Last night I had to sleep on the couch because I found my dog Floyd hogging the middle of the bed.

Hogging the middle of the bed = present participle phrase describing Floyd.

Standard Competency :

Expressing meaning in short functional text and monologue form ofnarrative, explanation and discussion in the context of daily life to access knowledge.

Basic Competency :

Revealing the functional meaning of the text and the official unofficial accurately, fluently and acceptable in the context of daily life and involves speech acts, to discuss the possibility.

Indicators :

Students are able to:

1.     Identify the ways to describe weather report, tables, graphs and diagram

2.     Get specific information from the weather report, tables, graphs and diagram.

3.     Write simple paragraph (text being learned) from the information provided in the weather report, tables, graphs and diagram given.

Weather  report :

The text is a weather report or weatherforecast in spoken  form. A weather report is a prediction of weather.

The weather is predicted through application of the principles of physics and meteorology.

Weather report usuallu find in : television , radio , newspapers and BMG office.

A weather report is a bit technical as compared to other report writing you have been practicing earlier. You need to choose words and phrases correctly and present the information gathered in the language of meteorologists.

Expressions used in a weather report :

•         A high of twenty degrees.

•         A low of -25.

•         20 percent chance of snow.

•         Mainly sunny.

•         Sunny with cloudy periods.

•         Above/below average temperatures.

•         A few flurries.

•         5-day forecast.

•          Temperatures are going to drop/dip/plunge (go down quickly).

•         Temperatures are going to rise/soar/climb (go up quickly).

•         A warm/cold front is moving in (air from another region is arriving)

Name  of  Weather :

•         Sunny 

•         Warm  

•         Hot

•         Mild    

•         Cold  

•         Freezing

•         Cloudy    

•         Foggy  

•         Smoggy

•         Rainy  

• Wet   

•      Dry

•      Windy    

•      Snow  

•      Thunder

•      Mist    

•      Blizzard  

•      Fog 

•      Hurricane

       - Overcast 

Example Weather report Text :

Hello , Good morning. This is erick with local weather report.  It will be foggy this morning in almost all parts of town , followed by slight showers. Homever , the showers willnot last for a long time. By early afternoon it will be cloudy until late afternoon , followed by heavy rain with thunder storm in the evening into the night. Thank you.

Table :

Table presents facts and figures in compact form. There are several things that we need to pay attention to. They are, the table title, row or column labels, information given in individual cells and information given within rows and columns.

Steps we need to do to read the table:

1.     Observing the table title

2.     Observe the columns in the table

3.     Found significant differences in the data, either the highest, lowest and average

4.     Draw conclusions from the data presented in the table

Example:

NAME	CLASS	SCORE
JENNIE	A	70
THOMAS	B	80
RICK	B	75
JASON	C	90
JESSICA	D	85
JUSTIN	B	60

Graph is a visual concise means of presenting information.

There are basic kinds of graphs :

1.     Bar Graphs

2.     Line Graphs

3.     Circle or Pie Graphs

Graphs usually find in : clinic , BPS office , Library .etc

1.     Bar Graphs

Bar graphs is a type of graphs which contains labeled horizontal or vertical bars showing a piece of information and an axis. The numbers along the side of bar graph compose the axis. This is also called as a histogram, bar graph is useful when there is a numerical comparison.

 

2.     Line Graphs

A line graph is a way of representing two pieces of information, which is usually related and vary with respect to each other. This is useful when comparisons are needed.

3.     Pie Graphs

Cirle graphs (sometimes called pie or circle chart) are used to show the parts that make up a whole. They can be useful for comparing the size of relative parts.