What Is a Gerund? KS3 English Definition and Examples

What does a gerund look like in a sentence?

Gerunds look identical to present participles — they both end in -ing. The difference lies in their grammatical function, not their form.

Here are gerunds in different positions within a sentence:

In every case, the test is the same: can you substitute a noun for the -ing form and have the sentence still make grammatical sense? "Writing is difficult" → "Grammar is difficult." Yes — so writing is functioning as a noun, which means it is a gerund.

How is a gerund different from a present participle?

This is where many students become confused, because both forms look the same. The distinction is grammatical function:

• A present participle is part of a verb phrase or modifies a noun. It describes action happening now or ongoing.
• A gerund functions as a noun.

Compare:

"She was reading when I arrived." Here, reading is part of the verb phrase "was reading" — it is a present participle.

"Reading improves your vocabulary." Here, reading is the subject of the sentence, acting like a noun — it is a gerund.

The quick test: if the -ing word comes after a form of to be and describes what someone is doing, it is a participle. If you can replace it with a plain noun ("books improve your vocabulary"), it is a gerund.

How do gerunds function in a sentence?

Gerunds allow abstract activities to be talked about as if they were things — objects of thought, subject of discussion, or goals to pursue. This makes them particularly useful in:

Academic and formal writing, where activities need to be evaluated or discussed:

• "Revising regularly increases retention."
• "The process begins with planning."

Instructions and procedural writing, where steps need to be named:

• "Timing is everything in this recipe."

Evaluative writing, where a skill or behaviour is assessed:

• "Her greatest achievement was maintaining calm under pressure."

Being able to use gerunds confidently allows you to write with precision and concision — turning a verb (an action) into a concept that can be analysed, described, or valued.

Why does it matter whether I can identify a gerund?

At KS3 and GCSE, you are expected to have accurate grammatical knowledge of your own writing and to analyse how writers make grammatical choices. Gerunds are relevant in several ways:

1. In your own writing — using a gerund as a subject creates a more formal, essay-like register than using "when someone does X." Compare: "When you revise regularly, you retain more" vs "Regular revising increases retention." The second is tighter and more authoritative.

2. In analysis — some writers use gerunds deliberately to make actions feel weighty and permanent. "The suffering of the poor" casts suffering as a noun, a fixed condition of existence, not just something that happens moment by moment. The choice carries ideological significance.

3. In grammar exercises — you may be asked to identify word classes in a sentence. A student who knows that running in "running is good exercise" is a gerund will identify it as a noun, not a verb — and will score the mark.

Worked example — gerund analysis in a text:

"The waiting was unbearable."

Waiting here is a gerund functioning as the subject of the sentence. By nominalising the action, the writer makes the waiting feel like a presence — a heavy, static thing the character is trapped inside, rather than an active process. The effect is psychological: it conveys the weight and passivity of the experience.

Frequently asked questions

Is every -ing word a gerund?

No. An -ing word is only a gerund when it functions as a noun. -ing words are also present participles (when part of a verb phrase or when modifying a noun: "the running water") and occasionally pure adjectives ("an interesting idea"). The test is always: what job is this word doing in the sentence?

Can gerunds take objects?

Yes — and this is one way you can tell them from nouns. A gerund can behave like a verb in some ways even while functioning as a noun. "Reading long novels takes patience" — here reading is a gerund, and it takes long novels as its object, forming a gerund phrase. A plain noun cannot do this.

Do I need to use the word "gerund" in my GCSE English answers?

At GCSE English Language and Literature, you are not usually required to use technical grammatical terminology. However, being able to explain that a writer has "turned the action into a noun by using an -ing form" demonstrates sophisticated awareness of grammatical choice and will earn marks in analysis questions. The term gerund is accurate and appropriate if you choose to use it.

How do gerunds relate to nominalisation?

Nominalisation is the process of turning verbs or adjectives into nouns. Gerunds are one form of nominalisation (using -ing), but nouns can also be derived by adding suffixes such as -tion (investigate → investigation), -ment (develop → development), or -ance (resist → resistance). Formal and academic writing relies heavily on nominalisation to make arguments feel objective and to create a sense of conceptual weight.

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If you are unsure whether a word in your essay is a gerund or a participle, bring the sentence to Professor Quill at aitutors.me — he will ask you questions to help you work it out yourself.