ENGLISH GRAMMAR

THE GERUND

Explanation and Practice Exercises

EXPLORE THIS LESSON

Introduction Active Forms Exercise 1 Exercise 2 Passive Forms Exercise 3 Exercise 4 Quick Revision

A gerund is a verb form ending in -ing that functions as a noun. It can be the subject or object of a sentence, or it can follow a preposition.

i

Examples of Gerunds

• Swimming is good exercise. (subject)
• I enjoy reading. (object)
• She is interested in learning English. (after a preposition)

A gerund retains some features of a verb: it can take an object, be modified by an adverb, and have active or passive forms.

ii

The Four Main Forms

Voice	Form	Example
Active	Simple gerund	doing
Active	Perfect gerund	having done
Passive	Simple passive gerund	being done
Passive	Perfect passive gerund	having been done

We will study all the active forms first, followed by their passive forms. The explanation follows standard English grammar principles associated with the reference grammars you named.

Part I: Forms of Gerunds in Active Voice

In the active voice, the gerund shows that the person or thing performs the action.

1

Simple Gerund — Active

Structure: Verb + -ing

Examples: reading, writing, playing, helping, completing.

The simple gerund refers to an action without specifically presenting it as completed before another action. Its exact time meaning depends on the sentence.

Examples:

• Reading improves our vocabulary.
• I enjoy playing cricket.
• She admitted making a mistake.
• He left without informing anyone.

2

Perfect Gerund — Active

Structure: having + past participle (V³)

The perfect gerund emphasises that an action happened before another action or situation.

Examples:

• He admitted having stolen the money.
• She regretted having spoken rudely to her teacher.
• He was proud of having won the competition.
• They denied having broken the window.

Compare the two forms:

Simple gerund: He admitted making a mistake.

Perfect gerund: He admitted having made a mistake.

Both sentences are correct. The perfect gerund places greater emphasis on the earlier completion of the action. The simple gerund is often sufficient when the sequence of events is already clear.

Exercise 1: Simple Active Gerund

Complete the sentences using the correct gerund form of the verbs in brackets.

1. __________ regularly improves our health. (exercise)
2. She enjoys __________ stories in her free time. (read)
3. He apologised for __________ late. (arrive)
4. They avoided __________ about the incident. (talk)
5. My brother is interested in __________ computer programmes. (design)

Exercise 2: Perfect Active Gerund

Complete the sentences using the perfect gerund form of the verbs in brackets.

1. He denied __________ the confidential information. (share)
2. She regretted __________ the opportunity. (miss)
3. The student was proud of __________ the scholarship. (receive)
4. He apologised for __________ the instructions. (ignore)
5. They admitted __________ the wrong decision. (make)

Part II: Forms of Gerunds in Passive Voice

In the passive voice, the subject or person referred to receives the action rather than performing it.

3

Simple Gerund — Passive

Structure: being + past participle (V³)

This form is used when the gerund expresses an action received by someone or something.

Examples:

• He dislikes being criticised.
• She is afraid of being punished.
• The students look forward to being rewarded.
• He complained about being ignored.

Compare active and passive forms:

Active: I dislike criticising others.

Passive: I dislike being criticised.

In the first sentence, the speaker performs the action of criticising. In the second, the speaker receives the criticism.

4

Perfect Gerund — Passive

Structure: having been + past participle (V³)

This form emphasises that an action was completed upon someone or something before another action or situation.

Examples:

• He denied having been informed about the meeting.
• She was upset about having been excluded from the team.
• He was grateful for having been given another chance.
• The student regretted having been caught cheating.

Compare the forms:

Simple passive gerund: He denied being informed about the meeting.

Perfect passive gerund: He denied having been informed about the meeting.

The simple passive gerund does not specifically emphasise prior completion. The perfect passive gerund places greater emphasis on the action having occurred earlier.

Exercise 3: Simple Passive Gerund

Complete the sentences using the passive gerund form of the verbs in brackets.

1. The child was afraid of __________ by the teacher. (scold)
2. She dislikes __________ in public. (criticise)
3. The players look forward to __________ for their performance. (appreciate)
4. He complained about __________ unfairly. (treat)
5. Nobody likes __________ for mistakes they did not make. (blame)

Exercise 4: Perfect Passive Gerund

Complete the sentences using the perfect passive gerund form of the verbs in brackets.

1. He denied __________ about the change in schedule. (inform)
2. She was upset about __________ from the competition. (exclude)
3. The player was proud of __________ for the national team. (select)
4. He complained about __________ without any reason. (punish)
5. The workers were happy about __________ their pending wages. (pay)

Part III: Quick Revision Table

Type	Structure	Example
Simple active gerund	V-ing	reading
Perfect active gerund	having + V³	having read
Simple passive gerund	being + V³	being read
Perfect passive gerund	having been + V³	having been read

Remember These Points

1. A gerund ends in -ing and functions as a noun.
2. Use having + V³ for the perfect active gerund.
3. Use being + V³ for the simple passive gerund.
4. Use having been + V³ for the perfect passive gerund.
5. The perfect gerund is useful when you want to emphasise that an action happened before another action or situation.
6. The passive gerund is used when the person or thing referred to receives the action.

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