A gerund is a verb form that ends in "-ing" and functions as a noun in a sentence. For example, in the sentence "Swimming is fun," the word "swimming" is a gerund that acts as the subject of the sentence. Gerunds can also serve as objects, complements, or objects of prepositions. For example:
- "I enjoy reading." (here, "reading" is the object of the verb "enjoy")
- "She is good at painting." (here, "painting" is the object of the preposition "at")
Gerunds can sometimes be confused with present participles, which also end in "-ing" but function as adjectives or to form continuous tenses (e.g., "The running water is cold").