Gerunds Presented By Sultan Qaboos University Language Skill ✓ Solved

Gerunds Presented By: Sultan Qaboos Universitylanguage Skills Ilanc 1102

Gerunds in Context (Warm up) Explanation of Gerunds. The difference between Gerund and verb progressive. Affirmative and Negative of Gerunds. Using Gerunds as the objects of prepositions. Using Gerunds with special expressions Common verbs followed by Gerunds

News Story: Cat Tries to Pull a Fast One on Firefighters Recently in Florida, a typical “Cat Avoids Getting Rescued” story had an unexpected twist. Catching a scared cat is no easy task as the firefighters from the South Florida city of Weston were well aware, but extracting a kitty from under the frame of a car in heavy rain is even harder. Firefighters tried jacking up the car and taking off a wheel, but the feline was scared of being hurt. She kept avoiding the men. At some point, the cat escaped undetected. This caused the crew to continue searching for another hour.

They began by peering into the bushes and scouring a nearby parking lot. The firefighters were used to catching a kitty in a short amount of time. This was taking much too long. Eventually, they gave up trying to find the cat and headed back to the station. A gerund can be used as the subject of a sentence or the object of a verb. Catching a scared kitty is no easy task. The firefighters tried jacking up the car. (subject object of the verb)

A gerund can be used as the object of a preposition. The kitty was scared of being hurt. The firefighters were worried about hurting the kitty. (object of preposition)

The meaning of Gerunds: Gerunds are formed by adding –ing to the simple form of the verb. They are used in many of the same ways that infinitives are used. In general, they refer to an action that is already happening or has been completed. Explanation: Verb + ing Examples: Let’s go walking tonight. Eating fast food is unhealthy for our body. Smoking causes lung cancer. The different between gerunds and verb progressive: Gerunds Ex: yesterday, the boy finished swimming. Verb progressive Ex: the boy is swimming. before it we can NOT use verbs to be ( is, are, was, were, am). before it we can use verbs to be. Affirmative/ Negative: Affirmative gerund: verb+ -ing Ex: I enjoy staying in bed on Sunday mornings. Negative gerund: not+ verb+ -ing Ex: I like not getting up early. Using Gerunds as the objects of prepositions: Examples: 1) I am happy about meeting you. 2) He is exhausted from staying up all night. 3) This steak is too tough for frying in butter. NOTE: to is a preposition, not part of an infinitive form, so a gerund follows. Ex: I am used to sleeping with the window open. . Firefighters are accustomed (catch) ___ cats quickly. 2. Firefighters usually succeed (rescue) ___ lost cats. 3. They were tired (search) ___ for the kitty. 4. They were worried (hurt) ___ the scared cat. 5. After 4 hours, no one would blame the firefighters (end) ___ the search for the kitty. 6. But the firefighters insisted (find) ___ the lost cat.

Practice: Complete each sentence with a preposition and a form of the verb in parentheses. to catching in rescuing of searching about hurting for ending on finding. Five hours later, the elusive cat reappeared -- at the station, in the fire truck's rear wheel well. The firefighters were not having a good time searching for the cat. They had spent a lot of time trying to catch the cat, but they decided to give it one more try. This time, firefighters used food to try to lure the cat out. It didn’t work. The cat refused to budge, so the crew resorted to a successful three-person attack: one poked the feline gently in the backside with a stick, another used a hose to push it into an open area, so the third could grab it and pull it out. The cat was dirty but unharmed. The cat’s owner thanked them over and over for bringing his cat to safety.

-ing form follows certain special expressions. The firefighters were not having a good time searching for the cat. The firefighters were not having fun searching for the cat. have a good time have fun + Verb -ing. -ing form follows certain special expressions. They had a hard time trying to catch the cat. have trouble/difficulty have a hard time have a difficult time + -ing. They had trouble trying to catch the cat.

15 VERBS WHICH CAN BE FOLLOWED BY GERUNDS: avoid admit consider discuss complete delay advise dislike begin enjoy start practice mention finish forget love keep deny mind miss recommend postpone recollect resent resist risk try stop. Examples: I avoid going to the dentist. I have finished working. He admitted cheating on the test. The doctor generally advised drinking low-fat milk. He completed renovating the house. He delayed doing his taxes. He denied committing the crime. We discussed working at the company.

Sample Paper For Above instruction

Gerunds are an essential aspect of English grammar, serving as versatile forms that link verbs to nouns and play crucial roles in sentence structure. Their formation involves adding the suffix "-ing" to base verbs, creating a grammatical form that can function in various syntactic positions such as subjects, objects, or objects of prepositions. Understanding gerunds and their proper usage is vital for language learners aiming to achieve fluency and precision in communication.

In the context of the recent news story involving firefighters in Weston, Florida, the use of gerunds is exhibited prominently. For example, phrases like "catching a scared cat" and "searching for the kitty" demonstrate gerunds functioning as the subject and the object of prepositions, respectively. Such examples underscore the importance of gerunds in conveying ongoing actions, particularly in narrative descriptions. These forms are instrumental when describing complex sequences of events or actions that are in progress or have been completed.

Gerunds differ from present progressive verb forms in their grammatical function and usage. While the present progressive (e.g., "the boy is swimming") emphasizes ongoing actions with auxiliary "be" verbs, gerunds stand alone as nouns or nominal phrases (e.g., "swimming"). For instance, "finishing swimming" versus "the boy is swimming" illustrates this distinction. The former is a gerund phrase, serving as the object of "finished," whereas the latter is a progressive tense describing the current activity.

Affirmative and negative forms of gerunds offer flexibility in expressing preferences, abilities, or negations of actions. An affirmative gerund, such as "I enjoy staying in bed," indicates a positive engagement with an activity, whereas "I like not getting up early" reflects a negation or dislike of a specific action. The use of "not" before the gerund introduces the negative form, which is commonly used to articulate what one does not enjoy or prefer.

The application of gerunds as objects of prepositions is widely observed in both spoken and written English. For example, "happy about meeting you" and "exhausted from staying up all night" showcase how gerunds follow prepositions to complete their meaning. It is critical to remember that "to" in these cases functions as a preposition, not part of an infinitive. Consequently, verbs following "to" in these contexts are in gerund form, emphasizing ongoing or completed actions.

Furthermore, certain common expressions and verbs are typically followed by gerunds, such as "have difficulty," "avoid," "admit," "discuss," and "finish." For instance, "He finished renovating the house" demonstrates a past action expressed through a gerund, while "He denied committing the crime" shows the negative form in use. Recognizing these patterns enhances grammatical accuracy and fluency.

In practical scenarios, understanding these grammatical patterns assists in clear communication, especially in recounting stories or explaining procedures involving ongoing actions. For example, firefighters in the story demonstrate the use of gerunds when describing their actions during the rescue, such as "searching for the kitty" and "rescuing lost cats." Mastery of gerunds and related expressions thus significantly contributes to effective language use.

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