Gerunds & Verbal Nouns

You sit down to write an email:

I look forward to seeing you. I really appreciate you helping with this. Swimming in cold water isn't my idea of fun.

All perfectly normal English. Then you come across some grammar advice saying, "That's a gerund phrase after a preposition," and your eyes glaze over.

Let's be honest — a lot of grammar talk is needlessly off-putting. The good news is, gerund is just the label for something you're doing quite happily already: using a verb as a noun. If you write reports, applications, or anything even vaguely formal, understanding how these "-ing" forms behave gives you more control. You'll see why I suggested going sounds right but I suggested to go doesn't, and you'll be able to tidy up sentences that don't quite sit well — including the one at the top of your last cover letter.

Before you read on, here's where we're heading. By the end of this article, you'll be able to: - Recognise gerunds and verbal nouns in your own writing. - Use "-ing" words smoothly as subjects, objects, and complements, and after prepositions. - Tell gerunds from present participles, the other "-ing" form. - Make sensible choices between gerunds and infinitives after common verbs — including a handful that change meaning. - Decide confidently between my leaving and me leaving depending on how formal you need to sound.

Beginner (Foundation): What's a Gerund, Really?

Start with the simple picture: a gerund is a verb + -ing that's being used as a noun.

Look at these:

• Driving in rush hour is exhausting.
• I enjoy cooking.
• Reading helps me switch off.

In each case, that "-ing" word is the thing we're talking about: what's exhausting? Driving in rush hour. What do I enjoy? Cooking. So although drive, cook, and read are verbs, here they're doing noun work. That's a gerund in a nutshell.

Now, the term verbal noun — the second half of this article's title. It's the family name for any noun built from a verb, and a gerund is the main member of that family in modern English. Some older grammar books draw a finer distinction: they keep gerund for the "-ing" form that still behaves a little like a verb — able to take its own object (reading novels) or be modified by an adverb (carefully reading) — and use verbal noun more loosely for forms that have drifted further into pure-noun territory, often turning up with the:

• Swimming is good exercise. (gerund — still feels action-y)
• The swimming was good exercise. (verbal noun — almost like "the session")

In everyday use, you don't need to police that boundary too closely — even linguists argue about exactly where one ends and the other begins. The key idea to take away is this: some "-ing" words in your sentence are functioning as nouns, even though they grew out of verbs, and gerund and verbal noun both point at that same phenomenon.

A quick test. If you can replace the "-ing" bit with it or this thing and the sentence still works, it's behaving as a noun: Cycling is dangerous here → It is dangerous here. ✔ But: She is travelling to London → She is it? ✘ — here travelling is clearly part of the verb, not a noun.

Common Mistake: Treating any word ending in -ing as a noun. In We are meeting tomorrow, meeting is part of the verb phrase (are meeting), not a gerund.

Pro-Tip: Ask yourself: "Is this '-ing' word the thing in the sentence?" If not, it's probably not a gerund — it's a participle doing verb or adjective work instead.

Quick recap: - A gerund is a verb + -ing functioning as a noun. - A verbal noun is the wider family name for nouns built from verbs — gerunds are the type you'll meet most often. - Use the "it" test to check whether an "-ing" form is working as a noun. - Many "-ing" forms are just parts of verb phrases (is leaving, was driving), not gerunds at all.

Intermediate (Development): How Gerunds Behave in Real Sentences

Once you're comfortable spotting gerunds, the next step is seeing where they sit in a sentence. Because they're nouns, they can do the classic noun jobs — plus one more that catches out even confident writers.

1. Gerund as subject: Working from home suits me. Travelling alone can be liberating. Saving regularly makes a big difference. Swap in a concrete noun and the structure holds: Exercise suits me.

2. Gerund as object: I've started running again. She hates queueing. They finished painting the kitchen last night. Many common verbs naturally take a gerund afterwards: like, love, enjoy, dislike, hate, avoid, consider, imagine, admit, deny, finish, stop, practise [US: practice], suggest, recommend. When I suggested to go by train sounds wrong, it's because suggest wants a gerund: I suggested going by train.

3. Gerund as complement: His job is managing the IT systems. My main hobby is gardening. The problem is getting everyone to reply on time.

4. After a preposition — the one that trips up professional writing most often. Prepositions demand a noun-type form, so English reaches for a gerund:

• I look forward to seeing you.
• She's responsible for training new staff.
• I'm used to getting up early.
• He left without apologising.

Note that look forward to is a classic trap: the to there is a preposition, not an infinitive marker, so it must be followed by a gerund — looking forward to hearing from you, never to hear. This single slip shows up in professional emails more than almost any other gerund mistake, and it's an easy one to fix once you can see the pattern.

Gerund phrases. Often the gerund heads a longer phrase that still acts as a single noun: Going for a walk after dinner clears my head. I really appreciate you taking the time to look at this. Dealing with constant emails can be draining. Try the "it" test on the whole chunk: It clears my head. ✔

Common Mistake: I look forward to see you. After prepositions like to in "look forward to," "object to," and "be used to," always use a gerund: ✔ I look forward to seeing you.

Pro-Tip: If you catch yourself writing long, clunky noun phrases (the implementation of the new system will allow for the improvement of…), try a gerund instead: Implementing the new system will improve… It's shorter, more direct, and reads far less like a policy document nobody wanted to write.

Quick recap: - Gerunds can act as subjects, objects, complements, and — very commonly — after prepositions. - Look forward to, object to, and be used to all take a gerund, because that to is a preposition, not an infinitive marker. - Gerunds often head longer gerund phrases, which still function as one noun. - Swapping a heavy nominal phrase for a gerund usually makes writing more direct.

Advanced (Mastery): Nuances, Choices, and Style

Now for the parts that bother careful writers: gerunds vs present participles precisely, gerunds vs infinitives (including the meaning-changers), and the my leaving / me leaving choice — plus what all this does to your tone.

Gerund vs present participle

Gerunds and present participles both look like verb + -ing. The difference is function: a gerund behaves as a noun; a present participle behaves as a verb form (building a continuous tense) or an adjective.

1. Running is good exercise. → gerund (subject)
2. She is running a marathon on Sunday. → present participle, part of the verb
3. The running water was freezing cold. → present participle, adjective describing water

A reliable test: swap the "-ing" word for a plain noun. Running is good exercise → Exercise is good exercise. That holds, so it's a gerund. She is running → She is exercise? Nonsense — participle. You can also try the act of: it fits comfortably before a gerund (the act of running), but never before a participle doing verb work.

Gerund vs infinitive after verbs — where English gets genuinely messy

Some verbs are normally followed by a gerund: I enjoy reading in bed. She admitted taking the money. They suggested meeting at eight.

Others by to + infinitive: I hope to see you soon. She decided to leave early. We plan to move next year.

Some take either with barely a difference: I like cooking. / I like to cook.

But a small set of verbs genuinely change meaning depending on which form follows — and getting this wrong in a work email can quietly say the opposite of what you meant:

• I stopped smoking. — I no longer smoke.
• I stopped to smoke. — I paused something else in order to smoke.
• She remembered closing the window. — She has a memory of doing it.
• She remembered to close the window. — She didn't forget; she did it.
• I regret saying that in the meeting. — I wish I hadn't said it.
• We regret to inform you that… — the formal bad-news formula, referring to what's about to be said.

Write "I stopped to check my emails" when you meant "I stopped checking my emails," and you've told your boss the opposite of what happened. There's no single rule that covers every verb — it's pattern-plus-exposure, and for serious study this lives properly in our Verbs & Tenses pillar's non-finite forms material. For practical writing, when in doubt, check how the verb is typically used in a good dictionary, and trust your ear on the rest.

Common Mistake: Trying to force one pattern onto every verb because someone once told you "after X you must always use a gerund/infinitive." Native usage is more varied than any single rule allows — treat these as strong tendencies, not laws.

Possessive before gerund: "my leaving" vs "me leaving"

This is the bit that triggers arguments in comments sections, and it's genuinely useful to have sorted for anything formal.

• I was upset about my leaving so suddenly.
• I was upset about me leaving so suddenly.

Traditionally, grammar books pushed the possessive + gerund structure, treating the gerund phrase as a noun-event that the possessive "owns": I appreciated your taking the time to speak with me. We were concerned about their missing the deadline. In real modern English, the object pronoun + -ing version is everywhere too, and sounds perfectly natural in speech: about me leaving, to him smoking, at them arriving.

So what should you actually do? For formal writing — reports, applications, academic work — the possessive still tends to look neater: I appreciated your taking the time. For everyday writing and speech, both patterns are in constant use; don't twist a sentence into knots avoiding either. When a possessive sounds clunky with a long noun phrase — the entire organisation's deciding to withdraw — just rephrase: I was surprised that the entire organisation decided to withdraw.

Pro-Tip: In important, formal documents, if you're in doubt, you can often dodge the issue entirely by rephrasing around a plain noun: We objected to his proposal rather than wrestling with his proposing.

Register and style

One last point, and it's where this stops being a rule and starts being a tool. Gerunds are a quiet way of adjusting the tone of your writing.

• Implementing this policy will improve results. (direct, active — a gerund as subject)
• This policy will be implemented and results will be improved. (heavier, more bureaucratic — passive voice and abstract nouns)

Neither is "wrong." The first feels more direct; the second can be exactly what a legal or policy document wants. Once you can see gerunds clearly, you get to choose: the more direct, active feel of a gerund, or the more abstract, formal feel of a full nominal phrase (the implementation of…). That's a genuine stylistic decision, not a grammar rule — and knowing you're making it is half the skill.

Quick recap: - Gerunds (noun role) and present participles (verb/adjective role) share the -ing form but do different jobs — test with a noun-swap. - Verbs vary in whether they take gerunds, infinitives, or either; a handful (stop, remember, forget, regret) change meaning depending on your choice. - Possessive + gerund (your leaving) is more traditional and formal; object + -ing (you leaving) is common in everyday use. - Choosing between a gerund and a heavier nominal phrase is a genuine style decision that affects how direct or bureaucratic your writing feels.

UK vs US Note

For gerunds and verbal nouns, UK and US English line up almost perfectly — there's no real transatlantic grammar split here. The minor differences you'll actually meet:

• Spelling: UK distinguishes practise (verb) from practice (noun); US uses practice for both. You'll also see organising [US: organizing] and favourite [US: favorite] in examples throughout this piece.
• Terminology: a CV in the UK is a résumé [US: resume] in the US — cosmetic only, doesn't touch the grammar.
• The possessive-before-gerund preference in formal writing is recommended by careful style guides on both sides of the Atlantic; American informal writing is simply a touch more relaxed about dropping it.

Key Takeaways

• A gerund is a verb + -ing used as a noun (Working from home suits me).
• Gerunds can be subjects, objects, complements, or follow a preposition (I look forward to hearing from you), often heading longer gerund phrases.
• Not every "-ing" word is a gerund; many are present participles in verb phrases or acting as adjectives.
• Some verbs "want" gerunds, some infinitives, some allow either — and a handful change meaning depending on which you choose.
• My/your/their + gerund is more formal; me/you/them + gerund is common in speech and informal writing.

Check Your Understanding

1. Identify the gerund(s) and say whether they're subject, object, or complement. a) Walking to work saves me money. b) Her main responsibility is organising the rota. c) We considered moving to a cheaper flat.

2. Which "-ing" word is a gerund and which is a present participle? a) Swimming every day keeps me fit. / I am swimming every day this week. b) The boring lecture felt endless. / Boring people with details is easy if you're not careful.

3. Choose the option that sounds more natural in standard written English. a) I suggested (to meet / meeting) at nine. b) They decided (to cancel / cancelling) the event. c) I'm used to (getting / to get) up early.

4. Rewrite to use a possessive before the gerund, making the sentence more formal. a) I didn't like them arriving so late. b) We appreciated you helping us move.

5. Improve the style below by using a gerund. a) The implementation of the new policy will result in an improvement in response times. b) The completion of the project on time requires the cooperation of all staff.

Internal Links

• H1.1 — What Is a Noun? (the underlying noun roles this article builds on)
• H1.4 — What Is a Verb? (to anchor the verb side of gerunds)
• H3.1 — Subjects and Objects in Sentences
• H3.2 — Complements and What They Do in Sentences
• Forward link: Verbs & Tenses pillar — Non-finite Verb Forms (infinitives, gerunds, and participles in full)