Is starting a sentence with a gerund bad?

An “-ing” word at the start of a sentence is not wrong, if it is used in the correct way. Often authors use an “-ing” word, also called a gerund, to avoid using the word “I” too much.

What does a gerund phrase start with?

A gerund phrase starts with a gerund and includes other modifiers or objects. Knowing that gerunds always function as nouns, remember that gerund phrases will also serve as nouns. We’ll see them in one of four positions in a sentence: subject, subject complement, object, or object of a preposition.

How do you combine sentences with gerunds?

Sentences can be combined using gerunds. A gerund has the same form as a present participle (again, the -ing form of a verb) but functions as a noun (Our school encourages studying). Example: The dog howled and whined all night long.

Are gerunds always at the beginning of a sentence?

A gerund phrase will follow these rules, which can help you identify a gerund phrase in a sentence: The phrase will always start with a gerund. The gerund phrase will either have a modifier, an object or both. The entire phrase will function as a noun.

What is a gerund phrase give 3 examples?

The Parts of a Gerund Phrase For example: eating (from the verb “to eat”) taking (from the verb “to take”) painting (from the verb “to paint”)

What is a gerund phrase?

A gerund phrase is a group of words consisting of a gerund and the modifier(s) and/or (pro)noun(s) or noun phrase(s) that function as the direct object(s), indirect object(s), or complement(s) of the action or state expressed in the gerund, such as: The gerund phrase functions as the subject of the sentence.

What is an example of a sentence using gerund?

Sleeping through the night is difficult for me.

Making noise is what happy children and almost all teenagers do best.

Watching bad television defined my teenage years.

Running with scissors on a slippery floor was a terrible idea.

Travelling across France should be a rite of passage for all writers.

How do you identify gerunds and gerund phrases?

– Refer to the definition of the GERUND: it is the -ing form of the verb that is used exclusively as a noun. – Find the word that ends in -ing. – Example: Jumping out of a perfectly good airplane is insane. – Determine how the -ing word is being used in the sentence. – Find the verb in the sentence [is]

Which sentence contains a gerund from of a verb?

a gerund ends in ing, and is a verb that acts like a noun. A gerund is a word that takes the form of a verb in -ing form, but functions as a noun when used in the sentence. The sentence that contains a gerund is, “On the first torrid day of summer, we always enjoy swimming.”.

Can gerunds ever function as adverbs?

So is this a gerund functioning as an adverb?go (went) is intransitive, so you can’t have an noun object, so it can’t be a gerund. It might be considered an adverbial participle. On the other hand, if your interpretation is I went to do (the activity of) running / jogging / etc., you have a case for a gerund. CJ