The Gerund: Usage and Form

The gerund, or Gerundium Englisch, is formed by adding -ing to a verb stem. It functions as a noun in sentences while retaining verbal characteristics. This grammatical form is versatile and widely used in English.

Certain verbs are consistently followed by gerunds. These include enjoy, finish, imagine, miss, and practise. For example, "I enjoy living..." or "I can't imagine living..." demonstrate proper gerund usage.

Example: She finished writing her novel last week.

Some verbs, such as begin/start, continue, hate, like, love, and prefer, can be followed by either a gerund or an infinitive with minimal change in meaning. For instance, both "I love swimming" and "I love to swim" are correct.

Highlight: The flexibility of using either gerund or infinitive after these verbs allows for stylistic variation in English writing and speech.

After the expressions "would like," "would love," and "would hate," the infinitive is typically used. For example, "I would like to live in a foreign country."

Gerunds are commonly used after prepositions, including after, without, for, and of. This rule applies to various constructions:

1. Adjective + Preposition: "good at," "interested in," "afraid of"
2. Verb + Preposition: "think of," "worry about"
3. Noun + Preposition: "chance of," "reason for," "idea of"

Vocabulary: Gerund nach Präpositionen Übungen (exercises on gerunds after prepositions) are crucial for mastering this aspect of English grammar.

The Gerund as Subject and Object

The gerund, formed by adding -ing to a verb, functions as a noun in sentences. It can serve as either the subject or object, making it a versatile grammatical tool. Gerund als Subjekt Beispiel: "Cycling in the rain can be fun too." Gerund als Objekt Beispiel: "I like riding my bike."

Definition: The gerund is the -ing form of a verb that functions as a noun in a sentence.

Certain verbs are typically followed by gerunds, including avoid, dislike, enjoy, fancy, finish, imagine, miss, practise, and suggest. For instance, "enjoy going" or "imagine living" demonstrate proper gerund usage after these verbs.

Example: She enjoys swimming in the ocean.

Some verbs, such as begin, start, continue, hate, like, love, and prefer, can be followed by either a gerund or an infinitive with minimal change in meaning. For example, "It started raining" and "It started to rain" are both correct.

Highlight: The choice between gerund and infinitive after these verbs often depends on personal preference or subtle nuances in meaning.

Verbs like forget, remember, and stop can be followed by either a gerund or an infinitive, but with distinct meanings. For instance, "forget doing something" refers to forgetting a past action, while "forget to do something" implies forgetting a future task.

Vocabulary: Gerund Ausnahmen (gerund exceptions) include verbs that change meaning based on whether they're followed by a gerund or infinitive.