Gerunds as Subject, Object or ComplementTry to think of gerunds as verbs in noun form.

Like nouns, gerunds can be the subject, object or complement of a sentence:

Smoking costs a lot of money. I don't like writing. My favourite occupation is reading.

But, like a verb, a gerund can also have an object itself. In this case, the whole expression [gerund + object] can be the subject, object or complement of the sentence.

Smoking cigarettes costs a lot of money. I don't like writing letters. My favourite occupation is reading detective stories.

Gerunds are nouns built from a verb with an '-ing' suffix. They can be used as the subject of a sentence, an object, or an object of preposition. They can also be used to complement a subject. Often, gerunds exist side-by-side with nouns that come from the same root but the gerund and the common noun have different shades of meaning. Examples: breath and breathing, knowledge and knowing.

Examples of gerunds as the subject of a sentence are:

Backpacking is a rewarding pastime. Stretching can loosen up muscles. No smoking. (I.e., no smoking is allowed / you may not smoke here.)

As an object:

We all love to go bowling on the weekend. He loves eating chips. Much, many, little and few     We use much and little with uncountable nouns: much time /  much luck / little energy / little money/            

We use many and few with plural nouns:        many friends /   many people / few cars / few countries                   We use much/many especially in negative sentences and questions. A lot (of) is also possible:   • We didn't spend much money, (or We didn't spend a lot of money.) • Do you know many people? (or Do you know a lot of people?) • I don't go out much, (or I don't go out a lot.)   In positive sentences a lot (of) is more usual. Much is unusual in positive sentences in spoken English: • We spent a lot of money, (not 'We spent much money') • He goes out a lot. (not' He goes out much')   You can use many in positive sentences, but a lot (of) is more usual in spoken English:  • A lot of people (or Many people) drive too fast. But note that we use too much and so much in positive sentences:

• We spent too much money.   Little and few (without 'a') are negative ideas (=not much / not many): • We must be quick. There is little time. (=not much, not enough time) • He isn't popular. He has few friends. (=not many, not enough friends)   You can say very little and very few: • There is very little time. • He has very few friends.   Put in much, many,few or little :

THE BERMUDA TRIANGLE

At 2 pm on 5 December 1945, five US bombers took off from Fort Lauderlale in the USA for a training flight in perfect weather. Shortly afterwards, the pilots radioed that their flight instruments were all malfunctioning. Two hours after take-off, all contact with the planes was lost. A reconnaissance plane was immediately dispatched to search for the missing planes. Within 20 minutes, radio contact with it had also been lost. No trace of any of the planes was ever found. In all, six planes and 27 men had vanished into the air.

The disappearance of the six planes was far from being the first mysterious incident in the area: for years, navigational problems and strange magnetic forces had been reported. The disappearance was not even the greatest disaster within the triangle. The Cyclops, a 19,000-ton US ship was sailing from Barbados to Norfolk, Virginia. In March 1918, when it vanished with its crew of 309 from the surface of he ocean without making a distress call and without the slightest wreckage ever being found.

The losses of boats and planes in that area defy explanation. The disasters are the origin of a new phrase in the English language – the Bermuda Triangle and this phrase has entered legend. The Bermuda Triangle has been called the Devils’ Triangle, the Triangle of Death, the Graveyard of the Atlantic. It has swallowed up 140 ships and planes and more than 1,000 people. Today many airmen and sailors are still afraid of that area of the Atlantic Ocean.

1Where was Fort Lauderlale located?

  In Great Britain In Ireland In the U.S.A.

2What disappeared on 5 December 1945?

  Several US planes Several US ships Several US trains

3It was the first incident in this area.

  TRUE FALSE

4What was "the Cyclops"?

  a big monster an alien a big ship

5When did it disappear?

  In nineteen eighteen In nineteen twenty In nineteen thirty

6The ship was found in 1985.

  TRUE FALSE

7What is the other name of the Bermuda Triangle?

  The Devil's Area The Sea Graveyard The Triangle of Death

8The Bermuda Triangle is located in the Atlantic Ocean.

  TRUE FALSE

9How many people have disappeared?

  about one hundred about one thousand about one million

10This legend is over. Nobody believes it anymore.

  TRUE FALSE

A HUNDRED BILLION HAMBURGERS

Once upon a time, a businessman named Ray Kroc discovered a restaurant owned by two brothers. The restaurant served just four things: hamburgers, French fries, milk shakes and coca cola. But it was clean and inexpensive, and the service was quick. Mr Kroc liked it so much that he paid the brothers so that he could use their idea and their name: Mc Donald's.

Beef, big business and fast service were the ingredients when Mr Kroc opened his first Mc Donald's in 1955. Four years later, there were 100 of them. Kroc knew Americans liked success. So he put signs saying how many millions of Mc Donald's hamburgers people had bought. In just four years, the number was one hundred million. Now, there are more than 13,000 Mc Donald's restaurants from Dallas to Paris and from Moscow to Beijing.

Anyone who wants to open a Mc Donald's must first work in one for a week. Then, they do a nine-month training programme, in the restaurants and at "Mc Donald's University" in Chicago. There they learn the Mc Donald's philosophy: quality control, service, cleanliness and cheap prices. Mc Donald's has strict rules, Hamburgers must be served before they are ten minutes old, and French fries, seven.

Mc Donald's has never stopped looking for new methods to attract customers, from drive-in windows to birthday parties. Chicken, fish, salad and, in some places, pizza are now on the menu. Mc Donald's in Holland even sells a vegetarian burger.Their international popularity shows they have found the recipe for success.

1Who was Ray Kroc?

  a cook a businessman a soldier

2Why did Kroc give money to the two brothers?

  Because they had helped him a few years before. Because they were very friendly. Because he wanted to use their idea and their name.

3The two brothers were called Mc Donald's.

  TRUE FALSE

4When did Kroc open his first restaurant?

  In the 1940s In the 1950s In the 1960s

5Why did Kroc put signs?

  Because he wanted to show how successful his restaurants were. Because he didn't want his customers to

park anywhere. Because his prices were very cheap.

6You must study in a "school" to open a restaurant.

  TRUE FALSE

7Hamburgers are cooked from 7am to 9 am only.

  TRUE FALSE

8All Mc Donald's restaurants sell the same meals.

  TRUE FALSE

9What can you find in Holland?

  a special hamburger a special drink a special ice cream

10The journalist thinks that Mc Donald's restaurants will disappear very soon.

  TRUE FALSE

YOUTH CRIME

Until two years ago, Clearing, Illinois was a tranquil suburb of Chicago. But residents grew alarmed when they noticed armed teenagers on the streets, giving gang signals and shouting at passing cars. Then came a series of burglaries and graffiti messages on storefronts. By the time local authorities realized they had a gang problem, it was too late. Last December, two 13-year-old girls were shot outside their school as they sat in a car with two members of a local gang, the Ridgeway Lords.

Nearly all 50 states have recently passed laws that allow youths aged 14-17 to be tried in court as adults. In about 25 states they have passed laws to punish parents for their children’s behaviour. And in 146 of the nation’s largest cities, they have imposed curfews to reduce juvenile violence. When you look at the spectacular rise of violent crime among young people recently, it’s easy to understand the concern. Over the past decade, there has been a decline in adult murders in the US, while murder rates have surged for youths between 14-17.

For young offenders who aren’t sent to prison, the punishments vary: some are ordered to perform community service, others are placed in job training programs, still others sent to youth prisons. But the Republicans in Congress want to reverse a basic principle of juvenile justice: the separation of young criminals from hardened adult criminals in prison. The reasons are partly financial – to reduce the cost of having separate prisons for young people – and partly psychological – to end what Republicans consider as society’s overly protective attitude towards young criminals.

1Where is located Clearing?

  In Great Britain In Spain In the USA.

2Why were residents unhappy?

  Because taxes increased. Because rents were too high. Because gangs came into their town.

3What happened in December?

  a policeman shot a young man two girls were killed because they were with two members of another gang

criminality decreased

4What is "the Ridgeway Lords"?

  a famous band. a gang. a prison

5Young people cannot be tried in court in most U.S. states.

  TRUE FALSE

6Parents are not responsible for what their children do.

  TRUE FALSE

7What is "a curfew"?

  Young people are not allowed to smoke. Young people are not allowed to drink. Young people are not allowed to go out when it is too late (night).

8There is an increase in…

  the number of crimes done by young people the number of crimes done by adults the number of prisons

9What would the Republicans like to do?

  They would like to separate young criminals from adult criminals They would like to put young criminals into

prisons for adults They would like to ban youth prisons

10This would cost less money.

  TRUE FALSE

Kill that noise or I'll kill you!

People often complain that loud noise drives them crazy. But in Britain, it is driving people to violence.A London man could no longer stand the reggae music from a party next door. He set fire to the hallway outside the party. A woman trying to escape jumped out of a window from the third floor and killed herself. The London man received a life sentence for murder.A man from Wales went to complain about a loud music from a neighbour's home. He was stabbed by the neighbour.A man in Winchester, because of a constantly barking dog, hit his neighbour with an iron bar. The dog's owner fell, hit his head on the road and died four days later.A Manchester man fired an air rifle into a nearby flat from which loud music was playing. The judge refused to send the man to jail for his action and fined him £5,000 instead.

1What does the title "Kill that noise or I'll kill you" mean?

  Stop being noisy, or I'll kill you! Drinking alcohol can kill you! Stop eating too much, it will kill you!

2Where did these incidents occur?

  In Australia In the UK In the USA

3Why did a man set fire to a hallway?

  Because he wanted to commit suicide Because he couldn't stand the music of his neighbours Because he was crazy

4Why was the London man sentenced for death?

  Because he had killed his neighbours. Because he had killed his wife. Because a woman had killed herself by jumping out of a window.

5What happened to a man in Wales?

  He was killed in a car accident He was killed by his dog He was killed by his neighbours

6What is Winchester?

  The brand of a rifle A town The name of a dog

7What happened to the man in Manchester?

  He was put into prison. He was sentenced for life. He got a fine.

8How much did it cost him (the man in Manchester)?

  About US$8,000 About US$800 About US$80,000

9What do the British soldiers of the U.N. do?

  They put more mines in Bosnia They remove some mines and try to warn about their dangers They think that nothing can be done

10"U.N." stands for "Universal Nature".

  TRUE FALSE

Comparatives

Main rule:Comparatives are used to compare two things and to highlight the superiority, inferiority, or equality of one term compared to another.

  Short Adjectives( 1 - 2 syllables)

Long Adjectives(3+ syllables)

superiorityADJ + -ER thanfast > X is faster than Y.

MORE + ADJ thanexpensive > X is more expensive than Y.

equalitityas ADJ as

big > X is as big as Y.

inferiorityless ADJ than

beautiful > X is less beautiful than Y.

Examples: Jean is taller than Catherine. Philippe is less tall than Jean. Leïla is as tall as Jean. young --> younger | tall --> taller | old --> older

 

NOTES:> If the adjective ends in "--y" the "y" becomes "i" :

heavy --> heavier | early --> earlier | busy --> busier | healthy --> healthier | chilly --> chillier

> If the adjective ends in "--e" only an "r" is needed:wise --> wiser | large --> larger | simple --> simpler | late --> later

> If the adjective ends with "single vowel + consonant" the consonant is doubled and one adds "--er" :big --> bigger | thin --> thinner | hot --> hotter

> Some very common adjectives have irregular comparatives:good --> better | bad --> worse | far --> farther

TEST - Compare these 2 cars (fictitious data). Use the adjectives.

MERCEDES

(big car)

$200,000

Mini

(small car)

$10,000

1. expensive > .............................................2. cheap > ...................................................3. powerful > ...............................................4. large > ....................................................5. comfortable > ..........................................6. fast > ......................................................

 

ANSWERS (examples) 1. The Mercedes is more expensive than the Mini. 2. The Mini is cheaper than the Mercedes. 3. The Mercedes is more powerful than the Mini. 4. The Mercedes is larger than the Mini. The Mini is not as large as the Mercedes. 5. The Mercedes is more comfortable than the Mini. The Mini is less comfortable than the Mercedes. 6. The Mercedes is faster than the Mini.

Gerunds

 

Gerunds are formed like the present participle by adding ing to the infinitive. Gerund is a verb used as a noun(I like dancing). And these are some verbs which are followed by

gerunds(hate,like,avoid,finish ,suggest,mind,keep(meaning continue),enjoy,risk,stop.) Some prepositions are followed by gerunds:be keen on,be fond of (like),be good at,be interested in ,be

afraid of, a method/way of,insist on,accuse  someone of,be used to.

be used to +gerund/noun should not be confused with used to + infinitive,which describes a past habit._I used to smoke.(but I don't any more).

English exercise "Verbs + ing" created by anonyme (25-12-2007) with The test builderClick here to see the current stats of this English test

Click on the words to build sentences.

1. early. getting hate up I

2. next summer. to Paris They suggested going

3. town? Do you this mind in living

4. music. enjoy to I 's listening Yanni

5. trying funny. be They to keep

6. She meeting mother. avoids her

7. stop Won't lying! you

8. fond of Yanni. listening to I'm

9. She on keen is dancing.

10. at playing good She piano. is the

11. interested I'm in butterflies. collecting

12. at playing She piano. the good is

13. afraid going of is in She storms. out

14. her of She stealing purse. him accused

15. on mother. seeing insisted her He

Gerunds are nouns built from a verb with an '-ing' suffix. They can be used as the subject of a sentence, an object, or an object of preposition. They can also be used to complement a subject. Often, gerunds exist side-by-side with nouns that come from the same root but the gerund and the common noun have different shades of meaning. Examples: breath and breathing, knowledge and knowing.

Examples of gerunds as the subject of a sentence are:

Backpacking is a rewarding pastime. Stretching can loosen up muscles. No smoking. (I.e., no smoking is allowed / you may not smoke here.)

As an object:

We all love to go bowling on the weekend. He loves eating chips.

An object of preposition:

They complained of hearing strange sounds from the next cabin. They sang about being eaten by bears to allay their fears.

And as a complement to a subject:

One of the most dangerous things to do on the lake is ice-skating.

1. My suitcase is (large) than your suitcase.

2. This scarf is (beautiful) than the one in the window.

3. The palace Hotel was (expensive) than the Grosvenor.

4. John is a (good) gardener than Stuart.

5. They are not going to the (bad) hotel.

6. The palace is the (expensive) hotel.

7. John is the (good) gardener.

8. These are the (beautiful) colours.

9. Mr.Smith is (bad) today than yesterday.

The body

S S S F M B T K N E E T D HT R K K A U E R A U S B O TT S E E E C S Y A E N E O EN I I D L E E C H E I L L EE I W R L E H C L H H L B TL H A B W U T C I E C Y D SB T I R O D O O A A S A F NO U S O B N N H N D E I E NW O T G E A E R S H N C I BS M E A H H I L E G K E A LK L R S Y A S R E K V C I UI S E N H D O R A N K L E NN L T O O F S T O M A C H GF E E S P I L F I S T P T S

 

ANKLEBACKBELLYBLOODBONEBRAINCHEEKSCHESTCHINEARSELBOWFACEFINGERSFISTFLESHFOOTFOREHEADHAIRHANDHEADHEARTKNEELEGLIPSLUNGSMOUTHMUSCLESNAILNECKSHOULDERSSKELETONSKINSTOMACHTEETHVEINWAISTWRIST

Happy New Year!

F F M K A Y A L S P S R R N PO R J I L Y O K A E E E O R GO I A N L U R R H V E I O E RT E N D A O A S E H T S H T EB N U N W D I L C U P F O A GA D A E E W R G L E A I R R OL S R S N Y N O R R R R N B RL I Y S E I S O D R T S I E IF Y E A R E U N E W Y T A L AE A M S R S S E C C U S T E NE C N A T N I A U Q C A R C BT H G I N D I M C O M E E B EY P P A H F E S T I V E T A LY H T L A E H E S I O N N N LT R F L O A T S U E U S E D S

ACQUAINTANCEBANDBELLS CELEBRATECHEERENTERTAIN FESTIVE FIREWORKSFIRST FLOATS FOOTBALLFRIENDSGREGORIAN HAPPY HEALTHY HORNJANUARY KINDNESS MIDNIGHT NEW NOISE PARADE PARTY PROSPEROUS RENEWALRESOLUTIONREVELRY RINGSUCCESS USWISHES YEAR

1. I can't help (laugh) when I remember that joke.

2. It's no use (insist) I won't come with you.

3. That restaurant is not worth (go).

4. John gave up (smoke) five years ago.

5. The baby stopped (cry) as his mother got into the room.

6. Justine kept on (learn) the lessons despite her family made noise.

7. Bob starts (shout) as his parents leave.

8. Carol dislikes (eat) cookies at breakfast.

9. I dislike (do) housework.

10. I can hear someone (come) up the stairs.

Gerunds as Nouns

However, gerunds function differently in sentences than the present participle. Gerunds can function as nouns in a sentence. They can either hold the subject position or the direct object position. Consider the following examples:

Dancing is enjoyable.

In this example, the word dancing is a gerund because it is the subject of the sentence.

Guillermo enjoys dancing.

In the sentence, the gerund dancing is functioning as the direct object of the sentence.

Rules to Remember!

1 Gerunds are nouns that look like ing-ending verbs.  They can be both subjects and objects.

     Gerund as a subject: Cooking is a very enjoyable activity.

     Gerund as an object:  My father loves cooking.

2 Gerunds are usually not plural.  You cannot say       Playings are fun.