Gerund as the Subject of a Sentence:
* Swimming is my favorite way to exercise. ("Swimming" is the gerund, acting as the subject)
* Reading helps me relax. ("Reading" is the gerund, acting as the subject)
* Cooking can be a fun hobby. ("Cooking" is the gerund, acting as the subject)
Gerund as the Object of a Verb:
* I enjoy hiking in the mountains. ("hiking" is the gerund, object of the verb "enjoy")
* She loves dancing to salsa music. ("dancing" is the gerund, object of the verb "loves")
* We started learning Spanish last year. ("learning" is the gerund, object of the verb "started")
Gerund as the Object of a Preposition:
* We went for a walk after eating dinner. ("eating" is the gerund, object of the preposition "after")
* I'm good at solving puzzles. ("solving" is the gerund, object of the preposition "at")
* He is excited about traveling to Europe. ("traveling" is the gerund, object of the preposition "about")
Gerund Phrases:
* Taking a nap in the afternoon helps me feel refreshed. (The entire phrase "taking a nap" acts as the gerund, serving as the subject)
* She enjoys going to the beach on weekends. (The entire phrase "going to the beach" acts as the gerund, serving as the object of the verb "enjoys")
Remember:
* Gerunds always end in "-ing."
* They function as nouns, meaning they can be the subject, object, or object of a preposition.
* Gerunds can often be identified by looking for a word that is formed by adding "-ing" to a verb.
Let me know if you'd like more examples or have any other questions about gerunds!