Here's a breakdown:
* Verbal: A word that has the characteristics of a verb (e.g., action, state of being).
* Gerund: A verbal that ends in "-ing" and acts as a noun.
Examples:
* Swimming is my favorite activity. (The gerund "swimming" is the subject of the sentence.)
* I enjoy reading books. (The gerund "reading" is the object of the verb "enjoy".)
* She's good at baking. (The gerund "baking" is the object of the preposition "at".)
Key Points:
* Gerunds can be used in various ways as nouns: as subjects, objects, complements, and appositives.
* They often describe actions or states of being.
* They are always used as singular nouns, even if they refer to multiple actions.
Let me know if you have any other questions!