Let's learn about "Gerunds." What is a gerund? A gerund is the noun form of a verb that ends in -ing. A gerund usually refers in a general way to the activity represented by the verb it's derived from. A gerund can be used as a subject, a direct object, or an indirect object in a sentence. In this case, it performs the role of a noun. There are three simple rules we can use to know when to use -ing with a verb: 1. The gerund is used at the beginning of a sentence as the subject of the sentence. For example, “Surfing in Hawaii is my childhood dream.” (Surfing is the gerund) 2. We use the gerund after prepositions. For example, “I am interested in traveling to Canada one day.” (traveling is the gerund) 3. We use the gerund after certain verbs, like suggest, recommend, avoid, risk, or enjoy. In the example “She loves dancing,” “dancing” refers to a general activity, not a specific occurrence of the activity. Gerunds typically function in this way, denoting a category of action rather than a particular instance. Examples of the gerund "Swimming": Subject: Swimming is a great way to stay in shape. Direct object :She enjoys swimming. Indirect object: Linda made swimming a habit. Object of a preposition: Tom has a love of swimming. Subject complement :His passion is swimming.