Gerund Phrase

A Gerund Phrase is a noun phrase with Gerund as a Head Word any Objects and/or Modifiers

• Context:
  • It can be:
    • a Direct Object, e.g. “I enjoy [nagging Bill].”
    • a Sentence Subject, e.g. “[Nagging Bill] is enjoyable."
  • It can be transformed by Pronomial Substitution, e.g. “I enjoy [nagging Bill]." ⇒ "I enjoy [it]”.
  • It can function as a Noun.
  • …
• Example(s):
  • “[Mountain climbing] is a trying endeavour.”
  • “[Researching phrasal structures] is enjoyable.”
  • “I enjoy [researching phrasal structures].”
• Counter-Example(s):
  • “The cook [keenly arranging the salad] wanted to impress the chef.”, a Participial Phrase modifying “the cook”.
  • “[Arranged by the cook], the salad was about to impress the chef.”, a Participial Phrase modifying “the salad”.
• See: Present Participle Phrase, Verbal Noun.

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