Forming Gerunds
Here is a brief review of gerunds and how to form them.
Gerunds are nouns formed from verbs.
walking, talking, thinking, listening
Gerunds are formed by adding ING to verbs.
think + ing = thinking
Spelling Rules
There are a few spelling rules that you need to know in order to form gerunds correctly. The spelling of a gerund depends on the vowels (a, e, i, o, u) and consonants (b, c, d, f, etc.) at the end of the verb.
| Rule | Example |
|---|---|
| If there is more than one consonant, just add ING | think + ing = thinking |
| If there is more than one vowel, just add ING | beat + ing = beating |
| If there is one vowel and one consonant, and the syllable is stressed, double the consonant and add ING | hit + t + ing = hitting |
| If there are one or more consonants and E, remove the E and add ING | take + ing = taking |
| In most other cases, just add ING | study + ing = studying see + ing = seeing |
When you are sure that you understand the lesson, you can continue with the exercises.