A Gerund is that form of the verb which ends in –ing, and has the force of a Noun and a Verb.
Read the following sentence:
Reading is her favourite pastime.
The word reading is formed from the verb read, by adding ing. Here, it is used as the subject of a verb, and hence does the work of a Noun. It is, therefore, a Verb-Noun, and is called a Gerund.
More examples of Gerund:
1. Playing cards is not allowed in the conference hall.
2. She likes reading poetry.
3. Ron is fond of hoarding money.
In sentence 1, the Gerund, like a noun, is the subject of a verb, but like a verb, it also takes an object, thus clearly showing that it has also the force of a verb.
In sentence 2, the Gerund, like a noun, is the object of a verb, but, like a verb, it also takes an object, thus clearly showing that it has also the force of a verb.
In sentence 3, the Gerund, like a noun, is governed by a preposition, but, like a verb, it also takes an object.
As both the Gerund and the Infinitive have the force of a Noun and a Verb, they have the same uses. Thus, in many sentences, either of them may be used; as,
Teach me to dance.
Teach me dancing.
Compare the following 2 sentences:
1. Do you mind my sitting here?
2. Do you mind me sitting here?
In the first sentence, the word preceding the gerund is in the possessive case, while in the second sentence, it is in the objective case. We can use either the possessive case or objective case of nouns and pronouns before gerunds.
Use of the Gerund
1) Subject of a verb; as
Hunting deer is not allowed in this city.
2) Object of a transitive verb; as,
Stop dancing.
3) Object of a preposition; as,
Maria was punished for telling a lie.
4) Complement of a verb; as,
What I most dislike is smoking.