<P> A gerund (/ ˈdʒɛrənd, - ʌnd / abbreviated GER) is a verb form that functions as a noun . Although similar to a verbal noun, the two are not identical, as a gerund retains properties of a verb, whereas a verbal noun does not; in English this is most evident in the fact that a gerund can be modified by an adverb and can take a direct object . The term "- ing form" is often used in English to refer to the gerund specifically . Traditional grammar made a distinction within - ing forms between present participles and gerunds, a distinction that is not observed in such modern, linguistically informed grammars as A Comprehensive Grammar of the English Language and The Cambridge Grammar of the English Language . </P> <Table> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> This section does not cite any sources . Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources . Unsourced material may be challenged and removed . (July 2016) (Learn how and when to remove this template message) </Td> </Tr> </Table>

What is the meaning of gerunds in english