ESL Grammar: SUBJECTS AND VERBS (5) – Gerunds (verb+ing) as Subjects

This ESL grammar lesson teaches students to use gerunds (verb+ing) as the subjects of sentences. Students then practice writing gerunds in the blanks to complete several sentences.

Understanding gerunds and their role in sentences is an essential part of learning English. Gerunds can act as subjects, helping to form simple yet meaningful sentences. This guide will help you grasp the concept of using gerunds as subjects.

ESL Grammar: What is a Gerund?

A gerund is the -ing form of a verb that functions as a noun. Gerunds can be used as subjects, objects, and complements in sentences.

Examples:

• Running
• Eating
• Reading

ESL Grammar: Gerunds as Subjects

When a gerund acts as a subject, it takes the position of the person, place, thing, or idea that performs the action in the sentence.

Examples:

• Running is fun. (Running is the subject)
• Eating healthy is important. (Eating is the subject)
• Reading improves your knowledge. (Reading is the subject)

The beginner-level grammar lesson below introduces the concept of gerunds (verb+ing) as the subjects of sentences in a clear and simple manner to help young ESL learners to understand this concept. Our series of ESL grammar lessons on subjects and verbs introduce these concepts and reinforce them through helpful and instructive exercises.

This lesson is available for free download, and you can download many more English grammar lessons focusing on all different parts of speech (nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs and lots more!) in our comprehensive, beginner-level ESL grammar textbook Great, Great Grammar! (Book 1: Parts of Speech).