The Gallant Gerund
So there I was, writing a blog post about verbs, when I went to discuss gerunds, transforming my 500-word blog post into a 2,000-word monster. Therefore, I’ve broken out the topic into its own post for your pleasure.
I believe it’s warranted. Gerunds are great, but new writers tend to abuse them, so let’s explore what they are all about.
Gerunds
I love gerunds. Maybe … too much. I have to take special care not to overuse them.
A gerund is a verb that ends in -ing and functions as a noun in a sentence.
Instead of showing action like a typical verb, a gerund acts more like a thing or an activity.
For example:
Running is my favorite hobby.
Writing helps me express my thoughts.
In these sentences, "running" and "writing" are gerunds because they are being used as the subjects of the sentences (activities) rather than showing action.
Gerunds can also function as objects:
She loves cooking.
He avoided talking to the stranger.
Even though these words look like verbs, they're playing the role of a noun, showing what the subject loves or avoids.
Abusing the Gerund
Gerunds can be "abused" when overused or used awkwardly in a sentence, leading to clunky or unclear writing. Here are a few ways this can happen:
1. Gerund Overload
When multiple gerunds are used in a single sentence, it can become hard to follow or sound unnatural.
Example of overload:
Running, swimming, and hiking are what I enjoy doing after working.
A cleaner version:
I enjoy running, swimming, and hiking after work.
The sentence feels smoother when there aren't too many gerunds competing for attention.
2. Unclear Subject or Ambiguity
Sometimes, overusing gerunds can cause confusion about who or what is performing the action.
Example of ambiguity:
Walking the dog while eating dinner can be tricky.
Is walking or eating tricky? And who is walking the dog — someone or the dog itself? To avoid confusion, it's better to clarify:
It's tricky to walk the dog and eat dinner at the same time.
3. Awkward Sentence Structure
Relying too much on gerunds can lead to awkward sentence constructions that sound stilted.
Example of awkwardness:
The playing of video games all day is frowned upon.
A smoother alternative:
Playing video games all day is frowned upon.
The Gallant Gerund
Gerunds are exceptional — even gallant — because they possess a unique versatility.
They Can Be Dynamic Nouns: Gerunds have the elegance of transforming actions into entities. They let you describe an activity like running or swimming as if it’s a tangible thing, adding depth and movement to a sentence. Instead of just doing something, the action itself becomes the focus, like "Running is my passion." This flexibility makes gerunds stand out among nouns.
They Offer Effortless Flow: Gerunds can smoothly link ideas in a natural and fluid way. Their ability to maintain the energy of a verb while acting as a noun gives sentences a graceful rhythm, allowing your thoughts to flow without awkwardness. For instance, "He enjoys cooking and painting" carries an effortless blend of activities without feeling forced or heavy.
Gerunds bring both dynamism and balance, making them a gallant tool for creating expressive and fluid writing!
But as for abuse, if you find that gerunds are weighing down your sentences, try rephrasing them or using more straightforward verb structures to keep the flow natural.
And here's some advice:
If you’re submitting your work to a publishing editor or contest judge, take your story to ChatGPT (or an AI of your choice — I’m commercially agnostic around here) and have it identify all of the gerunds, scene by scene. The results might surprise you. They may be an unconscious crutch in your writing. It’s something an experienced judge or editor will catch.
R
