3. Comparing Gerunds and Participles 3.1 Difference Gerunds and participles often look similar; they are both verb forms that end in ing, but serve different functions in English grammar. A gerund serves as a noun while a participle serves as an adjective. And because the same word can often be either a participle or a gerund, to identify a words role, you must examine how it is being used. 3.2 Tricks to identify difference Look for the Subject Generally, if a possible gerund can be shown not to act as a modifier, then you can deduce that it is functioning as a noun and therefore is a gerund. More specifically, if the possible gerund functions as the entire subject of the sentence and does not take any additional punctuation, it is a gerund. For example, in the sentence, Setting the table is necessary before dinner, Setting the table is the subject and takes no punctuation; setting is a gerund. Look for Participial Phrases Because gerunds often serve as subjects, they are often confused with participial phrases at the beginnings of sentences. Two defining qualities of a participial phrase are the presence of punctuation that sets it apart from the rest of the sentence, and the phrase itself, which modifies the subject instead of being the subject. In the sentence, Unsheathing his sword, the knight stormed the castle, Unsheathing his sword is a participial phrase because it is set off by a comma and modifies the subject, the knight. Is It an Adjective? Sometimes participles function as adjectives, and so another way to tell that a word is a participle and not a gerund is to identify it as a modifier, which often precedes the noun it modifies. Consider the following example: She offers stinging criticisms. Here, the word stinging serves as an adjective by modifying criticisms, and in no way functions as a noun; it is clearly a participle. Is It Being Modified by an Adverb? Sometimes a word in adverbial form will be attached to a potential participlegerund, signifying its use as an adjective, and is therefore a participle and not a gerund. In the sentence: Quietly muttering to himself, John struggled through the test, the adverb quietly modifies muttering, signalling the identity of muttering as a participle. 3.3 Check out these examples: Jamming too much clothing into a washing machine will result in disaster. Jamming too much clothing into a washing machine = gerund phrase, the subject of the verb will result. Jamming too much clothing into the washing machine, Aamir saved 1.25 but had to tolerate the curious stares of other laundry patrons as his machine bucked and rumbled with the heavy load. Jamming too much clothing into the washing machine = present participle phrase describing Aamir. Bernard hates buttering toast with a fork. Buttering toast with a fork = gerund phrase, the direct object of the verb hates. Buttering toast with a fork, Bernard vowed that he would finally wash the weeks worth of dirty dishes piled in the sink. Buttering toast with a fork = present participle phrase describingBernard. My dogs most annoying habit is hogging the middle of the bed. Hogging the middle of the bed = gerund phrase, the subject complement of the linking verb is. Last night I had to sleep on the couch because I found my dog Floyd hogging the middle of the bed. Hogging the middle of the bed = present participle phrase describingFloyd.
3 Comparing Gerunds and Participles 3.1 Difference Gerunds and participles often look similar; they are both verb forms that end in -ing, but serve different functions in English grammar A gerund serves as a noun while a participle serves as an adjective And because the same word can often be either a participle or a gerund, to identify a word's role, you must examine how it is being used 3.2 Tricks to identify difference Look for the Subject Generally, if a possible gerund can be shown not to act as a modifier, then you can deduce that it is functioning as a noun and therefore is a gerund More specifically, if the possible gerund functions as the entire subject of the sentence and does not take any additional punctuation, it is a gerund For example, in the sentence, "Setting the table is necessary before dinner," "Setting the table" is the subject and takes no punctuation; "setting" is a gerund Look for Participial Phrases Because gerunds often serve as subjects, they are often confused with participial phrases at the beginnings of sentences Two defining qualities of a participial phrase are the presence of punctuation that sets it apart from the rest of the sentence, and the phrase itself, which modifies the subject instead of being the subject In the sentence, "Unsheathing his sword, the knight stormed the castle," "Unsheathing his sword" is a participial phrase because it is set off by a comma and modifies the subject, "the knight." Is It an Adjective? Sometimes participles function as adjectives, and so another way to tell that a word is a participle and not a gerund is to identify it as a modifier, which often precedes the noun it modifies Consider the following example: "She offers stinging criticisms." Here, the word "stinging" serves as an adjective by modifying "criticisms," and in no way functions as a noun; it is clearly a participle Is It Being Modified by an Adverb? Sometimes a word in adverbial form will be attached to a potential participle/gerund, signifying its use as an adjective, and is therefore a participle and not a gerund In the sentence: "Quietly muttering to himself, John struggled through the test," the adverb "quietly" modifies "muttering," signalling the identity of "muttering" as a participle 3.3 Check out these examples: Jamming too much clothing into a washing machine will result in disaster Jamming too much clothing into a washing machine = gerund phrase, the subject of the verb will result Jamming too much clothing into the washing machine, Aamir saved $1.25 but had to tolerate the curious stares of other laundry patrons as his machine bucked and rumbled with the heavy load Jamming too much clothing into the washing machine = present participle phrase describing Aamir Bernard hates buttering toast with a fork Buttering toast with a fork = gerund phrase, the direct object of the verb hates Buttering toast with a fork , Bernard vowed that he would finally wash the week's worth of dirty dishes piled in the sink Buttering toast with a fork = present participle phrase describingBernard My dog's most annoying habit is hogging the middle of the bed Hogging the middle of the bed = gerund phrase, the subject complement of the linking verb is Last night I had to sleep on the couch because I found my dog Floyd hogging the middle of the bed Hogging the middle of the bed = present participle phrase describingFloyd