A verbal is a word that looks like a verb but functions as another part of speech.

• gerund - a verbal that functions as a noun

• participle - a verbal that functions as an adjective

• infinitive - a verbal that functions as either a noun, adjective, or adverb

A gerund is a word that ends in -ing and ALWAYS functions as a noun. To identify a gerund, you must know the functions/jobs that nouns perform.

• Nouns can be subjects.

• Nouns can be objects - direct objects, indirect objects, objects of the prepositions

• Nouns can be predicate nouns.

• Nouns can be appositives

Remember, if you see an -ing word behind a helping verb, then the -ing word is a verb.

• She might be singing in the play. The word singing is a verb because the helping verb be is before it.

• The friends are exercising together. The word exercising is a verb because the helping verb are is before it.

• The students were talking too much. The word talking is a verb because the helping verb were is before it.

A phrase consists of at least two words. Phrases do not have verbs in them.

A gerund phrase includes a gerund and any modifiers or objects of the gerund. Note: A prepositional phrase can be a part of a gerund phrase.

I enjoy talking with my friends.

In this sentence, talking with my friends is a gerund phrase. It is functioning as a direct object, which is one of the jobs that nouns have.

Talking with my friends eases my mind.

In this sentence, talking with my friends is a gerund phrase. It is functioning as a subject, which is one of the jobs that nouns have.

I got in trouble for talking with my friends during class.

In this sentence, talking with my friends is a gerund phrase. It is functioning as the object of the preposition, which is one of the jobs that nouns have.

Be careful, sometimes there will be an ing word that is neither a gerund nor a verb. Instead, it is a participle.

• Participles function as adjectives, meaning they describe nouns.

• Gerunds must function as nouns - meaning they will either be subjects, direct objects, indirect objects, objects of the prepositions, predicate nouns, or appositives. That's it!

• Looking like a ghost, she walked into the room.

• In the sentence above, the phrase looking like a ghost is not a gerund phrase. It's a participial phrase. Do you know why?