[Grammar] Roaming with my squad sure is fun as hell

[danghuynh88]

Hi teachers !!!

Can you please tell me if this is a gerund phrase, is it correct or incorrect ?? I know a gerund phrase always behave as a noun but when can we apply a gerund phrase in writing ? I meant when do we use it properly ?

''Roaming with my squad sure is fun as hell"

Source: I wrote it myselfThanks :-D-:up:

 

[tedmc]

Your sentence is fine.

 

[Skrej]

I'm not sure exactly what you're asking, but since as you point out we treat gerunds (and infinitives for that matter) as nouns, then yes, they can function as the subject of a sentence. It's more common to use the gerund as a subject than an infinitive, but both are possible as subjects.

 

[danghuynh88]

Hi Skrej

Yes thanks, what I meant is your answer. But I just want to know in writing, when we should use a gerund phrase ? or we can use as much as we want as long as its grammar is correct.

 

[Matthew Wai]

I think we can say 'I enjoy learning English' but not 'I want learning English'.

 

[danghuynh88]

I am sorry, I think I did not clear myself here. I meant in writing, when should we start a sentence with a gerund phrase ? We can start anytime we want or there is a rule for it ?

 

[GoesStation]

I am sorry, I think I did not [STRIKE]clear[/STRIKE] make myself clear here. I meant in writing, when should we start a sentence with a gerund phrase? (Don't use a space before a question mark.) [STRIKE]We can[/STRIKE] Can we start anytime we want, or is there [STRIKE]is[/STRIKE] a rule for it? (?)

Sorry, but I don't know how to answer your question. I hope my corrections above will be helpful.

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

Are you asking whether gerund phrases have to be placed in particular places in sentences? They do, but their locations depend on the sentence, just like any other noun.

So treat gerund phrases the same way you would treat any noun.

Remember: a gerund IS a noun. It's not a verb at all anymore.

 

[Skrej]

I am sorry, I think I did not clear myself here. I meant in writing, when should we start a sentence with a gerund phrase ? We can start anytime we want or there is a rule for it ?

There is no rule about starting sentences with a gerund. It's just an option you have when writing a sentence, but there's nothing to say when you can or can't use a gerund as a subject.

Context sometimes might not make a gerund the most natural choice to begin your sentence with, but there's no grammatical rule.

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

Not all of us hold that opinion.

I dunno. It's what I've always read and been told. For instance:

Gerund | Definition of Gerund by Merriam-Webster
www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gerund
Merriam‑Webster
Define gerund: grammar : an English noun formed from a verb by adding -ing

Gerund - definition of gerund by The Free Dictionary
www.thefreedictionary.com/gerund
In Latin, a noun derived from a verb and having all case forms except the nominative. 2. In other languages, a verbal noun analogous to the Latin gerund

On the other hand, I found:

Gerund dictionary definition | gerund defined - YourDictionary
www.yourdictionary.com › Dictionary Definitions
yourDictionary.com
The definition of a gerund is a grammar term used to describe a verb that acts like a noun. An example of a gerund is the word "skiing" in the sentence "Skiing is ...

And there's this shining tribute to ambivalence:

gerund Meaning in the Cambridge English Dictionary
dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/.../ger...
Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary
gerund meaning, definition, what is gerund: a word ending in "-ing" that is made from a verb and used like a noun

i.e: It's not a noun. It's not a verb. It's a word. Hm.

I'm of the if-it-quacks-like-a-duck school. So - what opinion do you hold, fellow Piscean?

 

[emsr2d2]

I [strike]dunno[/strike] don't know.

Let's not encourage the use of non-standard/sub-standard English on the forum please.

 

[Matthew Wai]

'gerund
a noun in the form of the present participle of a verb'── quoted from http://www.ldoceonline.com/dictionary/gerund

'gerund
a noun in the form of the present participle of a verb'── quoted from http://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/gerund?q=gerund

'gerund
a noun formed by adding ‘-ing’ to a verb'── quoted from http://www.macmillandictionary.com/dictionary/british/gerund