The gerund, or infinitive in -ing, is substantive in its nature, for like the root infinitive it names the action or state asserted by the verb. It is not so easily identified in the sentence as the root infinitive, however, for in form it is precisely like the participle, from which it has to be distinguished entirely by its use.
The forms of the gerund are shown in the following examples:—
1. The transitive verb see:
Active—seeing, having seen.
Active progressive—having been seeing.
Passive—being seen, having been seen.
2. The intransitive verb rise:
Common form—rising, having risen.
Progressive form—having been rising.
The use of the gerund is almost entirely restricted to that of the noun. When found without adjuncts it does not materially differ from the noun; for example, Painting is a fine art. But usually the verb-nature of the gerund is prominent as well as its noun-use, for usually it is accompanied by a complement or adverbial modifiers; as, “The need of feeling responsible all the livelong day has been preached long enough in our New England.”—Wm. James. The gerund together with its adjuncts forms a gerund-phrase. It has certain advantages over the root infinitive. In many places it is preferable because it gives the idea of an action in progress. It is also employed in relation to some words where usage does not permit the root infinitive. Furthermore, its substantive nature comes out more prominently than that of the root infinitive, for like the noun it may be modified by an article or a possessive; thus, “Pascal said that most of the evils of life arose from man’s being unable to sit still in a room.”—Bagehot.
I. The gerund used as a noun.
1. Subject of a verb; as, “Lying in bed and listening to their dreary music had a pleasure in it.”—Holmes.
2. Object of a verb; as, “I remember being told that it was the sound of the waves.”—Holmes.