Gerund Essay

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ENGLISH THE GERUND AND TAUTOLOGY A gerund is a verb derivative ending in “-ing “ and functioning as a noun .It is also known as a verbal and a non – finite verb . EXAMPLES: 1.writing is my profession. 2.I enjoy teaching English. 3. Celebrating various festivals is a common feature of the Yoruba culture. USES OF THE GERUND The gerund , just like the noun or pronoun ,noun phrase or noun clause , can perform the following functions: 1.SUBJECT OF THE VERB.e.g a. Walking is a form of exercise. b. Reading books increases our knowledge. c. Working hard makes one successful. 2. OBJECT OF THE VERB .e.g. a.He dislikes sleeping long. b. I hate worrying about the future. 3.OBJECT OF A PREPOSITION .e.g. a. The man said he was tired of applying for jobs. b. He is afraid of telling the truth. 4. Subject complement .e.g. a. My aim in life is becoming a doctor. 5. Appositive. e.g a. His job, repairing punctured tyres is lucrative. b. My hobby , caring for the old , is a passion I cannot let go. OTHER USES OF THE GERUND 1.The gerund with the possessive case.e.g. a. She insisted on my(not me ) paying the money. b. Amaka objected to Funke’s( not Funke) talking like that . 2. The gerund used with the passive form.e.g. a. I was shocked at Ken being assassinated (not Ken ‘s being …). b.We were delighted at Mother Theresa being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize(not Mother Theresa‘s being…). 3. The gerund with lifeless things. e.g. a. There is little chance of the snow falling( not snow‘s falling). b. There is every possibility of the election taking place( not election‘s taking place). TAUTOLOGY Tautology is the error of using more than one word with the same meaning in a sentence without making oneself clearer or emphasizing the point made .e.g. a. Should in case the man comes looking for me ,tell him I have gone(wrong). CORRECTION: Should the man
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