Gerunds for students light up the first spark of expression, turning small actions into confident, meaningful words.
Have you ever noticed how some English words can change their job just by adding –ing? One moment they show an action, and the next moment they become the name of that action. This magical change creates something called a gerund.
Think of it like this:
When you say running, it can mean the activity you enjoy. When you say reading, it can mean the hobby you love. These words may look like verbs, but they behave like nouns—and that makes them special.
Gerunds help you talk about your favourite activities, your daily habits, and even your dreams. Whether you love drawing, singing, or playing, you are already using gerunds without realising it!
Gerund তোমাকে তোমার পছন্দের কাজ, দৈনন্দিন অভ্যাস, এমনকি তোমার স্বপ্ন নিয়েও সহজে বলতে সাহায্য করে। তুমি আঁকা, গান গাওয়া বা খেলা—যাই ভালোবাসো না কেন, তুমি না জানলেও ইতিমধ্যেই gerund ব্যবহার করছ!
In this lesson, we will explore gerunds in the simplest and most exciting way. Get ready to discover how one tiny ending—ing—turns ordinary action words into powerful idea-words that make your sentences clearer, stronger, and more interesting. Let’s jump in!
আমরা খুব সহজ ও আকর্ষণীয়ভাবে gerund সম্পর্কে শিখব। কীভাবে ছোট্ট একটি শেষাংশ—ing—সাধারণ verb-কে শক্তিশালী ভাব-শব্দে বদলে দেয় এবং আরও পরিষ্কার, শক্তিশালী এবং আকর্ষণীয় করে তোলে।
Gerund is very important for Madhyamik grammar as well. So, if you are a Madhyamik student, this is for you as well.
Table of Contents
What Are Gerunds for Students
A gerund is a verb + ing that works like a noun. This is the most important idea in the topic of gerunds for students.
Gerund হলো এমন একটি verb-এর ing যুক্ত রূপ, যা বাক্যে নামপদের মতো ব্যবহার হয়। ছাত্রছাত্রীদের জন্য gerund বুঝতে গেলে—এই ধারণাটিই সবচেয়ে জরুরি।
Examples:
- Reading is fun.
- Swimming keeps us healthy.
In both sentences, “reading” and “swimming” name an activity. Because they name something, they act like nouns, not verbs.
দুটো বাক্যেই “reading” এবং “swimming” একটি কাজের নাম বোঝায়। যেহেতু এগুলো কোনো কাজের নাম বলে ব্যবহার হয়েছে, তাই এগুলো verb নয়, noun-এর মতো কাজ করছে।
This simple rule is the foundation of gerunds for students.
Why Do We Need Gerunds?
Gerunds make our English better, smoother, and more natural.
Gerund ব্যবহার করলে ইংরেজি আরও সুন্দর, সাবলীল এবং স্বাভাবিক শোনায়।
Here are some reasons why gerunds for students are important:
- They help in writing better sentences.
- They make expressions clearer.
- They appear in daily conversations.
- They help us understand stories and textbooks.
ছাত্রছাত্রীদের জন্য gerund কেন গুরুত্বপূর্ণ, তার কয়েকটি কারণ নিচে দেওয়া হলো—
✅ এগুলো ভালো ও সুন্দর বাক্য লিখতে সাহায্য করে।
✅ ভাব প্রকাশ আরও স্পষ্ট হয়ে যায়।
✅ দৈনন্দিন কথোপকথনে gerund খুব সাধারণভাবে ব্যবহৃত হয়।
✅ পাঠ্যবইয়ের বিষয়বস্তু সঠিকভাবে অনুধাবন করতেও gerund একটি গুরুত্বপূর্ণ ভাষাগত ভূমিকা পালন করে।
If students master gerunds for students, they will become stronger writers and speakers.
How can we quickly identify a gerund?
If the -ing word answers “What?” it is a gerund.
যদি কোনো –ing যুক্ত শব্দ “What?” প্রশ্নের উত্তর দেয়, তাহলে তা gerund হিসেবে ব্যবহৃত হয়েছে।
Examples:
- I like drawing.
What do I like? → drawing → Gerund - We enjoy reading.
What do we enjoy? → reading → Gerund
This simple test makes gerunds for students easy to understand.
Gerund vs. Present Participle (The Confusing Part!)
Many students mix up gerunds and present participles. So let’s solve this once and for all.
- Gerund = works like a noun
- Present participle = works like a verb (action) or adjective
Examples:
| Gerund | Present Participle |
| Swimming is my hobby. | I am swimming now. |
| Reading helps us learn. | The boy is reading a book. |
This comparison is extremely important in gerunds for students because it clears all confusion.
How Gerunds Are Formed (Spelling Rules)
Spelling rules must be simple and clear to learn gerunds for students,
Gerund শেখার জন্য spelling-এর নিয়মগুলি সহজ ও পরিষ্কার হওয়া অত্যন্ত গুরুত্বপূর্ণ।
Rule 1: Add –ing to most verbs
- read → reading
- cook → cooking
Rule 2: Drop “e” + ing
- write → writing
- make → making
Rule 3: Change “ie” → “y” + ing
- lie → lying
- die → dying
Rule 4: Double the last consonant (short vowel + consonant)
- run → running
- swim → swimming
Knowing these rules helps write gerunds for students correctly every time.
Different Uses of Gerunds (Where Do They Appear?)
Gerunds can appear in many parts of a sentence. That is why gerunds for students must cover all uses with examples.
A. Gerund as the Subject
- Dancing makes me happy.
- Reading is good for the mind.
B. Gerund as the Object
- I love painting.
- She enjoys singing.
C. Gerund after Prepositions
This is a very common rule in gerunds for students:
Gerund শেখার ক্ষেত্রে খুবই সাধারণ এবং গুরুত্বপূর্ণ একটি নিয়মঃ
After prepositions → always use gerunds
Examples:
- She is good at drawing.
- They are excited about travelling.
D. Gerund after Certain Verbs
Some verbs are always followed by gerunds:
- enjoy
- love
- like
- dislike
- avoid
- finish
- practice
Examples:
- I enjoy reading.
- They finished eating.
E. Gerund as Part of a Compound Noun
- swimming pool
- walking stick
- running water
These uses show how wide the topic of gerunds for students is.
Fun & Interesting Tricks to Memorise Gerunds Easily
1. The “ING = Thing” Magic Rule
If a verb ends in –ing and becomes a “thing”, it is a Gerund.
যে verb-এ –ing যোগ হয়ে সেটি “কোনো একটি বিষয় বা জিনিস” বোঝাতে শুরু করে, তখন সেটিই Gerund।
Example:
- Reading = a thing (an activity)
- Swimming = a thing (an activity)
This rhyme helps:
“ING turns an action into a thing.”
2. The “Replace Test”
(Replace the -ing word with a simple noun)
If you can replace the -ing word with one simple noun like “chocolate / books / football” and the sentence still makes sense → it’s a Gerund.
যদি কোনো –ing যুক্ত শব্দের জায়গায় “চকলেট / বই / ফুটবল” এর মতো একটি সহজ noun বসিয়েও বাক্যটি যথাযথভাবে অর্থ প্রকাশ করে, তবে সেটিকে Gerund বলা হয়।
Example:
- Reading is fun.
Replace → Books are fun. ✔ Makes sense → Gerund. - He is reading now.
Replace → He is books now. ✘ Doesn’t make sense → Not a Gerund.
This test helps children understand Gerunds without confusion.
3. The “Gerund Family Uses 4 Places” Game
Gerunds appear in 4 easy places
S – O – P – V (like a code)
- S – Subject (Reading is fun.)
- O – Object (I enjoy reading.)
- P – After Prepositions (I am good at reading.)
- V – After specific Verbs (I avoid reading.)
Chant: “S O P V… that’s where gerunds love to live!”
4. The “What Test”
(Ask ‘What?’ after the verb)
If the answer to “What?” is an –ing word, that word is a Gerund.
যদি “What?” প্রশ্নের উত্তরে কোনো –ing যুক্ত শব্দ আসে, তবে সেই শব্দটিই Gerund।
Example:
- I love drawing.
What do I love? → drawing → Gerund.
This simple WH-question works like magic.
5. The “No Jump Rule” After Prepositions
Chant: After prepositions, verbs cannot jump. They sit with –ing and become gerunds!
Examples:
- at singing
- for reading
- about playing
This rhyme sticks easily in a child’s mind.
6. The “Gerund Song” (Short & Catchy)
Use this rhyme –
🎵
Verb plus ing
Makes a noun-thing
Reading, writing, singing too
Gerunds help in all we do!
Extra-Easy Tips to Remember Gerunds (Brand New Tricks)
1. “Name the Activity” Trick
If the -ing word can be the name of an activity, it is a gerund.
যদি কোনো –ing যুক্ত শব্দ কোনো কাজের নাম হিসেবে ব্যবহার করা যায়, তবে সেটি Gerund।
“What activity is this?”
- running → activity ✔
- swimming → activity ✔
- reading → activity ✔
But:
- running fast → action, not an activity name ✘
2. “Put ‘the’ Before It” Trick
If you can put “the” before the -ing word and it sounds OK, it’s a gerund.
যদি কোনো –ing যুক্ত শব্দের আগে “the” বসিয়েও বাক্যটি স্বাভাবিক শোনায়, তাহলে বুঝবে—ওটা Gerund।
Examples:
- the reading
- the singing
- the drawing
All sound natural → gerunds ✔
3. “Turn It Into a Hobby” Trick
If you can make that -ing word into a hobby, it is a gerund.
যদি কোনো –ing যুক্ত শব্দকে একটি শখ বা অভ্যাস হিসেবে ভাবা যায়, তবে সেটি Gerund।
Examples:
- Swimming → hobby ✔
- Dancing → hobby ✔
- Reading → hobby ✔
- Running → sometimes ✔
But:
- is swimming now → not a hobby ✘
- is drawing now → not a hobby ✘
This helps them distinguish between noun-use and verb-use immediately.
4. “It Can Go Into a List” Trick
If you can put the -ing word into a list of activities, it’s a gerund.
List example:
- Reading
- Singing
- Drawing
- Swimming
These are gerunds ✔
But you cannot add:
- is reading
- is drawing
These are actions ✘
5. “Gerunds Answer One Word Only” Trick
A gerund always answers a single-word answer to “What?”
Gerund সাধারণত “What?” প্রশ্নের এক শব্দের উত্তর হিসেবে ব্যবহৃত হয়।
Example:
- I enjoy singing.
What do I enjoy? → singing (one word ✔) - The girl is singing.
What is the girl? → (can’t answer in one word ✘)
6. “Just One Word” Trick
Gerunds are always single words ending with –ing.
Examples:
- Reading
- Writing
- Singing
But:
- is singing
- was running
Not gerunds because they are two words.
This is the simplest visual clue for a child.
7. “Can I Touch It?” Trick
Can you touch the -ing word?
No! But you can name it, because it is an activity.
Example:
- reading → cannot touch, but can name → gerund ✔
- swimming → cannot touch, but can name → gerund ✔
This helps them understand the noun-like nature of gerunds.
Common Mistakes Students Make
Understanding mistakes is an important goal in gerunds for students.
Mistake 1: Using the base verb instead of gerund
❌ I enjoy swim.
✔ I enjoy swimming.
Mistake 2: Confusing gerund with the present tense
❌ Swimming in the pool is cold.
✔ Swimming in the pool is fun.
❌ The boy swimming fast is my friend. (This one is not a gerund.)
Mistake 3: Wrong preposition + verb
❌ I am good in sing.
✔ I am good at singing.
This is a perfect example of gerunds for students.
Tips to Remember Gerunds Easily
These memory tips are very helpful in gerunds for students:
- If it ends in –ing and names something → Gerund.
- If it ends in –ing and shows action → Present participle.
- After prepositions → always gerunds.
- After “enjoy, love, like, avoid, finish” → use gerunds.
These simple rules make gerunds for students very easy to master.
When used correctly, gerunds for students improve grammar, writing skills, and communication skills.
Gerund Memory Chart (Super Easy for Students)
| What to Remember | Simple Explanation | Example |
| 1. A Gerund ends in –ing | It looks like a verb with –ing. | reading, writing, swimming |
| 2. A Gerund acts like a noun | It names an activity or thing. | Reading is fun. |
| 3. Ask “What?” to check | If the -ing word answers What?, it is a gerund. | I enjoy drawing. (What do I enjoy?) |
| 4. Replace with a noun | If you can replace it with “books/food/sports”, it’s a gerund. | Reading is fun → Books are fun. |
| 5. One-word rule | A gerund is always one single word ending with –ing. | singing, dancing |
| 6. Activity name rule | If the word names an activity, it’s a gerund. | Swimming, reading, painting |
| 7. Comes after some verbs | After “like, love, enjoy, avoid, finish” we use gerunds. | I love painting. |
| 8. Comes after prepositions | After “at, for, about, in”, always use –ing. | good at drawing |
| 9. Not an action | If it shows action happening now, it is not a gerund. | He is running. (Not a gerund) |
| 10. Easy rule to remember | ING = THING → If –ing becomes a “thing”, it’s a gerund. | Running is healthy. |
My Final Tips
Learning grammar becomes enjoyable when concepts are explained simply. This entire pillar blog on gerunds for students is written to support young learners in understanding the topic without confusion. If you keep practicing, spotting and using gerunds will become natural.
So remember:
👉 If an activity ends in –ing and works like a noun — it is a gerund!Keep learning, keep practicing, and enjoy mastering gerunds for students every day.
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