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Secret Hacks of using gerunds in IELTS writing task2

English has been a common language to speak and write in India. In many schools, speaking English is made mandatory for students. Additionally, one is more capable of being fluent if he knows the correct rules and structures of using the language. Those who lack accurate knowledge fail to get good scores in international English exams like IELTS, etc if planning to move abroad. Examiner checks your grammar level sharply through IELTS writing task 2.

Grammar in IELTS writing task 2 entails nouns, pronouns, gerunds, verbs, etc, and using them wisely will help improve your IELTS score. Do you know what is the role of gerunds? Why one should use them in writing tasks for IELTS? They are none other than the verbs that end with (-ing) and act as a noun.

How do you form a gerund phrase in IELTS essay writing? 

A gerund phrase will step of rules which can help you make a gerund phrase in a sentence:

  • You have to begin the phrase with a gerund.
  • The gerund phrase will either have a modifier, an object, or both.
  • The entire phrase will act as a noun.
  • The phrase will have a singular agreement with a verb.
Examples are given below:
  • Reading improves your knowledge to a great extent.
  • I hope you don’t mind suggesting me an idea for the new project.
  • Sleeping too much will affect your mental stability.

In the above sentences, you may see the word ‘Reading’, ‘Sleeping’, and ‘Suggesting’ are clear forms of verbs but they are gerunds since they are used as nouns and are not describing the action in these sentences just as verbs usually do. This is because gerunds don’t demonstrate action instead they act as nouns.

Types of gerunds

Gerund phrases have various uses in a sentence though their set of rules explains that clearly. They have distinct roles in a sentence and can function in varying ways:

Sometimes it is the subject; sometimes it is the object or indirect object; other times it is the object of a preposition; and finally, it can also be the predicate nominative.

We have six types of gerunds in English. Take a look below:

  • Subject: writing novels is my favorite pastime.
  • Subject complement: My preferred relaxing method is writing novels.
  • Direct object: I love writing novels more than anything.
  • Indirect object: My sister gave writing novels a try.
  • Object complement: I enjoy writing novels every day.
  • The object of a preposition: I made time for 2-3 hours this weekend for writing novels.
  • Predicate Nominative: Her favorite thing was writing novels for her favorite publishers.
Regardless of where the gerund phrase Writing novels appears in the sentence, it satisfies the four rules dictated above. You must note that the purpose of a gerund phrase is to act like a noun, so you can verify it by replacing it with a noun and noticing if the sentence still makes perfect grammatical sense:
  • love television more than anything.
  • Television is my favorite pastime.
Hopefully, you have got the idea of these Gerunds. Their versatility is the same as nouns and can be replaced by pronouns. For instance, Writing novels is my favorite hobby, and I take out some time from my busy schedule for it.
You can surely practice using gerunds in different ways during your IELTS exam preparations. Have a look below at how you can use gerunds with prepositions and phrases:
  1. “We are planning on arriving at your place today.”
  2. “Ramia is good at speaking in public.”
  3. “She keeps listening to music until dawn”
The highlighted words are gerunds, used with different prepositions.
Likewise, you may use them when using phrasal verbs.
For example:
“Those children will grow up behaving very badly.”
“Samya has to show up presenting her skills in the upcoming event.”

With reduced adverb clauses

Gerunds are also used to make reduced adverbial clauses. Below are some examples.
However, there are some rules for reducing adverbial clauses so you must ensure that you understand these rules before using them.
  • While I dance, I listen to music.
Reduced: While dancing, I listen to music.
  • Before I came back, I started off jogging.
Reduced: Before coming back, I started off jogging.

Final thoughts
Undoubtedly, most people often get confused about how they can use gerunds correctly since they are so similar to a verb – but by remembering one key fact that they are nouns, not verbs, you will be able to avoid making errors. Undertaking a lot of pf practice through online IELTS coaching and writing a few different examples with each of the different forms described above is surely going to help you improve more.

If you want to hone your writing skills and take it up a notch then this blog is right for you. We have explained four rules of grammar that will add oomph to your writing. For any help related to writing tasks, you may approach Dr. Roma since she is the best person to guide you.

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Dr. Roma

Dr Roma
A California-based travel writer, lover of food, oceans, and nature.