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"gerund"

From Richard Nordquist,
Your Guide to Grammar & Composition.
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Definition:

A verbal ending in -ing that functions in a sentence as a noun.

Etymology:

From the Latin, "to carry on"

Examples:

  • "The dead might as well try to speak to the living as the old to the young."
    (Willa Cather)


  • "All talk of winning the people by appealing to their intelligence, of conquering them by impeccable syllogism, is so much moonshine."
    (H. L. Mencken)


  • "Eighty percent of success is showing up."
    (Woody Allen)


  • "She quarreled with the nanny and accused her of brushing Misha's teeth sideways rather than up and down."
    (Woody Allen, Mere Anarchy, 2007)
Audio LinkPronunciation: JER-end
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