Gerund...

As folks always get confused with it, there we go...

Etymology

The word 'gerund' in English comes form the Latin term gerundium, of the same meaning. Gerundium itself comes from the gerundive of the Latin verb gero, gerundus, meaning "to be carried out".

Gerunds in English

In English, the gerund is identical in form to the present participle (ending in -ing) and can behave as a verb within a clause (so that it may be modified by an adverb or have an object), but the clause as a whole (sometimes consisting of only one word, the gerund itself) acts as a noun within the larger sentence. For example: Eating this cake is easy.
In "Eating this cake is easy," "eating this cake," although traditionally known as a phrase, is referred to as a non-finite clause in modern linguistics. "Eating" is the verb in the clause, while "this cake" is the object of the verb. "Eating this cake" acts as a noun phrase within the sentence as a whole, though; it is the subject of the verb "is."

Other examples of the gerund:

I like swimming. (direct object)
Swimming is fun. (subject)

       Some use "gerund" to refer to all nouns ending in -ing, but in more careful use, not all nouns ending in -ing are gerunds. The formal distinction is that a gerund is a verbal noun – a noun derived from a verb that retains verb characteristics, that functions simultaneously as a noun and a verb, while other nouns ending in -ing are deverbal nouns, which function as common nouns, not as verbs at all. Compare:
I like fencing. (gerund, an activity, could be replaced with "to fence")
The white fencing adds to the character of the neighborhood. (deverbal, could be replaced with an object such as "bench")
Double nature of the gerund

As the result of its origin and development the gerund has nominal and verbal properties. The nominal characteristics of the gerund are as follows:
The gerund can perform the function of subject, object and predicative:
Smoking endangers your health. (subject)
I like making people happy. (object)
The gerund can be preceded by a preposition:
I'm tired of arguing.

Like a noun the gerund can be modified by a noun in the possessive case, a possessive adjective, or an adjective:

I wonder at John's keeping calm.
Is there any objection to my seeing her?
Brisk walking relieves stress.
The verbal characteristics of the gerund include the following:
The gerund of transitive verbs can take a direct object:
I've made good progress in speaking English.
The gerund can be modified by an adverb:
Breathing deeply helps you to calm down.
The gerund has the distinctions of aspect and voice.
Having read the book once before makes me more prepared.
Being deceived can make someone feel angry.


                                                                   I hope i've helped y'all,
                                                                                             By Fabio