Gerund

Read the dialogue!

Dika   : What do you like to do in your spare time?
Cinta  : I like gardening. What about you?
Dika   : Playing football is my favorite.

The word 'gardening' in the sentence is a gerund. It functions as the object of a verb.
Meanwhile, the word 'playing' in the sentences is also a gerund. It functions as the subject of a verb.

A gerund is the -ing form of a verb which functions as a noun.
1. Gerund as a Subject
    Examples:

• Smoking is prohibited in this room.
• Writing poems is Rinta's hobby. 

2. Gerund as an Object
    Examples:

• Please keep on trying although you often fail.
• I don't mind picking you up at the railway station.

A gerund is used:
1. after some main verbs
    Certain verbs followed by a gerund are:

admit	appreciate	consider	delay	deny	detest	dislike
enjoy	escape	finish	forgive	give up	imagine	involve
mention	mind	miss	postpone	practice	prefer	put off
recommend	resent	risk	suggest	understand

Examples:

• We have finished presenting our paper.
• If you want to master English well, you should practice speaking English every day.

2. after an adjective, verb or noun followed by a preposition.
    Examples:

• Vita is really good at singing.
• Toni apologized for arriving late. 

3. in some fixed expressions.
    Examples:

• I can't bear listening to the long speech.
• I can't help feeling that I hate the boy.