Subject Verb Agreement with Gerunds

Subject Verb Agreement with Gerunds Subject-Verb Agreement and GerundsWhen I check a students writing for the first time, I am almost guaranteed to spot a few errors related tosubject-verb agreement.Most of these errors are fairly easy for students to identify when proofreading their work, but one type of subject-verb agreement error is difficult for even advanced students to grasp. That type of error relates togerunds as subjects.Understand that a gerund is derived from a verb but functions as a noun ending in -ing. As in:Joggingis my favorite type of exercise.Shoppingfor my sister is quite difficult.Jogging and shopping look a lot like verbs, but function as nouns. Therefore, we need to pick the right verb later in the sentence.Heres what you need to remember: For the purpose of subject-verb agreement,gerunds should be treated as a singular noun(I usually ask my students to treat them like it). In this sentence we must say jogging is and shopping is. We must not say jogging are and shopping are.ExampleHeres a sentenc e I got today:The lecturer, on the other hand, posits that finding a lot of incomplete fossils are better than finding only a few complete ones.Can you see the error? Yes, this should be:The lecturer, on the other hand, posits that finding a lot of incomplete fossilsisbetter than finding only a few complete ones.The gerund is finding, so the proper verb choice is is. This was difficult for the student because there are a lot of words between the gerund (finding) and the verb (is). This is something you need to watch for when you proofread your work.ExceptionsAs always in English, there are exceptions. Some gerundscan be countableand this will have a plural form. For a list of those, consultthis page.Sign up for express essay evaluation today!Submit your practice essays for evaluation by the author of this website. Get feedback on grammar, structure, vocabulary and more. Learn how to score better on the TOEFL. Feedback in 48 hours.Sign Up Today