Using Gerunds Part 2
Recall that gerunds are nouns that look like verbs with -ing added at the end. In 6-1 we looked at the first 3 ways gerunds are used: as subjects, direct objects, and prepositions.
Gerunds as subjects
Smoking cigarettes costs a lot of money.
Gerunds as direct objects
My neighbours admire my gardening.
Gerunds as prepositions
I have received many awards for my gardening.
Gerunds as subject complements
Subject complements are phrases that further describe the subject of the sentence. They are found after a linking verb, which is just a verb linking the subject with the subject complement.
| Sentence | Explanation |
| Jose is a great doctor. | "Is" is the linking verb, while "a great doctor" is the subject complement that describes the subject, "Jose." |
| The winners of the Mario Kart contest are you and Kory. | "are" is the linking verb, and "you and Kory" is the subject complement which describes what the "winners" are. |
| Ben is a police officer. | 'Is' is the linking verb, while 'a police officer is the subject complement that describes the subject, 'Ben'. |
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