What is a gerund? Is that one of those little rodent-type creatures who run around inside a wheel? Oh. No, that’s a gerbil. The word 'gerund' in English comes from 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". We all know what a gerund is even if we don’t know the name. A gerund is an “ing” form of a verb when it serves as a noun. Although they name things, like other nouns, they normally name activities rather than people or objects. Shopping is a Sally’s favorite pastime . Riding a horse is something Rob never thought he’d do . As you can see, gerunds are often passive writing and are generally frowned upon by English teachers and purist editors. Sally would rather shop than eat is certainly a more active sentence and shows how much passion she has for shopping. Rob never thought he would ride a horse OR Rob never wanted to ride a horse are als...