Editing Gerund (section)

==Traditional use==
{{unreferenced section|date=July 2016}}

The Latin gerund, in a restricted set of syntactic contexts, denotes the sense of the verb in isolation after certain prepositions, and in certain uses of the [[genitive]], [[dative]], and [[ablative]] cases. It is very rarely combined with a dependent sentence element such as an [[Object (grammar)|object]]. To express such concepts, the construction with the [[Adjective|adjectival]] [[gerundive]] is preferred. By contrast, the term gerund has been used in the grammatical description of other languages to label verbal nouns used in a wide range of syntactic contexts and with a full range of [[clause]] elements.

Thus, English grammar uses ''gerund'' to mean an ''-ing'' form used in [[non-finite clauses]] such as ''playing on computers''. This is not a normal use for a Latin gerund. Moreover, the clause may function within a sentence as [[Subject (grammar)|subject]] or [[Object (grammar)|object]], which is impossible for a Latin gerund.
*''Playing on computers'' is fun. (''-ing'' clause as subject)
*I like ''playing on computers'' (''-ing'' clause as object)
The contrast with the Latin gerund is also clear when the clause consists of a single word.
*''Computing'' is fun. ("gerund" as subject)
*I like ''computing'' ("gerund" as object)
Latin never uses the gerund in this way, since the [[infinitive]] is available.<ref>Palmer, L.R. , 1954, ''The Latin Language'', London. Faber and Faber.</ref>

Traditional English grammar distinguishes non-finite clauses used as above from [[adverbial]] use, adjective-like modification of nouns, and use in [[Finite verb|finite]] [[Continuous and progressive aspects|progressive (continuous)]] forms
*''Playing on computers'', they whiled the day away.
* The boys ''playing on computers'' are my nephews.
*They are always ''playing on computers''.
In these uses ''playing'' is traditionally labelled a [[participle]].

Traditional grammar also distinguishes ''-ing'' forms with exclusively [[noun]] properties as in 
{|
|-
| I work in that ''building'' || ''contrast "gerund"''|| I like ''building'' things
|-
| That is a good ''painting'' || ''contrast "gerund"''|| I like ''painting'' pictures
|-
| Her ''writing'' is good || ''contrast "gerund"'' || I like ''writing'' novels
|-
|}
The objection to the term ''gerund'' in English grammar is that ''-ing'' forms are frequently used in ways that do not conform to the clear-cut three-way distinction made by traditional grammar into ''gerunds'', ''participles'' and ''nouns''{{how|date=November 2018}}.