Her daughter likes climbing trees.
Gerund or gerund phrase:
Noun function:
gerund phrase: climbing trees
used as a direct object of the verb likes.
Her daughter likes climbing trees.
Gerund or gerund phrase:
Noun function:
The word "climbing" in the sentence is a gerund.
The gerund phrase "climbing trees" functions as a noun in the sentence. It serves as the subject of the sentence, describing the action that the daughter enjoys.
In order to determine whether "climbing" is a gerund or a gerund phrase, we need to understand the characteristics of each.
A gerund is a verb that functions as a noun in a sentence. It is formed by adding "-ing" to the base form of a verb. In this case, the word "climbing" is formed by adding "-ing" to the base verb "climb".
On the other hand, a gerund phrase is a phrase that includes a gerund along with other words that modify or complement it.
In the sentence "Her daughter likes climbing trees," the word "climbing" is behaving as a noun because it is the object of the verb "likes". It does not have any modifiers or complements. Therefore, "climbing" in this sentence is a gerund.
As for the noun function of the gerund, it serves as the direct object of the verb "likes". It answers the question "What does her daughter like?"
To summarize, in the sentence "Her daughter likes climbing trees," "climbing" is a gerund and it functions as a noun serving as the direct object of the verb "likes".