A gerund (/ ˈ dʒ ɛ r ən d, - ʌ n d / abbreviated GER) is a verb form that functions as a noun. Although similar to a verbal noun, the two are not identical, as a gerund retains properties of a verb, whereas a verbal noun does not; in English this is most evident in the fact that a gerund can be modified by an adverb and can take a direct object.