Gerund: The Verbal Form of Action in Progress

The gerund is one of the nominal forms of verbs that expresses actions in development. While it’s a powerful tool for adding dynamism to discourse, its excessive or inappropriate use can compromise communication clarity.

What is the Gerund?

The gerund indicates:

• Action in progress: Estou estudando (I am studying)
• Simultaneity: Chegou cantando (Arrived singing)
• Manner: Aprendeu lendo (Learned by reading)
• Condition: Estudando, passarás (By studying, you’ll pass)
• Cause: Sabendo disso, não foi (Knowing this, didn’t go)

Gerund Formation

Regular Formation

Conjugation	Infinitive	Stem	Gerund
1st (-ar)	cantar	cant-	cantando
2nd (-er)	vender	vend-	vendendo
3rd (-ir)	partir	part-	partindo

Irregular Verbs

Only two verbs have irregular gerunds:

• Pôr (to put) → pondo
• Vir (to come) → vindo (and derivatives: convindo, provindo)

Uses of the Gerund

1. Progressive Compound Tenses

Present Continuous

• Estou trabalhando no projeto (I’m working on the project)
• Eles estão estudando para a prova (They’re studying for the test)

Past Continuous

• Estava chovendo quando saí (It was raining when I left)
• Estávamos esperando há horas (We had been waiting for hours)

Future Continuous

• Amanhã estarei viajando (Tomorrow I’ll be traveling)
• Eles estarão chegando em breve (They’ll be arriving soon)

2. Verbal Locutions with Gerund

Auxiliary + Gerund	Meaning	Example
Estar + gerund	Ongoing action	Está chovendo (It’s raining)
Andar + gerund	Habitual action	Anda bebendo demais (Has been drinking too much)
Vir + gerund	Progressive action	Vem melhorando (Has been improving)
Ir + gerund	Gradual action	Foi escurecendo (It gradually got dark)
Ficar + gerund	Permanence	Ficou esperando (Kept waiting)

3. Reduced Gerund Clauses

Temporal

• Chegando em casa, descansarei (Upon arriving home, I’ll rest)
• Terminando o trabalho, sairemos (After finishing work, we’ll leave)

Causal

• Sabendo da notícia, ficou triste (Knowing the news, became sad)
• Estando doente, não foi à aula (Being sick, didn’t go to class)

Conditional

• Estudando mais, passará (By studying more, you’ll pass)
• Querendo, conseguirá (If you want, you’ll succeed)

Modal

• Saiu correndo (Left running)
• Respondeu sorrindo (Answered smiling)

Concessive

• Mesmo cansando, continuou (Even getting tired, continued)
• Ainda chorando, sorriu (Still crying, smiled)

The Problem of Gerundism

What is Gerundism?

Gerundism is the excessive and unnecessary use of the gerund, especially with the future:

❌ Vou estar enviando o relatório
✅ Enviarei o relatório / Vou enviar o relatório (I’ll send the report)

❌ Estaremos estando disponíveis
✅ Estaremos disponíveis (We’ll be available)

Why Avoid It?

1. Temporal imprecision: Doesn’t define when action will occur
2. Wordiness: Uses more words than necessary
3. Lack of commitment: Sounds evasive
4. Foreign influence: Poorly adapted English influence

How to Correct

Gerundism	Correction 1	Correction 2
Vou estar ligando	Ligarei	Vou ligar
Vamos estar realizando	Realizaremos	Vamos realizar
Estarei estar atendendo	Atenderei	Vou atender

Gerund in Brazil vs. Portugal

Main Differences

Brazil	Portugal
Estou fazendo	Estou a fazer
Está chovendo	Está a chover
Vem chegando	Vem a chegar

Infinitive Construction (Portugal)

In Portugal, “estar a + infinitive” is preferred:

• Estou a trabalhar (PT) = Estou trabalhando (BR) (I’m working)
• Estava a pensar (PT) = Estava pensando (BR) (I was thinking)

Gerund in Idiomatic Expressions

Common Expressions

• Falando nisso: Speaking of which
• Pensando bem: On second thought
• Sendo assim: That being the case
• Resumindo: In summary
• Chegando lá: When we get there

Literary Uses

• “Amanhecendo, saíram” (At dawn, they left)
• “Morrendo de fome” (Dying of hunger)
• “Voando baixo” (Flying low)

Common Gerund Errors

1. Dangling Gerund

❌ Dirigindo pela estrada, o pneu furou
✅ Enquanto eu dirigia pela estrada, o pneu furou (While I was driving, the tire burst)

2. Gerund of Posteriority

❌ Caiu da escada, quebrando a perna
✅ Caiu da escada e quebrou a perna (Fell from the ladder and broke his leg)

3. Gerund Abuse

❌ Estando pensando em estar indo embora
✅ Estou pensando em ir embora (I’m thinking of leaving)

Gerund in Professional Communication

When to Use

✅ Simultaneous actions: “Analisando os dados, percebemos tendências” (Analyzing data, we noticed trends) ✅ Ongoing processes: “Estamos desenvolvendo novo software” (We’re developing new software) ✅ Topic introduction: “Considerando os resultados…” (Considering the results…)

When to Avoid

❌ Vague future: “Vou estar retornando sua ligação” (I’ll be returning your call)
❌ Excess auxiliaries: “Poderíamos estar estando considerando” (We could be being considering)
❌ Imprecision: “Estaremos estando resolvendo” (We’ll be being solving)

The Gerund in Literature

Classic Examples

• Machado de Assis: “Going, going, going”
• Guimarães Rosa: “The river, being reborn at each curve”
• Clarice Lispector: “Living and learning to play”

Tips for Effective Use

1. Use for real simultaneous actions
2. Avoid multiple auxiliaries
3. Prefer simple forms for future
4. Keep the subject clear
5. Don’t overuse in formal texts

Importance of Correct Use

Proper mastery of the gerund:

• ✅ Enriches verbal expression
• ✅ Allows temporal nuances
• ✅ Avoids gerundism
• ✅ Improves communicative clarity
• ✅ Demonstrates language mastery

Conclusion

The gerund is a valuable tool when well used, allowing expression of actions in progress and simultaneity. Avoiding gerundism and using the gerund properly are marks of a conscious and proficient Portuguese speaker.