How do You Identify a Gerund in a Sentence?

Hello! In the sentence "Swimming in the ocean is my favorite hobby," the word "Swimming" is the gerund because it's the "-ing" form of the verb "swim," and in this sentence, it's being used as a noun. Even though "swim" is a verb, when we add "-ing" (making it "swimming"), it turns into a noun that refers to the activity or action of swimming.

So, "Swimming" here is the subject of the sentence, and it's describing an activity—like a thing or a concept. That's why it's a gerund! Hope this helps!