In English, the gerund is formed by adding -ing to a verb root. It is identical in form to the present participle (ending in "-ing") and can behave as a verb within a clause (so that it may be modified by an adverb or have an object), but the clause as a whole (sometimes consisting of only one word, the gerund itself) acts as a noun within the larger sentence. For example: "Eating this cake is easy."