d. Gerund as complement of a verb
Example: Her hobby is painting
According to Martin Parrott in Grammar for English Language Teachers Gerund used as:
16
a. Subjects and complements
Lying is sure to get you into trouble
b. After certain verbs
He enjoys looking around antique shops
c. After prepositions
Is she still interested in dancing?
Michael Swan states that gerund is used after all prepositions including to, when „’to’ ’is a preposition.
17
Example: After swimming I felt cold
Are you fond of cooking?
Gerund as direct object of certain verb. The verb that comes after the verb is a noun. A noun that comes directly after the verb is an object of the
verb. When gerunds follow verbs, they function as direct objects of those verbs.
18
16
Martin Parrot, Grammar for English Language Teachers ,Cambridge : Cambridge University Press, 2000,p.141
17
Michel Swan,op.cit.,p.335
18
Ibid.p.268
In addition, Betty Schramfer Azar stated that Gerunds are used as the objects of certain verbs.
19
The verbs that should be followed by a gerund are as follows: Admit
Involve Advise
Anticipate Miss
Appreciate Resist
Avoid Recommend
Can’t Help Prevent
Complete Practice
Consider Defer
Recollect Delay
Recall Deny
Regret Discuss
Postpone Dislike
Play Dread
Mind Enjoy
Miss Escape
Suggest Excuse
Risk Fancy
Remember Finish
Stop Forget
Understand
Example: She advised waiting until tomorrow
I regret telling him my secret I dislike driving long distance
We enjoy visiting them
19
Betty Schramper Azar, op.cit.,p.318
Gerund as the complement of a sentence. Gerund can be used as the complement of a sentence. However, as complement: gerund usually sounds
more like normal spoken English. Example:
My uncle favourite hobby is reading His job is photographing
The last lesson is speaking.
According to Betty Schrampfer Azar the word “go” is followed by
gerund in certain idiomatic expression to express for the most part, recreational activities.
20
Example: Go camping
Go fishing Go hiking
Go shopping
Marjorie Farmer et,al. Have the same notation with George E.Wishon and Julia M.Burks that gerund has five functions. The notation is as
follow.
21
a. Subject
: Travelling was part of Murphy’s business. b.
Appositive : His business, selling required many long trips.
c. Direct Object : But Murphy hated playing.
d. Subject Complement : His greatest fear was lending.
e. Object of preposition : He always felt queasy before boarding.
20
Ibid.P.303 .
21
Marjorie Farmer at,al.,Composition and Grammar II …,P.327
A Faidlal Rahman Ali said that gerund has a function as noun and used as follow:
22
1. Subject of Sentence
Example: Smoking is not good for health
Reading is my hobby Sleeping is necessary to health
2. Subjective Complement
Example: His hobby is swimming
My favourite sport is skating Your chief delight is riding
3. Objective Complement
Example: He enjoy hunting
She likes shopping
4. Use as the word compound nouns or modifier as adjective which
put in the front of the noun. Example:
Swimming pool Reading book
Living room Dining table
Waiting room
5. Used as Head word or sentence which located as the explained.
Example: Problem solving
General meeting Test preparing
22
Ali A Faidlal Rahman, op.cit., p.379-384
Negative thinking 6.
Used in the behind of the word NO... Example:
No parking No smoking
7. Used in the behind of the Possessive Adjective or Noun
Example: His speaking is not relevant with the fact
His coming makes me happy
8. Used in sayings
Example: Seeing is believing
Kissing is loving
9. After Preposition
Pattern 1: Verb+ Preposition+ Gerund Example: Hakim gave up smoking before breakfast
Pattern 2: Adjective + Preposition + Gerund Example:
The boy is afraid of falling off his bicycle
He is interested in running
Pattern 3 : Noun + Preposition + Gerund Example:
There is a reason for leaving so early
I don’t like the idea of spending much money
Pattern 4: Preposition + Gerund Example:
He goes out without saying anything
They went home after eating
10. Gerund used after certain verb
Example: They enjoy playing football
I don’t stop speaking He postponed making a decision
11. Used in word information? Add appositive in a sentence.
Example: His favourite exercise, swimming in the pool, makes his body
strong You have bad habit, gambling
12. Used in group of word
Example: I can’t help liking the girls
It’s no use crying like baby
13. Used in idiomatic expression
Example: Go climbing Let’s go climbing
Go running She want to go running Go swimming Do you go swimming with her
14. There is the word that followed by Gerund or infinitive.
Example: I started working.
It began raining.
Betty Shcrampfer Azar did not note the function of gerund completely, she only noted gerund as the object of preposition and as the
object of a verb.
23
a. We enjoy playing tennis
S V
C Playing is used as the object of verb enjoy.
23
Betty Schramper Azar,lo.cit.,p.297
b. He’s excited about playing tennis
Prep O Playing is used as the object of preposition.
From the explanation above, the writer concludes that there are several functions of gerund, such as subject, object of preposition, gerund as
complement of sentence, gerund as direct object of certain verb, gerund as predicate and gerund as appositive.
B. Difficulties in Learning Gerund
1. Definition of Learning
Ahmadi Fauzi in his book said that learning is the process which behaviourism float with the situation and respond.
24
And learning is universal experiment because every human life must learn in their live.
25
On the other hand, learning can be defined as a permanent effect in individual’s attitude, knowledge, and ability which are obtained through
experience.
26
Cronbach stated that learning is shown by a change in behaviour as a result of experience. And Geoch stated that learning is a change in
performance as a result of practice.
27
While Tomas J. Shuell stated that learning has two main characteristics in common. The first is learning involves a change in
behaviour performance, or at least a change in the potential for certain behaviour to occur. The first limitation then completed by the second
statement of learning, that the change is the result of practice or experience. The temporary changes in behaviour as a result from such things like drugs,
24
Fauzi Ahmad, Psikologi Umum, Bandung: Cv.Pustaka Setia,1997, p.44
25
Ibid.p.46
26
John W. Santrock, Psikologi Pendidikan...,p.266
27
Sardiman A.M, Interaksi Motivasi Belajar Mengajar, Jakarta: Rajawali Press ,2011, p.20
fatigue and so on are excluded from the definition of learning because they are not involving practices.
28
Howard L . Kingsley stated in his book that learning is a fundamental process of life.
29
And also learning is the process by which behaviour is originated or changed through practice and training. In addition, learning
can be defined the process by which knowledge and skills are acquired and behaviour is changed through self activity.
30
The variable that influence learning as follow:
31
a. Individual variables including maturation, readiness, capacity,
motivation, and personality traits are variables associated with the individual learner which affect the outcome of learning.
The level of maturation of the individual learner plays a significant role in the amount of material, the kind of knowledge acquired, the
rate of learning, and the amount of retention. Individual readiness at any given period is a functions of both
maturation and prior experience, and signifies the degree to which the individual is prepared for learning a particular task.
Individuals also differ in their capacity for learning given tasks, and these differences contribute to differences in learning,
differences in capacity may either physical or intellectual depend on the conditions of the learner.
Motivation is a process of giving spirit, direction and behavioural persistency. It means that motivated behaviour is the behaviour
which is full of energy, directed and permanent. Personality factors are such as perseverance, curiosity, self-
confidence, level of aspiration, aggressiveness, etc.
28
Tomas J. Shuell, Learning and Intruction, California:Wadsworth Publishing Company, 1971, p.3- 4
29
Howard L. Kingsley, The Nature and Condition of Learning, USA:Prentice-Hall.Inc., 1957, Second edition, p.3
30
Richard M . Gorman, The psychology of Classroom Learning, Columbus Ohio: A Bell Howell Company, 1974, p.64
31
Howard L. Kingsley ,op.cit., p.14-16
b. Task variables including: The meaningfulness of the task to be learned,
its difficulty, and its similarity to previously performed tasks. Recognition of this factor led to the development of nonsense syllables
meaningless materials. c.
Environmental variables in addition to individual variables and task variables, a number of environmental variables influence the learning
process. From the statement above, the writer conclude that learning is change
of behaviour or performance which is originate change by practice, training, observe, to read, to try something themselves and follow direction and also
learning is process of acquiring the value, knowledge and skill to be property of learner and became responses potentially and it is happened by
the process of practices.
2. Learning Difficulty
There are several meanings of difficulty. The first meaning comes from Abu Ahmadi and Widodo Supriyono stated in their book Psikologi
Belajar that learning difficulty is the condition where the students cannot learn normally is called learning difficulty Dalam keadaan di mana anak
didik siswa tidak dapat belajar sebagaimana mestinya , itulah yang di sebut dengan kesulitan belajar.
32
Learning difficulty is where the condition of students cannot learn properly caused by threat or interference in learning.
33
According to Abin Syamsuddin Maknun, a student can be estimated in difficulty of learning if
the students show failure of their learning
34
The learning difficulty is indicated by the gap between learning objective and students achievement .Many aspects that made the objective is
32
Abu Ahmadi and Widodo Supriyono: Psikologi Belajar Jakarta: PT. Rineka Cipta ,1991, p.74
33
Syaiful Bahri Djamarah, Psikolo
g
i Belajar, Jakarta: Rineka Cipta, 2002, p.235
34
Abin Syamsuddin Maknun, Psikologi Kependidikan, Edisi Revisi, Cet. Ke-IV, Bandung: Remaja Rosdakarya , 2001, p.307
not reached, may be the causes come from the method that is used by the teacher, the student motivation, insufficient time, when the objective is not
reached means there something wrong in learning process and it means the students experience learning difficulties.
According to M. Dalyono the kinds of learning difficulties are grouped into four, those are:
35
a. Based on types of learning difficulties Serious learning difficulties,
and average moderate learning difficulties. b.
Based on the subject The learning difficulties on entire subjects, the learning difficulties on some of subjects.
c. Based on the characteristics of difficulties Permanent learning
difficulties, temporary learning difficulties. d.
Based on the causes factors Intelligence factor and non intelligence factor.
Abu Ahmadi and Widodo Supriyono in their book Psikologi Belajar said that there are two factors which caused learning difficulty. They are
internal and external factors:
36
. a
Student’s internal factors The student’s internal factors are divided into two aspects:
1 Physiological Aspect including of the condition of student’s
body looks from every part of the body. 2
Psychological Aspect, this aspect emphasizes on the inside of conditions student’s like intelligence, talent, interest, motivation,
and the mental health of learner. b
Student’s external factors Student’s external factors cover all situations and condition around
environment that do not support student’s learning activity.
Environment factor cover:
35
Drs .M. Dalyono, Psikologi Pendidikan , Jakarta: PT.Rineka Cipta, 2007,p.230-231
36
Abu Ahmadi and Supriyono,op.cit.,p.75-88
