Герундий в английском языке

For example: Eating this cake is easy.

In "Eating this cake is easy," "eating this cake," although traditionally known as a phrase, is referred to as a non-finite clause in modern linguistics.

"Eating" is the verb in the clause, while "this cake" is the object of the verb.

"Eating this cake" acts as a noun phrase within the sentence as a whole, though; the subject of the sentence is the non-finite clause, specifically eating.

Other examples of the gerund: I like swimming. (direct object) Swimming is fun. (subject)

Not all nouns that are identical in form to the present participle are gerunds.

The formal distinction is that a gerund is a verbal noun – a noun derived from a verb that retains verb characteristics, that functions simultaneously as a noun and a verb, while other nouns in the form of the present participle (ending in -ing) are deverbal nouns, which function as common nouns, not as verbs at all.

Compare:

I like fencing. (gerund, an activity, could be replaced with "to fence")

The white fencing adds to the character of the neighborhood. (deverbal, could be replaced with an object such as "bench")