ANSWER: The verbal noun is the -ing form, i.e. the present participle of the verb, used as a noun. It can be used in all the places that a noun can be used, but still keeps some characteristics of the verb. It is sometimes called the gerund.
Like an example is: A brilliant reading of the poem won the competition. Here the verbal noun is ‘reading’ and it matches with the description about verbal nouns given above.
