Gerund: The Gerund (V-Ing) Always Has The Same Function As A Noun (Although It Looks Like A Verb)

Gerund
The gerund (V-ing) always has the same function as a noun (although it looks like
a verb).
The gerund can be used as the following:
1. The gerund as the subject of the sentence
Examples
 Flying makes me nervous.

 Brushing your teeth is important.
 Smoking causes lung cancer.
2. The gerund as the complement of the verb 'to be'

Examples
 One of his duties is attending meetings.

 The hardest thing about learning English is understanding the gerund.
 One of life's pleasures is having breakfast in bed.
3. The gerund after prepositions
The gerund must be used when a verb comes after a preposition. This is also true of certain
expressions ending in a preposition, for example the expressions in spite of & there's no point in.
Examples
 Can you sneeze without opening your mouth?

 She is good at painting.
 She avoided him by walking on the opposite side of the road.
 We arrived in Jakarta after driving all night.
 My father decided against postponing his trip to Hungary.
 There's no point in waiting.
 In spite of missing the train, we arrived on time.
4. The gerund after phrasal verbs
Phrasal verbs are composed of a verb + preposition or adverb.
Examples
 When will you give up smoking?
 She always puts off going to the dentist.
 He kept on asking for money.
 Jim ended up buying a new TV after his old one broke.
There are some phrasal verbs that include the word "to" as a preposition for example to look
forward to, to take to, to be accustomed to, to get around to, & to be used to.
Examples
 I look forward to hearing from you soon.

 I am used to waiting for buses.
 She didn't really take to studying English.
 When will you get around to mowing the grass?
5. The gerund in compound nouns
In compound nouns using the gerund, it is clear that the meaning is that of a noun, not of a
continuous verb. For example, with the word "swimming pool" it is a pool for swimming in, it is
not a pool that is swimming.
Examples
 I am giving Sally a driving lesson.

 They have a swimming pool in their back yard.
 I bought some new running shoes.
6. The gerund after some expressions
The gerund is necessary after the expressions can't help, can't stand, to be worth, & it's no use.
Examples
 She couldn't help falling in love with him.

 I can't stand being stuck in traffic jams.
 It's no use trying to escape.
 It might be worth phoning the station to check the time of the train.
Verbs followed by gerund:
admit He admitted cheating on the test.

advise The doctor generally advised drinking low-fat milk.
allow Ireland doesn't allow smoking in bars.
anticipate I anticipated arriving late.
appreciate I appreciated her helping me.
avoid He avoided talking to her.
begin I began learning Arabic.
can't bear He can't bear having so much responsibility.
can't help He can't help talking so loudly.
can't see I can't see paying so much money for a car.
can't stand He can't stand her smoking in the office.
cease The government ceased providing free healthcare.
complete He completed renovating the house.
consider She considered moving to New York.
continue He continued talking.
defend The lawyer defended her making such statements.
delay He delayed doing his taxes.
deny He denied committing the crime.
despise She despises waking up early.
discuss We discussed working at the company.
dislike She dislikes working after 5 PM.
don't mind I don't mind helping you.
dread She dreads getting up at 5 AM.
encourage He encourages eating healthy foods.
enjoy We enjoy hiking.
finish He finished doing his homework.
forget I forgot giving you my book.
hate I hate cleaning the bathroom.
imagine He imagines working there one day.
involve The job involves traveling to Japan once a month.
keep She kept interrupting me.
like She likes listening to music.
love I love swimming.
mention He mentioned going to that college.
mind Do you mind waiting here for a few minutes.
miss She misses living near the beach.
need The aquarium needs cleaning.
neglect Sometimes she neglects doing her homework.
permit California does not permit smoking in restaurants.
postpone He postponed returning to Paris.
practice She practiced singing the song.
prefer He prefers sitting at the back of the movie theater.
propose I proposed having lunch at the beach.
quit She quit worrying about the problem.
recall Tom recalled using his credit card at the store.
recollect She recollected living in Korea.
recommend Tony recommended taking the train.
regret She regretted saying that.
remember I remember telling her the address yesterday.
report He reported her stealing the money.
require The certificate requires completing two courses.
resent Nick resented Debbie's being there.
resist He resisted asking for help.
risk He risked being caught.
start He started studying harder.
stop She stopped working at 5 o'clock.
suggest They suggested staying at the hotel.
tolerate I tolerated her talking.
try Sam tried opening the lock with a paperclip.
understand I understand his quitting.
urge They urge recycling bottles and paper.
Exercise:
A. Put the verbs in brackets into the correct form.
She likes (paint)

I can't bear (listen) to loud music
He enjoys (play) tennis
Leila dreams of (set) up her own business
He is interested in (emigrate) to Canada
Are you good at (dance)
She is crazy about (read) romantic poems
I can't help (laugh) when I watch Mr Bean
I can't imagine (be) anywhere else but here
You should give up (smoke)
B. Complete the sentences with the gerund form of the verbs in parentheses.
1. She is good at (dance).

2. He is crazy about (sing).
3. I don't like (play) cards.
4. They are afraid of (swim) in the sea.
5. You should give up (smoke).
6. Sam dreams of (be) a popstar.
7. He is interested in (make) friends.
8. My uncle is afraid of (go)by plane.
9. We insist on (cook) the dinner ourselves.
C. Complete the sentences with suitable prepositions when necessary.
1. I'm thinking … earning either Italian or Spanish.

2. The noise prevented us … sleeping.
3. It's no use … crying!
4. Do you really mind … leaving me?
5. I don't succeed … memorizing so many words!
6. Let me begin… thanking you for the warm hospitality I received!
7. I can't help … smiling whenever I think of it.
8. I've always been afraid to dive but one day, my friends talked to … me snorkelling and I have
absolutely no regrets : it was an amazing experience !
9. She's not good … managing her money!
10. He spent hours … trying to find the solution.
11. For flight safety reasons, passengers are kindly requested to refrain … using any portable.
12. It was no good … being insistent.
13. He insisted … being paid immediately.
14. This novel is worth … reading.
15. They told me they suspected him … plotting against me.
16. He didn't enjoy … writing his books.
17. The boy was busy … tidying his toys.
18. He apologized … being late.

Gerund: The Gerund (V-Ing) Always Has The Same Function As A Noun (Although It Looks Like A Verb)

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Gerund

The gerund can be used as the following:

1. The gerund as the subject of the sentence

 Flying makes me nervous.

2. The gerund as the complement of the verb 'to be'

 One of his duties is attending meetings.

3. The gerund after prepositions

 Can you sneeze without opening your mouth?

4. The gerund after phrasal verbs

Phrasal verbs are composed of a verb + preposition or adverb.

 I look forward to hearing from you soon.

5. The gerund in compound nouns

 I am giving Sally a driving lesson.

6. The gerund after some expressions

 She couldn't help falling in love with him.

Verbs followed by gerund:

admit He admitted cheating on the test.

A. Put the verbs in brackets into the correct form.

She likes (paint)

1. She is good at (dance).

C. Complete the sentences with suitable prepositions when necessary.

1. I'm thinking … earning either Italian or Spanish.

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