THE GERUND

The Gerund

The hardest thing about learning English is understanding the gerund.

I don't like the idea of talking down to kids. I think I was talked down to, and you rebel against that.  

Not arriving on time makes me uncomfortable.

Charm is a way of getting the answer yes without asking a clear question.

If you think nobody cares if you’re alive, try missing a couple of payments.

I can't stand having to tell someone something over and over again.

I hate being called a pop star. I (really) hate that * I hate being told I can't do something because I'm a girl * I hate being told what to do (especially by myself) * I hate being lied to / shouted at * I was used to being shouted at, so it didn't matter to me (if she was around all day)

I regret leaving school at 14 – it was a big mistake.

I still remember buying my first bicycle.

I’ll never forget meeting the President. * I'll never forget meeting her for the first time.

I tried sending her flowers, writing her letters, and giving her presents, but she still
wouldn’t speak to me.

I stopped smoking years ago. (I gave up smoking years ago.)

Love means never having to say you're sorry.

Not being able to read and write music is not the same as being illiterate in speech and writing.

The hardest thing about learning English is understanding the gerund. You don't learn to walk by following rules. You learn by doing, and by falling over.

                               
                                  ******************************************************

Not being able to compete in the 2012 Olympics will 

be difficult for me

I postpone death by living, by suffering, by error, by risking, by giving, by losing. * 

* The drinker says I can't stand having to quit drinking, or go without a drink for an hour. Or I can't stand having to deal with the banker, landlord, boss, professor ..In addition to getting bored easily, I can't stand having to deal with so many different personalities that one runs into at a job. 

I hate having a full-part time job.

The gerund looks exactly the same as a present participle, but it is useful to understand the difference between the two. The gerund always has the same function as a noun (although it looks like a verb). Some uses of the gerund are covered on this page. A separate page deals with

A gerund can be:

• the subject of the sentence Swimming is my favorite sport.
• the object of the sentence They enjoy watching movies.
• the object of the preposition He’s concerned about passing Grammar 5.

Note: A gerund subject takes a singular verb. Eating raw oysters is disgusting.

• Getting to the final depends on winning the semi-final! 

To make a gerund negative, put "not" before it.


I have a very strong feeling that the opposite of love is not hate - it's apathy. It's not giving a damn.

Not arriving on time makes me uncomfortable.



1. GERUND AFTER VERBS

Verbs that are followed by the gerund.

Examples

• I avoid going to the dentist.
• I avoid chocolate.
• I miss taking walks in the morning.
• I miss England.

... before it began raining  ...before it began to rain.

I believe I would use these interchangeably; I don't think feeling or mood plays into it much. To my knowledge, there are no regional differences in usage within the United States. Certainly I could not associate one or the other with any given region! 

I suppose that if the punctuality of the beginning of the event is what is most important to you, you might be slightly more likely to choose the infinitive. Conversely, if the resulting condition (in this case, that it was raining) is more relevant to what you have to say, you might be slightly more likely to use the gerund forum.

I agree they are interchangeable, although instinctively I would lean towards "start" instead of began...and generally opt for the gerund because it's shorter and sweeter. 


These verbs are followed by a gerund:

admit advise appreciate avoid can’t help consider

delay deny discuss dislike enjoy finish

imagine keep mind miss permit postpone

practice quit recommend regret risk suggest

  Go + gerund (recreational activities)

boating bowling camping  dancing

fishing hiking hunting jogging

sailing shopping sightseeing skating

skiing swimming

  Verbs of perception can be followed by verb-ing or an infinitive

see notice watch

look atobserve

hear listen to

feel smell

The following verbs can be followed by either a gerund or an infinitive with no change in meaning:

 

attempt begin can’t stand

continue deserve hate

like love prefer

start

These verbs can be followed by either a GERUND or and INFINITIVE with
a difference in meaning.

remember

forget

regret

try, stop

Remember, forget + gerund
refers back to the past – to things that one did. Forget...ing is used mostly in the phrase I’ll never forget...ing... and expressions with similar meanings.
I still remember buying my first bicycle.
I’ll never forget meeting the President.
Regret + infinitive
–is used mostly in announcements of bad news:
We regret to inform passengers that the 14.50 train for Tacoma will leave approximately 45 minutes late.

Regret + gerund
refers back to past–something that one is sorry one did:
I regret leaving school at 14 – it was a big mistake.

Try + infinitive
is used to talk about making an effort to do something difficult:
I tried to change the tire, but my hands were too cold.
(Note: Sometimes we use the gerund in this case also)

Try + gerund
is used to talk about making an experiment-doing something to see what will happen:
I tried sending her flowers, writing her letters, and giving her presents, but she still wouldn’t speak to me.

TO-infinitive or gerund: FORGET, REMEMBER, REGRET, GO ON, STOP, TRY

After these verbs, a to-infinitive refers to the future, while a gerund expresses an earlier action, relative to the time of the verb in the main clause:

Don't forget to meet Mr Moriarty at 10 o'clock this morning. (You should meet Mr Moriarty at 10 o'clock this morning.). I forgot to buy the milk.
I'll never forget meeting her for the first time. (I'll never forget when I met her for the first time.)

Did you remember to buy tea? (Did you remember that you should buy tea?)
I don't remember ever visiting this museum. (I don't remember that I have ever visited this museum.)

We regret to inform you that your application has been rejected. (We are sorry we have to inform you that your application has been rejected.)
I regret spending so much money last night. (I am sorry that I spent so much money last night.)

Whichever page you're on, go on to read the next chapter. (Continue with the next chapter.)
Go on reading the article. (Continue reading the article.)

We stopped to drink a cup of coffee. (We stopped in order to drink a cup of coffee.)
I stopped smoking years ago. (I gave up smoking years ago.)

I tried to reach her at work, but the line was busy. (I made an attempt to reach her at work.)
Why didn't you try calling her on her mobile? (Why didn't you call her on her mobile to see if you could reach her?)

TO-infinitive or gerund: BEGIN, START, CONTINUE, CEASE, DREAD, INTEND, LOVE

These verbs can be followed by either a to-infinitive or a gerund with almost no difference in meaning:

I began to learn languages when I was ten.
He began using this software three years ago.

I started wondering what would happen if I lost my job.
After a while, I started to wonder why she'd said that.

Kate continued wearing her wedding ring after her husband's death.
You continue to surprise me!

Two days later, the screen ceased to function.
They ceased fighting when the commander was killed.

I dread to think what could have happened. (used exclusively in the expression I dread to think/imagine when we don't want to think about something distressing or unpleasant)
I dread asking you this question, but... (I'm afraid to ask you this question, but...)

The list of things he intended to do was getting longer and longer.
We intend contacting the company before taking any action.

I love dancing.
I love to dance.

TO-infinitive or gerund: LIKE, HATE, PREFER, CAN'T BEAR

The verbs like and hate express (dis)liking if they are followed by a gerund:

I like getting up early in summer. (I enjoy getting up early in summer.)
I hate dancing, so don't ask me to. (I don't like dancing.)

But if these verbs are followed by a to-infinitive, they express habitual preference, something that we do not necessarily like or enjoy but consider as useful, right or wise:

I like to be punctual. (It's important to be punctual and I am.) 
I hate to lie, but sometimes I do. (It's not right to lie, but sometimes I do.)

If like is in the negative, a gerund refers to an action that we do but don't enjoy doing, while a to-infinitive means that we don't do something because we don't think it right to do:

I could tell that Sandra didn't like being photographed though she didn't say a word. (Sandra was photographed, which she didn't like.)
Sandra didn't like to be photographed, so she turned her back to the camera. (Sandra didn't want to be photographed, and she wasn't.)

Prefer and can't bear can also take a gerund or a to-infinitive:

I prefer walking to taking the bus. (I like walking better than taking the bus.)
If you prefer to walk, it will take you 30 minutes to school. (If you want to walk, it will take you 30 minutes to school.)

I can't bear seeing people being humiliated. (I don't like it when I see people being humiliated.)
I couldn't bear to see those animals suffer, so I looked away. (I didn't want to see them suffer, so I looked away.)

TO-infinitive or gerund: NEED, REQUIRE, WANT

Need, require and want can be followed by the active or passive to-infinitives to express active or passive meanings, respectively:

I need to make a phone call.
Sometimes, people need to be told the truth.

My job requires me to handle many letters from abroad.
They required the information to be sent as soon as possible.

I wanted to stay for a few more days.
It was obvious that he wanted to be invited.

But active gerunds after these verbs express passive meanings:

Your hair needs cutting. (It should be cut.)
These photos require careful handling. (They should be handled carefully.)
The windows want cleaning. (They should be cleaned.)

O-infinitive or gerund: MEAN, HELP

Mean and help can be followed by either a gerund or a to-infinitive but with different meanings:

In those days, being a student meant spending long hours in the library. (In those days if you were a student, it meant that you spent long hours in the library.)
I didn't mean to hurt your feelings. (I didn't intend to hurt your feelings.)

I can't help thinking that you are hiding something. (only in the negative: I have to think that you are hiding something.)
Could you help me (to) undo my shoelaces? My fingers are frozen. (Could you undo my shoelaces?)

Help can be followed by a bare infinitive or a to-infinitive.

TO-infinitive or gerund: CONSIDER, IMAGINE

Consider and imagine can be followed by either (a) a gerund or (b) a noun phrase or pronoun + to-infinitive but with different meanings:

I am considering working abroad. (I am thinking of working abroad.)
Everybody considers him to be the best person for the job. (Everybody thinks that he is the best person for the job.)

Imagine living at 2,000 metres above sea level! (Imagine what it would be like to live at 2,000 metres above sea level.)
I imagined him to be much taller. (I expected that he would be much taller.)

Verbs Followed by Gerunds

9 = verb followed by a gerund OR a noun + an infinitive
13 = verb followed by a gerund OR an infinitive with a difference in meaning
14 = verb followed by a gerund OR an infinitive with little difference in meaning

admit	He admitted cheating on the test.
advise [9]	The doctor generally advised drinking low-fat milk.
allow [9]	Ireland doesn't allow smoking in bars.
anticipate	I anticipated arriving late. (expect, contar con, anticiparse)
appreciate	I appreciated her helping me.
avoid	He avoided talking to her.
begin [14]	I began learning Chinese.
can't bear [14]	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 [14]	He can't stand her smoking in the office.
cease [14]	The government ceased providing free healthcare.
complete	He completed renovating the house.
consider	She considered moving to New York.
continue [14]	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 [13]	She dreads getting up at 5 AM.
encourage [9]	He encourages eating healthy foods.
enjoy	We enjoy hiking.
finish [13]	He finished doing his homework.
forget [13]	I forgot giving you my book.
hate [14]	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 [14]	She likes listening to music.
love [14]	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 [13]	The aquarium needs cleaning.
neglect [14]	Sometimes she neglects doing her homework.
permit [9]	California does not permit smoking in restaurants.
postpone	He postponed returning to Paris.
practice	She practiced singing the song.
prefer [14]	He prefers sitting at the back of the movie theater.
propose [14]	I proposed having lunch at the beach.
quit [13]	She quit worrying about the problem.
recall	Tom recalled using his credit card at the store.
recollect	She recollected living in Kenya.
recommend	Tony recommended taking the train.
regret [13]	She regretted saying that.
remember [13]	I remember telling her the address yesterday.
report	He reported her stealing the money.
require [9]	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 [14]	He started studying harder.
stop [13]	She stopped working at 5 o'clock.
suggest	They suggested staying at the hotel.
tolerate	I tolerated her talking.
try [13]	Sam tried opening the lock with a paperclip.
understand	I understand his quitting.
urge [9]	They urge recycling bottles and paper.

2. The gerund as the subject of the sentence

Examples

• Eating people is wrong.
• Hunting tigers is dangerous.
• Flying makes me nervous.
• Brushing your teeth is important.
• Smoking causes lung cancer.

3. A gerund can be the object of a preposition after a verb or adjective (see list below)

He complained about getting a bad grade.
She is upset about leaving her homework at home.

4. 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.

5. Verbs with Prepositions followed by the Gerund

Example: I'm looking forward to seeing you again soon.

accuse ... of adjust to agree with apologize to...for approve of argue about ask about ask for be used to begin by believe in blame...for care about care for carry on complain about concentrate on congratulate on consist of cope with deal with decide against decide for decide on depend on die of disapprove of dream about/of escape from feel like give up forget about forgive...forhear about

hear of insist on keep on listen to look at look for look forward to object to (working overtime) plan on prevent...from protect ... from put off rely on speak about spend money on spend time on succeed in suspect...of take care of take part in talk about thank...for think about / of think of use for wait for warn...aboutworry about warn against worry about

The dots (...) indicate than an object is needed: "She thanked the man for helping her carry her groceries."

And it's only been really two months, so I haven't really had time to adjust to not doing it. * It's quite funny watching the new foreign teachers trying to adjust to doing that. Surprisingly, it is easier to adjust to doing it daily, then just a few times per week. (adaptarse a)

Verb + preposition + gerund

Tags:

• gerund

Verbs followed by a preposition and a gerund
(dis)agree with (dis)approve of admit to agree with aim at apologise for believe in benefit from	boast about care for complain about concentrate on confess to cope with count on decide against	depend on dream about/of feel like get on with get used to give up insist on laugh about	look forward to object to pay for put off put up with rely on resort to specialize in	succeed in talk about/of think about/of vote for worry about

After being stopped by the police, George admitted to having drunk two pints of beer.
She apologised for not introducing herself sooner.
He is always boasting about having met the president.
The students complained about being made to wear a uniform to school.
The suspect never confessed to killing his wife.Could you give up smoking?
Nick insisted on calling an ambulance.
We laughed about having to do such silly things.
I objected to him calling me a liar.Do you put off going to the dentist?
My sister is always talking about having her hair dyed.
Do you ever think about getting married and having children?

Adjective + Preposition

accustomed to afraid of agree with amazed at/by angry about/at ashamed of aware of bored with/by capable of concerned about different from excited about famous for fond of glad about good at grateful to...for guilty of happy about

interested in lazy about mad about mad at opposed to pay for proud of responsible for sad about satisfied with sick of sorry about sorry for sure of surprised at tired of upset about used to worried about

 

4.1.  The gerund after prepositions

■ Memorization is Key for understanding Anatomy

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.

A gerund can be the object of a preposition after a verb or adjective (see list below)
He complained about getting a bad grade.
She is upset about leaving her homework at home.

Examples

• Can you sneeze without opening your mouth?
• I get angry at myself for staying in relationships way too long.
• She is good at painting.
• She avoided him by walking on the opposite side of the road.
• Start by doing what's necessary; then do what's possible and suddenly you are doing the impossible.
• We arrived in Madrid after driving all night.
• My father decided against postponing his trip to Hungary.
• There's no point in waiting; I saw no point whatever / whatsoever in continuing.
• What's the point of studing if there are no jobs (de que sirve, que sentido tiene)
• In spite of missing the train, we arrived on time. 

  

5. 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.
• I do the very best I know how - the very best I can; and I mean to keep on doing so until the end. 

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. It is important to recognise that the word "to" is a preposition in these cases because it must be followed by a gerund. It is not part of the infinitive form of the verb. You can check whether "to" is a preposition or part of the infinitive. If you can put the pronoun "it" after the word "to" and form a meaningful sentence, then the word "to" is a preposition and must be followed by a gerund.

Examples

• I look forward to hearing from you soon.
• I look forward to it.
• I am used to waiting for buses.
• I am used to it.
• She didn't really take to studying English.
• She didn't really take to it.
• When will you get around to mowing the grass?
• When will you get around to it?

6. 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.

7. 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.

8. Special expressions + verb-ing

have: fun, a good time, trouble, difficulty, etc.
She had a good time watching the ice skating competition.
 spend time, waste timeHe spends a lot of time playing computer games.
 sit, stand, or lie + expression of place
I stood at the bus stop waiting for 45 minutes.
 find or catch + (pro)noun I found the cat sleeping in my bed.


9. It (be) Adj + Infinitve Clause  vs. Gerund Clause (be) Adj

INFINITIVE CLAUSE
The expression "It is + adj/noun to" emphasizes information by bringing it to the front of the clause. The subject of an infinitive clause is optionally expressed as [for + noun] or the accusative pronoun [for + pronoun].
MAIN CLAUSE	SUBORD	COMPLEMENT
"IT" IS + ADJ	"FOR" PRN	INFINITIVE CLS
It's difficult	for me	to guess what will happen.
It's hard		to know when a rat will get loose.
It's impossible	for us	to do  this project in 24 hours
It's important		to take a break twice a day.
It's possible	for you	to work on your own project.
It's exciting	for us	to be  here.
It's likely	for it	to get cold in the laboratory.
"IT IS"  + NP	"FOR" PRN	INFINITIVE CLS
It's a good idea (noun)		to put on your lab coat.
It's a pleasure (noun)	for us	to have you here.
It's an honor (noun)	for us	to work in this lab.

GERUND CLAUSE
A similar meaning is expressed with a gerund clause followed by [be] + adj / noun. ¹ However, the clause cannot be restated with a gerund clause when "it" refers to climate or weather.
SUBJECT	PREDICATE
GERUND CLS	"BE" ADJ
Guessing what will happen.	is difficult.
Knowing when a rat will get loose.	is hard.
Doing this project in 24 hours	is impossible.
Taking a break twice a day.	is important
Working on your own project.	is possible.
Being here	is exciting
¹ Getting cold in the laboratory.	is likely.
GERUND CLS	"BE" + NP
Putting on your lab coat	is a good idea.
Having you here	is a pleasure.
Working in this lab	is an honor.

10. More examples of gerunds:

* Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving.

* It's not a question of McDonald's vanishing from the face of the earth. It's a question of these companies assuming some more responsibility for what they're selling.

                             * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Try + gerund
Is used to talk about making an experiment-doing something to see what will happen:* I tried sending her flowers, writing her letters, and giving her presents, but she still wouldn’t speak to me.

Remember, forget + gerund
Refers back to the past – to things that one did. Forget...ing is used mostly in the phrase I’ll never forget...ing... and expressions with similar meanings.

I still remember buying my first bicycle.
I’ll never forget meeting the President.