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This always has the same function as a noun (although it looks like a verb), so it can be
used:
• after prepositions:
Can you sneeze without opening your mouth?
She is good at painting
• in compound nouns,
e.g. a driving lesson, a swimming pool, bird-watching, train-spotting
THE GERUND
This looks exactly the same as a present participle, and for this reason it is now common
to call both forms 'the -ing form'. However 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), so it can be used:
c. after prepositions. The gerund must be used when a verb comes after a
preposition:
Example:
to look forward to, to give up, to be for/against, to take to, to put off, to keep on:
• I look forward to hearing from you soon. (at the end of a letter)
• When are you going to give up smoking?
• She always puts off going to the dentist.
• He kept on asking for money.
NOTE: There are some phrasal verbs and other expressions that include the word 'to' as
a preposition, not as part of a to-infinitive: - to look forward to, to take to, to be
accustomed to, to be used to. It is important to recognise that 'to' is a preposition in these
cases, as it must be followed by a gerund:
e. in compound nouns
Example:
Example:
Example
Example:
VERB GERUND
She admitted... breaking the window
THAT-CLAUSE
She admitted... that she had broken the window.
acknowledge,* keep,
admit,* loathe,
anticipate,* appreciate,* mean,(=have as result)*
avoid, mention,*
celebrate, mind,
consider, contemplate, miss,
defer, pardon,
delay, postpone,
deny,* prevent,
detest, propose,*
dislike, recall,*
dread, recollect,*
enjoy, remember,
entail, report,*
escape, resent,
excuse, resist,
fancy (=imagine)*, risk,
finish, save (=prevent the wasted effort)
forgive, stop,
imagine,* suggest,*
involve, understand,*
Notes:
Appreciate is followed by a possessive adjective and the gerund when the gerund does
not refer to the subject.
Compare :
• I appreciate having some time off work. (I'm having the time...)
• I appreciate your giving me some time off work. (You're giving me the time...)
Excuse, forgive, pardon can be followed by an object and the gerund or for + object and
the gerund (both common in spoken English), or a possessive adjective + gerund (more
formal and less likely to be said):
• Excuse me interrupting.
• Excuse me for interrupting.
• Excuse my interrupting.
Stop can be followed by a gerund or infinitive, but there is a change of meaning - see
GERUND / INFINITIVE? section.
Dread is followed by the infinitive when used with 'think', in the expression 'I dread to
think':
Prevent is followed
Examples
• Normally, a girl wouldn't think of marrying a man she did not love.
• Most people don't like receiving bad news.
• We can't risk getting wet - we haven't got any dry clothes.
• If you take that job it will mean getting home late every night.
• I can't imagine living in that big house.
• If you buy some petrol now, it will save you stopping on the way to London.
• She couldn't resist eating the plum she found in the fridge.
• They decided to postpone painting the house until the weather improved.
GERUND OR INFINITIVE?
Part B: GERUND OR INFINITIVE?
Come + to-infinitive means that something happens or develops, perhaps outside the
subject's control:
• At first I thought he was crazy, but I've come to appreciate his sense of humour.
• How did you come to be outside the wrong house?
• This word has come to mean something quite different.
• I remember locking the door (= I remember now, I locked the door earlier)
• He regretted speaking so rudely. (= he regretted at some time in the past, he had
spoken rudely at some earlier time in the past.)
When these verbs are followed by a to-infinitive, the infinitive refers to an action
happening at the same time, or later:
• I remembered to lock the door (= I thought about it, then I did it.)
• Don't forget to buy some eggs! (= Please think about it and then do it.)
• We regret to announce the late arrival of the 12.45 from Paddington. (= We feel
sorry before we tell you this bad news.)
Go on:
Go on + gerund means to continue with an action:
Go on + to-infinitive means to do the next action, which is often the next stage in a
process:
• After introducing her proposal, she went on to explain the benefits for the
company.
• John Smith worked in local government for five years, then went on to become a
Member of Parliament.
Mean:
Mean + gerund expresses what the result of an action will be, or what will be necessary:
• If you take that job in London it will mean travelling for two hours every day.
• We could take the ferry to France, but that will mean spending a night in a hotel.
Stop:
Stop + gerund means to finish an action in progress:
Try:
Try + gerund means to experiment with an action that might be a solution to your
problem.
• If you have problems sleeping, you could try doing some yoga before you go to
bed, or you could try drinking some warm milk.
• 'I can't get in touch with Carl.' 'Have you tried e-mailing him?'
• The surgeons tried to save his life but he died on the operating table.
• We'll try to phone at 6 o'clock, but it might be hard to find a public telephone.
Form
infinitive + -ing
Examples
Going to parties is fun. I enjoy reading.
Gerund is subject Gerund is object