The Grammaring Guide to English Grammar with Exercises

The use of the gerund

The gerund always serves as a noun. It can be used on its own or with an object or adverbial:

Dancing

is fun.

He denied

stealing the car

.

I like

getting up early

.

The gerund as subject

The gerund as a subject complement

The gerund as the object of a verb

Verb + gerund

Preposition + gerund

Verb + preposition + gerund

The gerund used in compound nouns

Other expressions followed by the gerund

The gerund as subject

A gerund clause can be the subject of a sentence:

Hiking

can be a relaxing and rewarding activity.

Swimming in the winter

can boost your immune system.

Learning a foreign language

is easier at a young age.

The use of the gerund as subject is more common than that of the to-infinitive.

Quotes:

The fishing was good; it was the catching that was bad. - A. K. Best

Growing old is mandatory; growing up is optional. - Chili Davis

Saying nothing sometimes says the most. - Emily Dickinson

Related topics:

The TO-infinitive as subject

The gerund as a subject complement

A gerund clause can be a subject complement after be:

What I really like is

travelling to other countries

.

Seeing is

believing

.

Quotes:

I don't know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everybody. - Bill Cosby

Courage is doing what you're afraid to do. There can be no courage unless you're scared. - Edward Vernon Rickenbacker

Knowledge is learning something every day. Wisdom is letting go of something every day. - Zen saying

Related topics:

The TO-infinitive as a subject complement

The gerund as the object of a verb

A gerund clause can be the object of a verb:

I really enjoy

swimming in the sea

.

Jill suggested

going for a drink

.

The car managed to avoid

hitting any other vehicles

.

Verb + gerund

Examples of verbs followed by a gerund:

admit, advise, allow, anticipate, appreciate, avoid, begin, can't bear, can't help, can't stand, cease, consider, continue, defend, delay, deny, despise, discuss, dislike, don't mind, dread, encourage, enjoy, escape, excuse, fancy, finish, forget, forgive, hate, imagine, involve, justify, keep, like, love, mean, mention, mind, miss, need, neglect, permit, postpone, practice, prefer, prevent, propose, quit, recall, recollect, recommend, regret, remember, report, require, resent, resist, risk, save, start, stop, suggest, tolerate, try, understand, urge

After being stopped by the police, George

admitted having drunk

two pints of beer.

We

anticipated having

difficulty in finding candidates with the right qualifications.

We do

appreciate

your

taking

time from your busy schedule to come to Berlin.

He tried to

avoid meeting

her eyes.

How

can

you

stand living

so far away from your home country?

The next morning I was really tired, so I

delayed getting up

as long as possible.

The man

denied stealing

the camera.

We have already

discussed moving

to the countryside.

I

dislike being treated

like a child.

The two sons left the country to

escape being conscripted

into the army.

What do you

fancy eating

?

Finish washing up

and then you can use the computer.

Forgive

my

saying

so, but your attitude to work has changed for the worse.

Leadership

involves setting

an example that others want to follow.

Why do you

keep teasing

me?

You

mentioned going

to Italy last summer. How was it?

Take your time, I don't

mind waiting

.

I really

miss taking

photos with an analogue camera.

We had to

postpone flying

to Thailand.

In this course, we will

practise writing

formal letters, among other things.

I wanted to

prevent ending up

in the same situation again.

Why did she

quit working

as a nurse?

The witness said he couldn't

recall seeing

that car before.

Do you

recollect borrowing

money from her?

One in five workers in the country

reported being

very or extremely

stressed

by their work.

Tim

resented having been taken advantage of

.

I couldn't

resist eating

another cinnamon bun.

So as not to

risk being fired

, the workers ended the strike.

Register your profile in our customer database to

save filling out

your shipping information each time you order.

The guide

suggested visiting

the Royal Palace.

Could you

tolerate being

alone for an entire week?

I can't

understand

people

behaving

like that.

Related topics:

Reporting verb + gerund

Verb + TO-infinitive

Verbs followed by the TO-infinitive or gerund

Preposition + gerund

As a gerund clause serves as a noun, it can be used after prepositions:

After watching

the movie, I wanted to read the book.

Andrey's parents were

against his joining

the water polo team.

He stayed at home

instead of going

to school.

What

about going out

tonight?

He rushed out of the room

without saying

a word.

A gerund clause can also be the object of a preposition after a verb, adjective or noun:

Would you

prefer

eating out

to staying in

?

They

charged

him

with exceeding the speed limit

.

I am

sorry for being late

.

Sarah is very

talented at playing the piano

.

Is there any other

way of solving this problem

?

I had difficulty

in understanding her accent

.

When to is a preposition, it can be followed by a noun or a gerund:

I'm looking forward

to our trip

.

I'm looking forward

to hearing from you

.

I'm used

to cold showers

.

I'm used

to walking long distances

.

But when to is part of a to-infinitive, it is followed by an infinitive:

I wish

to make

a complaint.

He used

to smoke

.

Quotes:

Life is like riding a bicycle - in order to keep your balance, you must keep moving. - Albert Einstein

It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it. - Aristotle

To avoid mistakes and regrets, always consult your wife before engaging in a flirtation. - E. W. Howe

Men for the sake of getting a living forget to live. - Margaret Fuller

The secret of getting ahead is getting started. - Mark Twain

Freedom lies in being bold. - Robert Frost

Verb + preposition + gerund

Examples of 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?

Related topics:

Reporting verb + gerund

The gerund used in compound nouns

In compound structures, a gerund is often used before a noun to modify it:

drinking

water

(water for drinking)

a

reading

lamp

(a lamp for reading)

a

swimming

cap

(a cap for swimming)

Other expressions followed by the gerund

It's no use crying

over spilt milk.

It

would

be worth giving

it a try.

There's no point in arguing

.

I

had problems starting

the car this morning.

You will

have no problem finding

a job.

We all

had a good time dancing

last night.

She is

having a hard/difficult time adapting

to her new circumstances.

Mike was so tired that he

had difficulty staying

awake.

I

had no difficulty passing

the exam.

The children

have

a lot of

fun playing

together.

Quotes:

Attitudes are contagious. Are yours worth catching? - Dennis and Wendy Mannering

I am an optimist. It does not seem too much use being anything else. - Winston Churchill