GERUND
Nguyen Kim Anh-DFL
1. Form
2. Use
3. Infinitive /Gerund with no difference
4. Infinitive /Gerund with differences
1. Form
The same form as the present participle
running, speaking, working
2. Use
1. As a noun ( subject/object of a verb)
2. After a preposition or verb + preposition
3. After certain verbs (as their object)
4. After verbs or expressions with to
5. After certain expressions
6. After the verbs: need, want, etc.
7. After the verb go
8. After the verbs catch, etc + object
9. After be busy, spend, etc + money/ time

Used in the following ways
as subject of a sentence: Dancing bored him.
as complement of a verb: Her hobby is eating.
after prepositions: He was accused of flirting.
after certain verbs: I enjoy reading.
in noun compounds: a walking cane

1. As a noun
( subject or object of a verb)
Telling a lie is not always bad.
Swimming is a very good form of exercise
I have some shopping to do this afternoon.
2. After a preposition
or verb + preposition
She left me without saying a word.
We are thinking of going on holiday.
Helen is excited about studying abroad.
She is bored with doing the same thing everyday.
3. After certain verbs
( as their object)
1. admit
2. appreciate
3. avoid
4. delay
5. deny
6. discuss
7. dislike
8. enjoy
9. fancy
10. finish

11. imagine
12. involve
13. keep (on)
14. mind
15. miss
16. postpone
17. prefer
18. risk
19. suggest
20. recommend
He enjoys chatting on the Internet.
Would you mind waiting for a moment?
Have you finished reading that book?
He avoided answering my question.
She denied falling in love with him.
Prefer can also take a full infinitive
Prefer + full infinitive + rather than + bare infinitive
I prefer swimming to playing football (general preference)
I prefer to watch TV at night
(specific preference)
I prefer to start exercising rather than go on a diet.
Mind can also go with an -if clause
E.g. Would you mind if I opened the door?
Some of these verbs can also take a -that clause
E.g. He never admitted that he was wrong.
4. After verbs or expressions with to
be/ get accustomed to
be/ get used to
look forward to
object to
take to
Some foreigners are not used to eating with chopsticks.
He is looking forward to meeting her again.
5. After certain expressions
as well as
be in favour of
can`t stand/ help
feel like
have difficulty in
how about
it`s no good/ use
it`s worth
there`s no chance of
there`s no point in
what`s the point of...?
what`s the use of...?
He likes reading science fiction stories as well as going to the cinema.
I don`t feel like talking with him.
She can`t help crying whenever she peels onions.
It is worth reading this book.

6. After the verbs: need, want, require, etc with a passive meaning
My car needs repairing
(= My car needs to be repaired)
This document requires typing
(= This document requires to be typed)
7. After the verb go
indicating physical activities
We often go shopping in our free time.
He used to go fishing everyday when he was young.
8. After the verbs
catch/ find/ leave, etc + object
She caught him looking at a beautiful girl in the street.
I found him sleeping on the sofa.
He left me waiting in the rain for half an hour.
9. After be busy, spend/ waste + expression of money/ time
She is busy feeding the baby.
Everyday they spend two hours
studying English.
You shouldn`t waste your time persuading her.
Infinitive or Gerund
with no difference in meaning
The verbs like, love, hate, begin, start, continue, intend, prefer, can`t bear, etc can take either a full infinitive or -ing with little or no difference in meaning.
Tim loves playing/ to play tennis.
It began raining/ to rain.
She continued talking/ to talk.
Begin/start
Like
Advise, allow, encourage, permit, etc



begin, start
the -ing form goes with simple tenses
E.g It started raining an hour ago.
the infinitive with progressive tenses
( to avoid having two -ing form together)
Be quiet! The lecturer is beginning to speak.
like
Like + -ing: we enjoy something
E.g. Mary likes reading poetry.
Like+ full infinitive: we think that something is a good idea.
E.g I like to have my tyres checked whenever I buy petrol.
advise, allow, encourage, permit, recommend, require
gerund
The manager does not allow smoking in the office.
The doctor advised having a rest.
They permit riding a bike here.

object+ full infinitive
The manager does not allow anyone to smoke in the office.
The doctor advised me to have a rest.
They permit us to ride a bike here.

4. Infinitive or Gerund
with different meanings
Some other verbs can take either -ing form or infinitive, but the meanings are different.
Try
Remember/ forget/ regret
Go on
Stop



See, hear, smell, etc
Be afraid
Be sorry
Be ashamed

try +ing: make an experiment
If you want to get rid of your sore throat, try drinking something hot.
try + full infinitive: make an effort
I`ll try to persuade her to come with us, but I don`t think she will change her mind.
remember/ forget/ regret + -ing: We refer to something that has already happened
I remembered being taken to the zoo.
He has forgotten borrowing me money
She regretted hurting him.
remember/ forget/ regret + full infinitive: we remember/ forget/ regret something before doing it.
Remember to wake me up tomorrow
She forget to invite me to the party.
I regret to inform you that you are fired.
go on + -ing: the action continues
He was so fascinated by the book
that he went on reading it for hours.
go on +full infinitive: the action changes
When she finished school, she went on to go to university
stop +-ing : the action is stopped and not repeated
They had a major argument and stopped talking to each other.
Please stop asking me questions!
Stop preaching!
stop + full infinitive: the action is interrupted but probably continue afterwards.
I was writing a letter, but I stopped to answer the phone.
When I arrived, they stopped their work to talk with me.
see, hear, smell, feel, notice, watch, observe, listen to, etc + ing for actions which are incomplete or still in progress.
I was walking past the reception hall when I saw him playing the piano
(I witnessed a part of the action).
see, hear, smell, feel, notice, watch, observe, listen to, etc + bare infinitive: for complete actions
I saw him play the piano at a concert
(I witnessed the whole action, from the beginning to the end)
be afraid of + gerund
or gerund + noun/pronoun
Here the gerund usually expresses an
action which the subject fears may happen
It is normally an involuntary action.
She avoids lonely streets. She is afraid of being mugged.
She didn`t tell him because she was afraid of upsetting him.
be afraid + infinitive
It means that the subject is/was etc. too frightened to perform the action.
This is obviously a deliberate action.
He was afraid to jump,
(so he didn`t jump)
She was afraid to protest,
(so she kept quiet)
be afraid + that-clause.
This can express a fear.
E.g. I`m afraid (that) he`ll blame me for this.
But, especially in the first person, it can express (usually fairly mild) regret.
E.g. I`m afraid (that) we haven`t any tickets left.

be sorry for + gerund: apologize/regret.
The gerund usually refers to a previous action
but can refer to an immediately following action.
I`m sorry for making such a noise last night.
I`m sorry for disturbing you. (now)
But I`m sorry to disturb you would be more usual here
be sorry + infinitive : regret or sadness:
E.g. I`m sorry to hear that you`ve been ill.
When the infinitive refers to a deliberate action, be sorry is the earlier of the two actions and is then very similar to regret
E.g. I`m sorry to inform you that there has been an accident.
be ashamed of + gerund
be ashamed of yourself etc. for + gerund: The gerund here refers to a previous action.
You should be ashamed of lying to him
or
You should be ashamed of yourself for lying to him.
be ashamed + infinitive: the infinitive usually refers to a subsequent action.
I`m ashamed to tell you how much it costs.
THE END