Verbs followed by Gerunds
Reference List of Verbs Followed by Gerunds
Verbs with a symbol {+} can also be followed by Infinitives
- Admit
- Advise+
- Anticipate
- Appreciate
- Avoid
- Can’t bear+
- Begin+
- Complete
- Consider
- Continue+
- Delay
- Deny
- Discuss
- Dislike
- Enjoy
- Finish
- Forget+
- Hate+
- Can’t help
- Keep
- Like+
- Love+
- Mention
- Mind
- Miss
- Postpone
- Practice
- Prefer+
- Quit
- Recall
- Recollect
- Recommend
- Regret+
- Remember+
- Resent
- Resist
- Risk
- Can’t stand+
- Start+
- Stop
- Suggest
- Tolerate
- Try+
- Understand
Examples:
I enjoy playing.
I don’t mind getting up early.
It has not stopped raining.
My friends and I suggested going to the cinema.
Keep doing morning exercises every day!
Gerunds:
A gerund is the -ing form of a verb used as a noun.
A gerund is used as a subject or object (like nouns).
Examples:
- Travelling (travelling is a gerund, that is used as the subject of the sentence) is a good hobby.
- I love travelling during summer holidays (travelling is a gerund and is used as the object of the verb love).
- He amuses himself by travelling (travelling is a gerund used as the object of the preposition by).
Gerunds as Objects of Prepositions:
A gerund is frequently used as the object of a preposition.
Common Preposition Combinations and Expressions followed by Gerunds:
Be afraid of losing a job
Be accused of committing a crime
Be guilty of killing
Be capable of doing
Instead of going
Take advantage of having
Take care of handling
Be tired of/from waiting
Insist on speaking
Be excited about traveling
Be worried about failing
Complain about working
Dream about winning
Talk about living
Think about moving
Apologise for hurting
Blame someone for losing
Forgive someone for cheating
Have an excuse for being late
Be responsible for leading
Thank someone for helping
Keep someone from leaving
Prevent someone from quitting
Prohibit someone from entering
Stop someone from fighting
Be interested in learning
Believe in achieving
Participate in discussing
Succeed in completing
Be accustomed to waking up early
In addition to studying
Be committed to helping
Be devoted to caring
Look forward to meeting
Object to changing
Be opposed to smoking
Be used to living alone
Special Expressions followed by Gerund:
Have fun
He had fun spending time with his friends.
Have a good time
She had a good time playing tennis.
Have trouble
He had trouble doing his task.
Have difficulty
She has difficulty learning languages.
Have a hard time
He had a hard time seeking his happiness.
Have a difficult time
He had a difficult time finding a job.
Spend time
My friend spent his time walking in the park.
Waste time
Don’t waste your time watching TV.
Sit at one’s place
She sat at her table writing a letter.
Stand + place + ing
She stood there looking at the sky.
Lie + place + ing
He was lying in bed reading a book.
Find pro(noun)+ ing
I found my sister using my phone.
See pro(noun) + ing
He saw them entering the house.
Go + A Gerund:
Go swimming
Go shopping
Go fishing
Go jogging
Go dancing
Go hiking
Go camping
Go skating
Go cycling
Go boating
Go running
Go sightseeing
Go skiing
Go snowboarding
Go kayaking
Indefinite Passive Gerund:
Being asked
Being laughed
Being understood
Being written
Being called
Being told
Being elected
Examples:
- She dislikes being interrupted during meetings.
- The students appreciate being given extra time for the exam.
- He is afraid of being judged by others.
- The project is progressing despite being delayed several times.
- I enjoy being praised for my hard work.
- The children don’t mind being told what to do when necessary.
- She is tired of being ignored in discussions.
- He feels embarrassed about being caught lying.
- The artwork is currently being displayed in the gallery.
- They are not used to being treated so kindly.
Perfect Passive Gerund:
Having been
Having done
Having read
Having seen
Examples:
I remember having been shown the letter.
I didn’t remember having seen him before.
The Gerund-Non-Finite form of the Verb
The Participle-Non-Finite form of the Verb
The Infinitive-Non-Finite form of the Verb
Finite and non- finite forms of the Verbs