9.2.1: Gerunds-Form and Usage
- Page ID
- 273523
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I. Basic Ideas and Principles
A gerund is the ing form of the verb (present participle) used as a noun. Therefore, it can occur in all the same places that a noun can occur in a sentence: subject, object, complement, object of a preposition and appositive.
II. Gerunds
I. The following verbs take a gerund after them. The ones with an * next to them can also take an infinitive after them with no change in meaning.
| admit | advise* | allow | avoid | begin/start* | consider |
| continue* | can't help | dislike/hate | delay/postpone | deny | enjoy |
| finish | imagine | like/love* | miss | permit | prefer* |
| quit | regret | suggest |
Examples:
I dislike working on Sundays.
He missed seeing his father every day.
She can't help being sick.
I began going to school when I was six years old. / I began to go to school ....
They loved eating pizza every Friday evening. / They loved to eat pizza ....
III. Possessive Gerunds
The following verbs can take a possessive noun or a possessive adjective after them and before a gerund. This is especially true in formal grammar. In informal grammar, native speakers tend to use regular nouns and object pronouns.
| advise | appreciate | consider | enjoy | forbid |
| hate/dislike | imagine | like/love | permit | postpone |
| prefer | regret | remember | suggest | understand |
The possessive adjectives are the following: my, your, his, her, its, our, your, their. They are always followed by a noun or a gerund.
Examples:
The doctor does not permit my carrying heavy boxes.
The neighbors do not like your playing music at night.
I can't imagine their winning the game.
Possessive nouns end in an apostrophe s (’s) if the noun is singular or in an s apostrophe (s’) if the noun is plural.
Examples:
| Singular | Plural |
| The boy’s father | The boy’s father |
| The teacher’s books | the teachers’ books |
| My sister’s dresses | My sisters’ dresses |
Form: Subject + Verb + Possessive Form + Gerund+ Remainder of the Sentence
Examples:
I appreciate your skipping lines when you do your homework.
He defended the woman's killing her husband because he had beaten her for many years.
I suggest your studying hard for the exam next week.
We regretted their not being able to come to the party.
She hated Bob's hanging around with those lazy boys.
IV. Gerunds after Prepositions
When a verb follows a proposition, the verb must always be in the ing form of the verb, in other words, the present participle form.
Examples:
I have always been interested in studying history all my life.
Many students are worried about attending regular classes with native English speakers.
Teachers disapprove of cheating on exams and quizzes.
Because of cheating, many students fail exams and compositions.
In spite of losing the game, the players were still happy about playing.