The Best Guide to Gerunds Form of Verbs in English

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In English, gerunds are a type of verb form that function as nouns.[1]https://7esl.com/gerunds/#The_Gerund_Can_be_Used_after_Certain_Expressions

Form

Gerunds are formed by taking a verb and adding -ing.

gerunds

When do you use the gerund?

Subject

The gerund form of verbs is used when it is the subject of a sentence.

For example:

  • Learning
    English is easy!
  • Playing
    video games is my favorite thing to do.
  • Swimming
    is my favorite hobby.

Direct Object

The gerund form of verbs is used when it is the direct object of a sentence.

For example:

  • I like eating ice cream.
  • She loves swimming in the pool.
  • They like going to the movies.

Subject Complement

The gerund of verbs is used when it is the subject complement.

For example:

  • My dog’s favorite hobby is sleeping.
  • One of their responsibilities is cleaning the dishes.
  • Their favorite activity is swimming in the lake.

Object of a Preposition

The gerund of verbs is used when it is the object of a preposition.

For example:

  • The teacher said that she would be interested in
    hearing your excuse as to why you
    are late to class.
  • I was interested in running a marathon.
  • She is thinking of changing his job.

After Certain Expressions

The gerund form of verbs is used when it is after certain expressions such as it’s no use, it’s no good, there’s no point in.

For example:

  • It’s no use cleaning
    the floor; it is only going to get dirty again.
  • It’s no good only trying a little bit, you will never succeed.
  • There’s no point going back.

Gerunds vs. Infinitives

It can be confusing to understand when to use gerunds vs. infinitives.

Infinitives are the “to” form of a verb.

The easiest way to remember the difference between the two is:

  1. Gerunds are used with completed, fixed, and real
    actions.
  2. Infinitives are used with future, abstract, and
    unreal actions.

A Few Common Verbs Used with Gerunds

  • Admit:
    I admit making a mistake.
  • Advice:
    I advise not doing that.
  • Anticipate:
    She anticipates having to study a
    lot for the tests.
  • Began:
    They began eating at 4 pm.
  • Delay:
    I delayed studying for the exam.
  • Enjoy:
    He enjoys eating ice cream.
  • Keep:
    They keep running stop signs.
  • Love:
    We love running in the rain.
  • Prefer:
    I prefer sleeping on the left side
    of the bed.
  • Recommend:
    They recommended trying the
    appetizer.
  • Suggest:
    I suggest studying hard for the test

Practice Exercises

 10%

Question 1 of 10

1. They didn’t feel like _________ out last night to the part.

Question 1 of 10

Question 2 of 10

2. _________ is Susie’s favorite pastime.

Question 2 of 10

Question 3 of 10

3. _________ at the beach is my favorite summer activity.

Question 3 of 10

Question 4 of 10

4. We enjoy ___________ ice cream for dessert.

Question 4 of 10

Question 5 of 10

5. They refused ________ us back the money they owed us.

Question 5 of 10

Question 6 of 10

6. Joe tried to avoid _____________ to me about the problem.

Question 6 of 10

Question 7 of 10

7. I can’t wait ________ to see the new movie in the movie theater!

Question 7 of 10

Question 8 of 10

8. I want _________ that video game.

Question 8 of 10

Question 9 of 10

9. She remembered ___________ talking to her about it yesterday.

Question 9 of 10

Question 10 of 10

10. The policeman decided _________ us a ticket.

Question 10 of 10


 

How did you do?

If some of these questions were tricky don’t worry — this is one of the topics that confuses English learners the most.

Sometimes reading alone isn’t enough. A private one on one lesson can clear up any confusion quickly and help you use this grammar naturally and confidently.

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References[+]