-ing form ('gerund')

1 Gerund or participle

Words like smoking, walking are verbs. But we can also use them as adjectives or nouns.

• You 're smoking too much these days, (part of a verb)


• There was a smoking cigarette end in the ashtray, (adjective)


• Smoking is bad for you. (noun: subject of sentence)

When -ing forms are used as verbs or adjectives, they are called 'present participles'. When they are more like nouns, grammars call them 'gerunds'. 2 Subject, object or complement of a sentence An -ing form can be a subject, object or complement.

• Smoking is bad for you. (subject)


• I hate packing (object)


• My favourite activity is reading (complement)

The  -ing form subject, object or complement is still a verb, and can have its own object.

• Smoking cigarettes is bad for you.


• I hate packing suitcases


• My favourite activity is reading poetry

We can use determiners (for example the, my) with -ing

forms.

• the opening of Parliament


• Do you mind my smoking? (or, not so formal.Do you mind me smoking?)

3 After verb

After some verbs we can use an -ing form, but not an infinitive.

• I enjoy travelling (NOT i-enjoy to-travel.)


• He s finished mending the car (not .... to mend ...)

Common verbs which are followed by an -ing form are:

avoid	forgive	practise
consider	give up	put off
delay	go	risk
dislike	(can't) help	(can't) stand
enjoy	imagine	spend time/money
excuse	keep	suggest
feel like	mind	understand
finish	miss

Examples:

• I dislike arguing about money.


• Forgive my interrupting you.


• Let's go swimming


• I can't understand his being so late.

After some verbs, we can use either an -ing form or an infinitive.

• like, start, try, remember, forget.


• How old were you when you started to play/playing the piano?

4 After verb (passive meaning)

After need and want, an -ing form has a passive meaning.

• Your hair needs cutting (= ... needs to be cut.)


• The car wants servicing (= ... needs to be serviced)

5 After preposition

After prepositions we use -ing forms, not infinitives.

• Check the oil before starting the car. (NOT . .'. before to start . .. )


• You can't make an omelette without breaking eggs.


• You can get there faster by going on the motorway.

When to is a preposition, we use an -/ngform after it. (See 181.) / look forward to hearing from you. (NOT . . . to hear from you.) 6 it ... -ing We can use it as a 'preparatory subject' for an -ing form

• It's nice being with you.

This is common in the structures It's no good . . . -ing and It's no use . . . ing.

• It's no good talking to him — he never listens.


• It's no use expecting her to say thank-you.