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Gerund is a verb+ing
which functions as a noun.
Studying keeps me busy.
Swimming in the lake made me tired.
I hate standing in line.
However, verb+ing sometimes can be a (present) participle phrase.
The boy studying English is busy.
The man swimming in the lake is risking his life.
The woman standing there is my aunt.
Gerund in its full shape has not only a noun/pronoun before but also a noun phrase after.
Swim (verb)
Swimming (gerund)
Swimming in the lake (gerund phrase)
John’s swimming in the lake (full gerund phrase)
His swimming in the lake (full gerund phrase)
Gerund Phrase is a noun, so it can play all the roles of a noun:
1. Subject His swimming in the lake is dangerous. 2. Object I admire his swimming in the lake. 3. Object of preposition I disapprove of his swimming in the lake. 4. Subject complement The problem is his swimming in the lake. |
Certain verbs may be followed by gerund phrase as objects
| Emotion Verbs | Mental Verbs | Start/Continue/Stop verbs | Special Verbs |
enjoy resent like hear miss | admit appreciate anticipate understand notice | stop continue finish begin commence | cannot help cannot stop be used to |
Exercise: Make a gerund phrase out of the words in parentheses.
1. She
suggested (he, see, a psychiatrist)
2. I
cannot imagine ( she, do, anything wrong)
3. I detest ( he, boast, about, his children)
4. We could not perceive (they, enter, the room, so quietly)
5. (They, break, off, the, negotiations, so soon) was quite unexpected.
6. (They, return, the, reward money) surprised the donor.
7. I anticipated (have, some trouble, with them)
8. He admitted (steal, the car).
9. She always avoids (talk, about, that subject).
10. He denied (act, improperly, in, the matter)
11. The child enjoys (listen, to, fairy tales).
12. They finished (paint, the, house) yesterday.
13. The government is trying to justify (increase, the, income taxes).
14. I recommend (you, study, the, report, very carefully).
15. He bitterly resented (dismissed, without any reason).
16. After their quarrel, they stopped (talk, to, each other).
17. I can understand (you, want, a, vacation, and now).
18. We can’t help (feel, sorry, for, him).
19. The patient risks (lose, eyesight, altogether) if the operation of his eyes is not successful.
Supply the required preposition and the gerund form of the verb in parentheses.
1. I am looking forward (see) ------- you again.
2. Can I plan (see) ------- the new house soon?
3. Nothing will deter him (continue) ------- his experiment.
4. The doctor warned him (take) ------- too many sleeping pills.
5. She is always complaining (have) ------- too much work to do.
6. We are opposed (they receive) ------- the contract for the building.
7. Would you object (I, do) ------- away for a few days.
8. We count (be given) ------- the same rights as the others.
9. The bad weather prevented them (continue) ------- with the construction.
10. He was suspected (falsify) ------- the records.