What do gerund mean when is it used how is it formed give examples

Gerunds: What Is A Gerund? Useful List & Examples

Gerunds! What is a gerund? Learn how and when to use Gerunds in English with useful grammar rules, example sentences, video and ESL worksheets.

Table of Contents

What Is A Gerund?

What is a gerund? Gerunds are verbals that function as nouns and have an –ing ending.

(This is the present continuous. “Waiting” here is part of the verb. It is not a gerund.)

I don’t like waiting. (Gerund)

(This is present simple, but it contains a gerund. “Waiting” is the direct object of this sentence.)

How to Use Gerunds with Examples

The gerund form of verbs is used as follows:

The Gerund Can be Used as Subject of a Sentence

Writing in English is difficult.

Watching TV is my favorite pastime.

The Gerund Can be Used as Direct Object of a Sentence

I like writing in English.

I love going out to restaurants.

The Gerund Can be Used as a Subject Complement

My cat’s favorite activity is sleeping.

One of his duties is doing homework.

The Gerund Can be Used as an Object of a Preposition

We shall be interested in hearing your comments.

Would you like to walk instead of taking the bus?

The Gerund Can be Used after Certain Expressions

It’s no use, it’s no good, there’s no point in…

It’s no use tying it; you have to glue it.

There’s no point in wasting time.

Gerunds Examples & Usage | Images

Verbs Followed by Gerunds List

Learn useful list of Verbs Followed by Gerunds in English with example sentences.

Miss

He had missed being elected by a single vote.

Postpone

He postponed returning to Paris.

Practice

Today we’re going to practice parking.

Prefer

Chantal prefers travelling by train.

Quit

She quits worrying about the problem.

Recall

I don’t recall seeing any cars parked outside.

Recollect

I recollect seeing Ryder some years ago in Bonn.

Recommend

I would never recommend using a sunbed on a regular basis.

Regret

I regret leaving school so young.

Resent

Many conscripts resent having to do their military service.

Resist

She can never resist buying new shoes.

Risk

He risked being caught.

Sanction

They will not sanction copying without permission.

Start

He started tipping the pea pods into a pan.

Stop

I hoped he would stop asking awkward questions.

Suggest

Tracey suggested meeting for a drink after work.

Tolerate

We don’t tolerate smoking in the library.

Try

They decided they would try living in America for a while.

What Is A Gerund? Definition And Examples

Sometimes, looks can be deceiving. Jumping to conclusions about things can land you in trouble. This is certainly the case when it comes to words we use in English. Take gerunds for example: they look a lot like verbs but they don’t act like them at all. In fact, they prefer to act like nouns.

What gives? Gerunds come from verbs, after all, so why do they refuse to act like them? Are they going through a rebellious phase? Do nouns throw better parties? It isn’t our place to judge the habits of parts of speech, but it is worth taking a closer look at gerunds to figure out the best ways to use them in sentences. (You don’t want their identity crisis to make you look like a fool who uses improper grammar!)

What is a gerund?

A gerund is a form of a verb that ends in -ing that is used as a noun. As you may know, a verb is a word that refers to actions or states of being, and a noun is a word that we use to refer to people, places, things, and ideas. A gerund is like a blend of verbs and nouns. It looks like a verb, but it acts like a noun. For example, the word swimming is an example of a gerund. We can use the word swimming in a sentence as a noun to refer to the act of moving around in water as in Swimming is fun. When used in sentences, gerunds are treated as third person singular nouns (like he, she, and it).

A gerund phrase is a phrase that includes the gerund, its objects, and its modifiers. Because they are derived from verbs, gerunds can take objects or be modified by adverbs. Just like noun phrases, gerund phrases are treated as nouns in sentences. In the sentence I love carefully collecting action figures, the gerund phrase carefully collecting action figures is the direct object (phrase).

To turn a verb into a gerund, all you need to do is add -ing to the base form of a verb. The base form is the form of a verb you will find if you look up a verb in our dictionary. When making a gerund, there are a few things to watch out for:

As with present participles, sometimes we double a final consonant when making a gerund. For example, the gerund of run is running. Generally speaking, these are the rules of when to double a final consonant to form a gerund:

List of gerunds

You can turn any verb you want (except a modal verb) into a gerund. Here is a list of gerunds formed from a variety of verbs:

Examples of gerunds in a sentence

Let’s take a look at some sentences that use gerunds:

How do gerunds function?

Just like nouns and noun phrases, gerunds and gerund phrases can be used in several different ways in sentences. In general, there are four different ways that we use gerunds: as subjects, subject complements, direct objects, and objects of prepositions.

Gerunds as nouns

As stated already, gerunds look like verbs but behave like nouns. Likewise, gerund phrases behave like noun phrases. In practice, this means that gerunds and gerund phrases can be the subject of sentences/clauses or be the subject complement connected to the subject by an auxiliary verb (helping verb). Let’s look at examples of each of these ideas:

Gerunds as objects

Just like nouns and noun phrases, gerunds and gerund phrases can be used as objects in sentences/clauses. They can be used as both direct objects as well as objects of prepositions:

Gerund vs. participle phrase

Gerunds have the exact same spelling as present participles of verbs. For example, both the gerund and present participle of go is going. However, gerunds and participles serve different functions in sentences. The biggest difference between the two is that gerunds are used as nouns while present participles are not. Instead, present participles are used to form the continuous verb tenses and are used in participle phrases. Unlike gerunds, participle phrases are used as adjectives and not nouns. For example, in the sentence Feeling confident, she sang with passion, the participle phrase feeling confident modifies the pronoun she.

To review, gerunds are used as nouns, while present participles are used in verb tenses and participle phrases are used as adjectives. The following sentences show how gerunds and participles/participial phrases are used differently.

If you are still a little confused, remember that gerunds are used as nouns. This means that gerunds can only do the same jobs that nouns do: act as subjects, subject complements, and objects. Gerunds don’t act as modifiers and are not used as verbs.

Let’s look at a few more sentences. Read each sentence carefully and see if you can tell if the bolded word is a gerund or a participle.

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Answers: 1. Gerund 2. Participle, continuous verb tense 3. Participle 4. Gerund 5. Gerund 6. Participle, continuous verb tense 7. Gerund 8. Participle

Герундий в английском языке

В этой статье мы разберем правила образования герундия, его формы и приведем примеры употребления.

Герундий — это форма глагола в английском языке, ему нет аналога в русском. Из статьи вы узнаете, что такое герундий, как он образуется и в каких случаях употребляется.

Образование герундия

Swimming is really good for your back. — Плавание очень полезно для спины.
I enjoy reading non-fiction books. — Мне очень нравится чтение научно-популярных книг.
We ran 7 kilometers without stopping. — Мы пробежали 7 км без остановок.

to think (думать) – thinking (размышление)
to sing (петь) – singing (пение)
to find (находить) – finding (нахождение, находка)
to marry (жениться) – marrying (женитьба)

Особенности правописания герундия:

to lie (лгать) – lying (ложь)
to die (умирать) – dying (смерть)

Отрицательная форма герундия образуется при помощи частицы not. Ставим ее перед герундием.

I love not having to get up early in the morning. — Мне очень нравится, что мне не приходится вставать рано по утрам.
Not lying is the best thing to do. — Не врать — самое лучшее, что можно сделать.

Формы герундия в английском языке

В английском языке есть две формы герундия — простая (Simple) и перфектная (Perfect). Простая форма герундия используется для действия, которое происходит одновременно с действием глагола-сказуемого. Перфектная форма герундия используется для действия, которое предшествует глаголу-сказуемому.

Кроме того, герундий можно использовать как в активном, так и в пассивном залогах. Активный залог — действие происходит с подлежащим. Пассивный залог — действие происходит над подлежащим.

Когда используется герундий

to fancy, to feel like — хотеть
to enjoy — наслаждаться
to (not) mind — (не) возражать
to dislike — не любить
can’t stand — не выносить

I don’t mind meeting with him. — Я не против с ним встретиться.
She dislikes being interrupted. — Она не любит, когда ее перебивают.

to admit — признавать
to deny — отрицать
to consider — обдумывать
to imagine — представлять
to recommend — рекомендовать
to suggest — предлагать

He admitted stealing the money. — Он признался в краже денег.
I cannot imagine keeping such a secret from everyone. — Я не могу представить, как сохранить такой секрет от всех.

to commence — начинать
to keep (on) — продолжать
to give up — сдаваться, бросать, прекращать
to finish — заканчивать

The planes commenced bombing at midday. — Самолеты начали бомбардировку в полдень.
She gave up smoking 5 years ago. — Она бросила курить 5 лет назад.
Grace doesn’t want to retire. She intends to keep on working for another year or two. — Грейс не хочет выходить на пенсию. Она намеревается продолжить работать еще год или два.

to go dancing — ходить на танцы
to go swimming — ходить на плавание
to go fishing — ходить на рыбалку
to go skating — ходить кататься на коньках
to go running — ходить на пробежку
to go shopping — ходить за покупками

She goes shopping every weekend. — Она ходит за покупками каждые выходные.
We will go skating on Monday. — Мы пойдем кататься на коньках в понедельник.

to accuse of — обвинять в
to blame for — винить за
to carry on — продолжать
to complain of — жаловаться на
to congratulate on — поздравлять с
to depend on — зависеть от
to dream of — мечтать о
to hear of — слышать о
to insist on — настаивать на
to keep from — удерживаться от
to look forward to — предвкушать, с нетерпением ждать
to praise for — хвалить за
to prevent from — предотвращать от
to succeed in — преуспевать в
to suspect of — подозревать в
to take up — начинать делать
to thank for — благодарить за
to think of — думать о

He was accused of robbing the shop. — Его обвинили в ограблении магазина.
I am looking forward to visiting Rome. — Я с нетерпением жду посещение Рима.
She was trying to prevent her brother from being arrested. — Она пыталась предотвратить арест своего брата.

to be afraid of smth — бояться чего-либо
to be ashamed of smth — стыдиться чего-либо
to be engaged in smth — быть занятым чем-либо
to be fond of smth — любить что-либо, увлекаться чем-либо
to be good/bad at smth — хорошо/плохо уметь что-либо, быть способным/неспособным к чему-либо
to be interested in smth — интересоваться чем-либо
to be proud of smth — гордиться чем-либо
to be responsible for smth — быть ответственным за что-либо
to be sorry for smth — сожалеть о чем-либо
to be tired of smth — уставать от чего-либо

You are responsible for keeping the room tidy. — Ты ответственный за порядок в комнате.
Are you ashamed of making all this noise? — Тебе стыдно за весь этот шум?
They are really good at painting birds and animals. — У них очень хорошо получается рисовать птиц и животных.

to begin, to start — начинать
to continue — продолжать
to intend — намереваться
to bother — стараться что-либо сделать
to prefer — предпочитать

He continued talking / to talk. — Он продолжил говорить.
They started watching / to watch a film 30 minutes ago. — Они начали смотреть фильм 30 минут назад.

Надеемся, вам теперь понятно, что такое герундий в английском языке и как его использовать. Пройдите тест, чтобы закрепить материал.

What is a Gerund? Definition, Examples of Gerunds in Sentences

Home » The Writer’s Dictionary » What is a Gerund? Definition, Examples of Gerunds in Sentences

Gerund definition: A gerund is a noun formed from a verb. A gerund will always contain the ending “-ing.”

What is a Gerund?

What are gerunds? Any verb ending in “-ing” and used as a noun is a gerund.

Examples of Gerunds:

In the first sentence, “run” is used as a verb. I am “doing” the action “to run.” In the second sentence, “running” is used as a gerund (noun) and “like” is the verb.

In the first sentence, “sings” is used as a verb. Sara is “doing” the action “to sing.” In the second sentence, “singing” is used as a gerund and “makes” is the verb.

Note: A gerund will always be used as a noun and does not replace the progressive form of the verb.

Functions of Gerunds

Gerunds as Subject

Because a gerund is a noun, it can be the subject of a sentence.

Gerund Example:

Here, “singing” is the noun doing the action “to make.” Because it completes the action, “singing” is the subject of the sentence.

Gerunds as Direct Object

Because a gerund is a noun, it can be the direct object.

Gerund Example:

Here, “singing” is the subject of the sentence, “enjoys” is the verb, and “singing” is the direct object. Singing is what Sarah enjoys doing.

Gerunds as Indirect Object

Because a gerund is a noun, it can be an indirect object.

Gerund Example:

Here, “singing” is a noun following the verb “made.” “Priority” is the direct object of the sentence. “Singing” is a noun acting as an indirect object in the sentence.

Gerund as Subject Complement

Because a gerund is a noun, it can be a subject complement.

Gerund Example:

Here, “Sarah” is the subject complement of the sentence because it follows the linking verb “was.” “It” is the subject and the gerund “singing” serves as the complement.

Gerund as Object of Preposition

Because a gerund is a noun, it can be the object of a preposition in a prepositional phrase.

Gerund Example:

Here, “Sarah” is the subject of the sentence, “likes” is the verb and “dancing” is the noun (direct object). However, “besides singing” has been added to the sentence as a prepositional phrase opener. “Singing” is a noun and the object of the preposition “besides.”

Gerunds vs. Present Participles

A gerund is not the same thing as a present participle even though both terms end in “-ing.”

A gerund always acts as a noun.

A present participle is always part of a verb phrase.

What are Gerund Phrases?

Like a gerund, a gerund phrase functions as a noun.

A gerund phrase is a group of words beginning with a gerund and including any modifiers to that gerund.

Gerund Examples:

The italicized texts in the above examples are the gerund phrases. Each one starts with a gerund and includes modifiers.

The first example includes the adverb modifier “at the concert” telling where the singing is taking place.

The second example includes the adjective modifier “three songs” telling how many songs Sarah enjoyed singing.

Summary: What is a Gerund?

Define gerund: A gerund is a noun that is formed from a verb, ending in “ing.”

When considering gerunds, remember:

When is the gerund and when the infinitive is used

Gerund education rules in English. Gerund and infinitive in English

Gerund in English (Gerund) is a topic that is difficult for a person from the post-Soviet space to understand. Learning English, most people fail to understand what a gerund is the first time around.

That being said, the formation of a gerund with negation is quite simple. In a sentence, it is preceded by a negative particle not. Sentences with gerund in English and with translation:

Translation of the construction into Russian

Due to the lack of gerund as a phenomenon in Russian, gerund translation and usage can be completely different. Due to the semantic load that Gerund carries, the translation may look like:

Forms

The gerund in Spanish partially corresponds to the gerund in the Russian language and is extremely often used both in colloquial and written speech to indicate the duration of an action, as well as an additional action and mode of action.

Today we will talk about the meanings of the Spanish gerund and the cases of its use.

I. Gerund education in Spanish

The Spanish gerund is always derived from verbs. If it is a verb of the first conjugation, then we remove the ending “ar” and add the suffix “ando”. For verbs of the second and third conjugation, a different rule applies: we remove the endings “er” or “ir” and add the suffix “iendo”.

It should be noted that in a gerund three vowels cannot go in a row, so we replace “i” with “y”: caer-caYendo (to fall); leer-leYendo (read), construir-construYendo (build), ir-Yendo (go).

The following gerunds must be remembered, they are exceptions!

The Spanish gerund never conjugates or changes in number!

It is very important not to confuse gerunds with participles! Gerunds end in “ando” and “iendo”, and participles end in “ado” and “ido”.

In Spanish there is also past tense gerund, which is used in official, more often written speech, as well as in fiction. It denotes an additional action in the past. It is formed using the gerund from the verb “haber” and the participle of the verb:

Habiendo estudiado: Having studied Habiendo hecho: Having done

Habiendo comido: Eat

II. Using the gerund in Spanish

The present gerund is most commonly used in three main situations:

1. To indicate long-term action:

Estoy hablando por telefono.
I’m talking on the phone.

Ella ha estado cocinando.
She was cooking.

Estabas cantando.
You sang

Usted estuvo jugando con los niños.
You (polite, singular) played with the kids.

Ellos habían estado discutiendo.
They fought.

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If you’re looking for a specific item, just scroll down, paying attention to the headings.

What is a gerund?

First, let’s find out what a gerund is, and what it is eaten with, let’s figure it out after .

If the verb in the infinitive we will always translate as «what to do», for example:

That Verb + ing we can often translate as «what doing». That is, we seem to form a noun from a verb. For example:

Forget to do or do

Looking ahead a bit, let’s look at another example that will also help you better understand the information we provide below:

For example, this sentence could be said in the event that yesterday you went to buy milk with a friend in the store, and the next day the friend discovered that he had lost his card.

He invites you to return to that store to see if there is a card there. And you’ve already forgotten that you bought something there yesterday. And here’s the answer:

will mean that you have already forgotten this process, that is, that you were in that store and bought milk there.

Words always followed by a gerund

In many cases, whether to use an infinitive verb or a gerund form depends on what you want to say. But there are also words after which the verb always comes with the ending ing, without any prepositions.

List of words followed by a gerund:

Gerund or infinitive after a verb in English

When you first come across expressions like “I stopped to smoke” and “I stopped smoking”, the question arises: when is a gerund used after a verb, and when is an infinitive? And is there any difference at all.

When does the gerund versus infinitive problem arise?

The problem of choosing “gerund or infinitive” arises in the following cases:

Gerund or infinitive as subject

In theory, you can use the infinitive as the subject, but in most cases the gerund is preferred. There is practically no difference in meaning, but the gerund in this role is more familiar to a native speaker.

The English will understand the phrase “To smoke is prohibited”, but it will sound unusual.

Infinitive or gerund after the verb «to be»

This refers to the case when the gerund is used in a compound predicate consisting of “to be + gerund \ infinitive”. In this case, the infinitive can be used instead of the gerund:

Infinitive or gerund after the verb

The problem of “infinitive versus gerund” arises in a predicate consisting of a verb and a gerund / infinitive.

Depending on the verb, the following options are possible:

Ideally, of course, you need to know all four points, but I advise you to pay attention to point 4, when the choice in favor of a gerund or an infinitive affects the meaning of a sentence. The fact is that it is impossible to make a mistake in clause 3, and an error in clauses 1 and 2 will not entail any consequences (well, the interlocutor will frown if he notices anything at all), but an error in clause 4 can lead to a small misunderstanding.

Now let’s consider, after which verbs, what comes. Words are presented in tables, below are examples with some verbs.

Verbs after which only the gerund is used

Gerund and infinitive in English: usage, verb combinations

The peculiarity of the impersonal forms of the verb in comparison with the personal a is that the infinitive and gerund do not change in persons, numbers and tenses and do not have a mood category. The impersonal forms of the verb have grammatical forms of voice, type, and also express temporal reference to the action of the personal predicate verb (simultaneity, precedence).

When does the gerund versus infinitive problem arise?

The problem of choosing «gerund or infinitive» arises in the following cases:

Gerund and infinitive forms

The temporal forms of these two grammatical units are also excellent. The rules for the formation of the infinitive provide for the presence of four active and two passive forms, while only two active and the same two passive forms are used with the gerund.

The table below shows the difference in the tense and passive forms of these two impersonal forms of the verb using the verb to do as an example:

Gerund or infinitive as subject

In theory, you can use the infinitive as the subject, but in most cases the gerund is preferred. There is practically no difference in meaning, but the gerund in this role is more familiar to a native speaker.

The English will understand the phrase «To smoke is prohibited», but it will sound unusual.

The main uses of the gerund

The infinitive is another impersonal form of the verb, formed using a verb with a to particle.

The main uses of the infinitive

Helper words

There are a number of verbs that determine whether an infinitive or a gerund should be used in a sentence.

Some words define a fundamental difference in use, where a particular verb requires the presence of Infinitive or Gerund. It is important to memorize these verbs and constructions, since they determine a rather rigid order in the use of each of these two forms.

If you’re looking for a specific item, just scroll down, paying attention to the headings.

How gerund is formed. When is a gerund used and when an infinitive is used

The verb in the form of an infinitive or gerund is very common in English and at first gives beginners a lot of difficulties. Gerund mistaken for present continuous, although the gerund looks like a verb with ing and is never used with be. For example, in the sentence «I go swimming to the lake in summer», swimming is a gerund. We will translate it as “I walk to swim to the lake in summer. «

Infinitive with the to particle causes a lot of translation difficulties. Very often in Russian, you need to use additional words or a subordinate clause. For example, a simple sentence «He stood up to say something» as soon as they do not translate, until they guess that the correct option would be «He stood up, (tosomething say».

English verb forms

In total, there are 5 options for what an English verb might look like:

— irregular verbs (2 and 3 forms)

Remember an important rule:

An infinitive or gerund is a verb that is not part of the predicate and does not carry tense.

So, we already know that verbs are not always predicate, it does not always convey tense. In Russian, you can often find a verb in an indefinite form (initial form):

He wanted help.
«Help» is the initial form of the verb, it is free of tense. In English grammar, this topic is called “Infinitive and gerund «.

Infinitive (infinitive) is a verb in its initial form, a verb unchanged. The infinitive is usually preceded by the particle to.

When there are several verbs in a row in an English sentence, the first is a predicate (responsible for the tense), and the next verb, free of tense, is in the form of an infinitive / gerund. There can be several such verbs in one sentence.

The infinitive and gerund are usually found in the second half of a sentence. But you may encounter situations where to-infinitive or ing-verb begin a sentence. The infinitive / gerund will not always appear in the second half of the sentence. But in most cases, you will find them in this position.

— gerund can also be translated by a noun

Unfortunately, there are no clear rules for the use of these two forms. Native speakers often use these 2 forms on a whim or because it is so common in the area. But still, there are general guidelines for choosing the right form of the verb, let’s study them.

There is a list of verbs, after which the next going verb is usually put in the form of an infinitive or in the form of a gerund. The list of such verbs must be memorized.

Now let’s look at the basic rules that the infinitive or gerund obeys.

Infinitive

English has verbs followed by the to-infinitive to indicate an additional action.

List of verbs followed by the to infinitive

The infinitive usually follows the verb. But often they can be separated by the object to which the predicate action is directed.

Specifics of using the infinitive after make, let and help

After verbs make and let alwayswe use the infinitive, but without the to particle.

Infinitive after adjectives in English

If you need to put a verb after a verb link to be + adjective, then use the infinitive with the to particle. Please note that we translate the to be + adjective into Russian with an adverb.

Infinitive for indicating the reason for the action

Gerund

Gerund after prepositions

If after the first verb (predicate) there is a preposition, then we always use the second verb with the ending –ing. This is one of the «reinforced» rules that you should know well.

Verbs followed by a gerund

List of popular verbs, after which it is customary to use gerund.

* after these verbs, you can use not only the gerund, but the infinitive. This does not change the meaning.

English translations, for those who get used to them

We have already written about verbs, after which only the gerund is always used, and verbs, after which only the infinitive. Do you remember when we promised to tell you when you can use both forms? Keeping our promise!

Verbs followed by an infinitive and a gerund in the same senses

After some of these verbs, you can use both the infinitive and the gerund, and the meaning of the sentence does not change. They also come in several types.

1. After verbs begin, start, continue, can’t bear, intend you can use both a gerund and an infinitive. No conditions, just remember them.

2. After verbs advise, allow, permit, recommend, encourage, forbid choose between the infinitive and the gerund depending on the structure of the sentence. If we use an addition, that is, we call someone who is allowed, prohibited or recommended an action, an infinitive is needed. If not, a gerund:

3. Verbs of preference: love,, hate, prefer. When we talk about preferences, constant preferences, something we like or dislike, both forms are possible:

. But also hate in another context, they can have a different meaning, while after them only the infinitive is used:

Thus, with the help of + infinitive, we emphasize that we consider regular consultations with the dentist to be correct and reasonable (and not at all that we enjoy them).

In addition, if you put WOULD before the preference verbs, then only the infinitive is possible after them:

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Verbs whose meaning changes with an infinitive or a gerund

Perhaps the most interesting list of our today’s topic. After these verbs, the choice between an infinitive or a gerund is very important, because it greatly changes the meaning of what is said. How to be here? Look at the context. Let’s look at specific examples.

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Gerund and infinitive in English

It is very important to distinguish between where and how to use the gerund and the infinitive, because often their use can radically change the meaning of the sentence. English speakers constantly use these grammatical constructions in everyday speech. Their use makes the spoken language brighter and more imaginative.

Consider this example:

I stopped to buy bread from the supermarket.

I stopped Buy bread from the supermarket.

Do you think these phrases mean the same thing? But no. Moreover, their meaning is completely opposite.

The first phrase means: I stopped to buy bread at the supermarket.

Second: I stopped buying bread at the supermarket.

What is the difference? In the first phrase, we use infinitive. In the second, after the verb follows gerund. Here we will dwell on it in more detail.

It is very important to remember that the use of an infinitive or gerund can radically change the meaning of a phrase.

I stopped to smoke. / I stopped to smoke.

I stopped smoking. / I quit smoking.

What is a gerund

At first glance, a gerund looks like a verb, but acts as a noun.

I jog every morning. / I run every morning.

Jogging is one of my favorite ways to exercise. I love jogging. / Jogging is one of my favorite exercises. I love running.

How a gerund is formed

It consists of the infinitive of the verb and the ending ing:

Listening to music makes me relax. / Listening to music allows me to relax.

Why is it sometimes difficult to recognize a gerund? First, there is no similar grammatical structure in Russian. Secondly, it combines the properties of a verb and a noun, and in a sentence looks like an extended form of a verb. To understand that this is a gerund in front of you, you must definitely consider it in context.

Let’s highlight the gerund in the above phrase:

I adore dancing. However performing in public really makes me nervous. Being on the stage in front of the people is terrifying. / I love to dance. But public speaking makes me really nervous. Being on stage in front of a crowd of people is very scary.

When and how the gerund is used

Hunting tigers in Thailand is forbidden. / It is forbidden to hunt tigers in Thailand.

Smoking causes many bad diseases. / Smoking causes many dangerous diseases.

Singing in a shower is my guilty pleasure. / Singing in the shower is my secret pleasure.

Used after the verbs:, love, enjoy, prefer, dis, hate, etc.

I really snowboarding in the mountains but sometimes it’s dangerous. / I really love snowboarding in the mountains, but sometimes it’s dangerous.

I enjoy taking picture of sunsets in Goa. / I love to photograph sunsets in Goa.

I prefer buying meat at the local market. / I prefer to buy meat from the local market.

I hate studying German grammar. / I hate cramming German grammar.

The use of gerund and infinitive after verbs in English

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In our blog, the topic of infinitive and gerund has already been discussed in the article “Gerund vs infinitive. Lost in Translation ”. We learned the difference between these impersonal forms of the verb, examined with examples what it consists of. Today our task is to sort out those verbs, after which the infinitive should be used, and those, after which the gerund must be used. Also consider the «shape-shifters», that is, mixed forms.

Gerund is an impersonal form of the verb, used as a noun in sentences (it can be a subject or stands after a preposition, like a noun). There is no such form in Russian, therefore it is translated in context: as a noun or as a verb. Among students, the gerund is firmly established as the –ing form of the verb, since it is formed by adding the suffix –ing to the verb.

Gerund in English is a rule with examples. English gerund

How to distinguish between the infinitive and the gerund in English, in which cases they are used, what affects this, what groups of verbs exist and how to figure it out. And is it possible?

Of course available. Although the infinitive and gerund topics are one of the most extensive in the English language and have many nuances, there is no need to be afraid of them. Consistent study and analysis of examples will help you learn it and use both forms accurately.

Covering all the details of this topic is not an easy task. The difficulty lies in the fact that for the choice of verb ing or infinitive, the rule cannot be unambiguously established. The choice can be different in each case, and it is determined by the verb on which the infinitive / gerund depends. Therefore, special attention should be paid to the analysis of specific sentences in order to better remember what is used with what. But let’s start all the same with a general theory: what is each of the two forms.

Infinitive verbs

First, let’s analyze those verbs that require an infinitive form after themselves. For each verb, we will give an example of its use in order to better remember it and assimilate the context.

No smoking, or do not enter in a tuxedo! What is Gerund?

All verbs in the Gerund form have the –ing suffix, or “ing” ending, but not all words ending in “ing” are a gerund.

Moreover, what is happening refers to the present or past tense, for such an action in the plans they use Infinitive.

Gerund is used in 3 main cases

The verb in the form of an infinitive or gerund is very common in English and at first gives beginners a lot of difficulties. Gerund mistaken for present continuous, although the gerund looks like a verb with ing and is never used with be. For example, in the sentence «I go swimming to the lake in summer», swimming is a gerund. We will translate it as “I walk to swim to the lake in summer. «

Infinitive with the to particle causes a lot of translation difficulties. Very often in Russian, you need to use additional words or a subordinate clause. For example, a simple sentence «He stood up to say something» as soon as they do not translate, until they guess that the correct option would be «He stood up, (to something say».

Infinitive after adjectives in English

If you need to put a verb after a verb link to be + adjective, then use the infinitive with the to particle. Please note that we translate the to be + adjective into Russian with an adverb.

Gerund in English

Gerund Is an impersonal form of an English verb with a suffix -ing, which combines the features of a noun and a verb and carries in itself a connotation of the meaning of a certain process:

Our management encourages working overtime.
Our management encourages overtime.

Gerund formation

Gerund, like Communion I, is formed using the ending -ing, added with appropriate spelling changes to the infinitive of any verb:

Negative gerund form formed by a negative particle Notewhich is placed before the gerund form:

Gerund, unlike Communion I, which has only the features of a verb, has features of two parts of speech: a verb and a noun.

Finding a new method is the only way out. (gerund)
Finding (what?) A new method is the only way out.

The Findings were of great importance. (noun)
These findings were of great importance.

Translation of gerund into Russian

Since there is no gerund form in Russian, its meaning can be conveyed by a noun, an infinitive, a gerund, a verb in a personal form and a subordinate clause:

Reading English books every day will improve your knowledge of the language.
Reading English books daily will improve your language skills.

Does your son skating?
Does your son like ice skating?

He left the room without saying good-bye or looking atus.
He left the room without saying goodbye or looking at us.

I remember hearing this song in my childhood.
I remember hearing this song as a child.