The gerund appears identical to a present participle, yet it serves a distinct purpose. The gerund consistently functions as a noun, despite its verb-like appearance. This page discusses certain applications of the gerund, while another page addresses verbs that are accompanied by the gerund.
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The gerund as the subject of the sentence
Examples
- Eating people is wrong.
- Hunting tigers is dangerous.
- Flying makes me nervous.
- Brushing your teeth is important.
- Smoking causes lung cancer.
The gerund as the complement of the verb ‘to be’
Examples
- One of his duties is attending meetings.
- The hardest thing about learning English is understanding the gerund.
- One of life’s pleasures is having breakfast in bed.
The gerund after prepositions
The gerund must be used when a verb comes after a preposition. This is also true of certain expressions ending in a preposition, for example the expressions in spite of & there’s no point in.
Examples
- Can you sneeze without opening your mouth?
- She is good at painting.
- She avoided him by walking on the opposite side of the road.
- We arrived in Madrid after driving all night.
- My father decided against postponing his trip to Hungary.
- There’s no point in waiting.
- In spite of missing the train, we arrived on time.
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The gerund after phrasal verbs
Phrasal verbs are composed of a verb + preposition or adverb.
Examples
- When will you give up smoking?
- She always puts off going to the dentist.
- He kept on asking for money.
- Jim ended up buying a new TV after his old one broke.
There are certain phrasal verbs that incorporate the word “to” as a preposition, such as “to look forward to,” “to take to,” “to be accustomed to,” “to get around to,” and “to be used to.” It’s crucial to recognize that in these cases, the word “to” functions as a preposition and should be followed by a gerund. It is not part of the infinitive form of the verb. You can verify whether “to” is a preposition or part of the infinitive by inserting the pronoun “it” after “to” to form a meaningful sentence. If this works, then “to” is indeed a preposition and should be followed by a gerund.
Examples
- I look forward to hearing from you soon.
- I look forward to it.
- I am used to waiting for buses.
- I am used to it.
- She didn’t really take to studying English.
- She didn’t really take to it.
- When will you get around to mowing the grass?
- When will you get around to it?
The gerund in compound nouns
In compound nouns that incorporate the gerund, it’s evident that the meaning pertains to a noun, not an ongoing action. For instance, in the term “swimming pool,” it refers to a pool designed for swimming, not a pool that is actively engaged in swimming.
Examples
- I am giving Sally a driving lesson.
- They have a swimming pool in their back yard.
- I bought some new running shoes.
The gerund after some expressions
The gerund is necessary after the expressions can’t help, can’t stand, to be worth, & it’s no use.
Examples
- She couldn’t help falling in love with him.
- I can’t stand being stuck in traffic jams.
- It’s no use trying to escape.
- It might be worth phoning the station to check the time of the train.
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Find out your A1 A2 B1 B2 C1 C2 level of English with our online test and receive your English certificate.
Jennifer is an experienced English Language Consultant at International English Test, where she has been working full-time since February 2020. Based in London, England.
Before joining us, Jennifer was a self-employed English Language Teacher from January 2015 to December 2019. During this time, she taught English Language and Literature remotely from Cambridge, England, helping numerous students improve their language skills.
Jennifer holds a degree in English Language and Literature in Cambridge. Her extensive experience and educational background make her a valuable asset in the field of English language education. She continues to contribute to us with her valuable articles about English teaching and assessment.
