The gerund The gerund, or ing, can: a stand on their own as nouns: Camping's fine for a couple of weeks. b follow certain verbs: I enjoy camping very much. c follow prepositions: I like the idea of camping. Gerunds after prepositions 1 Choose the correct preposition from the list below to complete the sentences. of after before without by a They decided to warm up.........................................cycling on. b The horseman rode for over a mile ..................................stopping at a large camp in the mountains. c By about 10 am we were back on the road .................................thanking the man for everything he had done. d David was aware ............................. something approaching. e Mat rode straight over ............................... even slowing down. 2 Complete the following sentence by adding the correct propositions and the gerund form of a suitable verb. at for from in of on with without a I left home as soon as I was capable .............................................. enough money to live on. b I would never use your telephone .................................................your permission first. c He explained that the machine was used ..................................... bread into thin slices. d I'm afraid I'm awfully bad ............................................names. What's your again? e She insisted .......................................... her share of the bill. f He gave up his job because he was fed up ....................................... such long hours. g My parents did nothing to prevent me .......................................... a pop music group. h I had some difficulty ................................................... a taxi at the station. The gerund also follows to when it is used as a preposition. The phrases below are the most common examples of this use and are well worth remembering! look forward to object to prefer ... to... be used to 3 Finish the sentences below with a suitable gerund form: a There's a small entrance fee and so far no one has objected to.............................................. b Although he's a champion jockey, he actually prefers breeding dogs to ................................ .................................... c Now I've got a really good camera, I'm looking forward to......................................................... d Don't worry about leaving me in charge of the children, I'm quite used to ............................... ..................................... Gerunds after verbs The gerund is also used after certain verbs: 'Couldn't you delay sending the letter one day or two?' The other common verbs which are followed by a gerund are listed below: admit dislike involve practise appreciate enjoy keep put off avoid finish mention resist consider give up mind risk delay cant't help miss suggest deny imagine postpone can't stand 1 Match the two halves of the sentences below so that they make sense: a He had been considering 1 meeting again till September. b The smell of the soup put me off 2 getting completely lost. c In court she strongly denied 3 starting his own company. d He looked so funny that I couldn't help 4 being anywhere near the scene of the crime. e If you don't take a map, you risk 5 wanting to taste it. f Before our holiday we practised 6 opening the window. g As everyone was away we postponed 7 laughing out loud h It's so hot, would you mind 8 saying a few phrases in Greek. 2 Complete the following sentences with suitable gerunds: a If you seriously want to save money, you'd better give up............................................................. b I don't mind most housework but I can't stand ............................................................................ c The puppies looked so sweet that I couldn't resist ....................................................................... d If you want to learn to ride a horse, you won't be able to avoid ..................................................... ...................................................... e You must keep ..........................................? It's really annoying! f I'd hate to be a miner. Can you imagine....................................................................................? g Can I have the newspaper if you have finished ...........................................................................? h The man the police caught finally admitted .................................................................................. i When he said he'd forgotten the phone number, I suggested ........................................................ j My job as Tourist Officer for Birmingham involves......................................................................... 3 Gerund after other expressions Gerunds are also always used after the expressions in the following examples: It's no use crying. It's no good complaining to me! The exam isn't worth worrying about. 4 Gerunds after possessives Gerunds can be used after possessive adjectives and 's, as in the following examples: I appreciated his meeting me at the station. She mentioned Mike's telephoning last night. - It's also correct in informal spoken and written English to use the alternative forms: I appreciated him meeting me at the station. She mentioned Mike telephoning last night. She doesn't mind me coming in late. It's no use them complaining. He left the house without us knowing anything about it. home (Focus on first certificate - page 92) |