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Gerund - English lesson

Still more often, when you should use one, you hesitate and end up using an infinitive...

Wrongly...  Its form can deceive you and lead you to think it's a verb...  

It's a NOUN.  

These reminders will help you, I hope, to use it more easily...

GERUND is used to describe an ACTIVITY, which means a set of actions, or a single action 

being done as we are speaking. In French, it's often expressed with a verb in the infinitive. 

Mostly, it can be replaced by a noun and acts like one! 

- Reading is my favourite occupation. ('reading' : 'the action of reading' )

1) Gerund can be either a SUBJECT or a complement. 

- For me, running is very tiring. (subject)

- My brother practises swimming every week: (complement)

2) We use gerund after verbs expressing a permanent taste: 

- She likes singing.  

- Paul can't stand waiting.

 when used in the conditionals, these verbs are followed by an INFINITIVE.

- I wouldn't like to wait for him for too long. 

3) It's used after PREPOSITIONS: ( OF, WITH, ABOUT, FOR, IN, ON, etc. )

Prepositions are followed by nouns; gerund being similar to a noun, it's used after 

prepositions. 

- He's not interested in reading, but he loves watching films.

  TO (a part of complete infinitive) can also be a PREPOSITION and is thus followed by a gerund. 

- He isn't used to going to the gym every day. 

TO is a preposition (and is consequently followed by -ing) with the following verbs:  

- To be used to / to get used to

- To devote oneself  / one's time to

- To object to

- To take to doing something

4) Gerund is also used after some expressions: 

- To be busy doing something

- He can't help + V ing

- To spend one's time doing something

- To go on doing something

- Do you mind...?

- To give up doing something

- It's no use doing something

- It's worth doing something

5)   Some verbs accept both constructions (but the meaning is then different) :

To like/ to love / to hate/ to start/ to remember. 

- I must remember to post this letter:

There you go!  This test can be a trial run for you! I'm sure it will be a success! 

Go for it!   

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1. 'I hope this noise will stop soon! I can't bear hearbear to hearbear hearingI don't know it any longer!'



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