Gerund
For example:
- Studying is good for you.
Formation: Base Form + ING
Gerunds can act as the subject or object of a main verb.
For example:
- Going to parties is fun.
- Hunting elephants is dangerous.
- Flying makes me nervous.
- I enjoy reading.
* Here, gerund is object
* Here, gerunds are subjects
Use
Certain words like adjectives, prepositions, verbs, nouns are followed by an Ing-Form.
Use after certain adjectives
Adjectives (with Prepositions) followed by the Gerund
afraid of |
crazy about |
For example:
- He’s afraid of going by plane.
- I am interested in visiting the museum.
- He is clever at skateboarding.
- The girl is crazy about playing tennis.
- I'm worried about making mistakes.
Use after certain prepositions
Prepositions followed by the Gerund
about |
by |
For example:
- Before going to bed he turned off the lights.
- She avoided him by walking on the opposite side of the road.
- We arrived in Madrid after driving all night.
- He told the joke without laughing.
Use after certain verbs
Verbs followed by the Gerund
admit |
consider |
For example:
- I enjoy cooking.
- He admitted having driven too fast.
- Ralph is considering buying a new house.
- I delayed telling Max the news.
- They miss playing with their friends.
Use after certain nouns
Nouns with Prepositions followed by the Gerund
advantage of |
idea of |
For example:
- We had problems finding our way back home.
- There's no point in waiting any longer.
- What is the advantage of farming over hunting?
- He is in doubt about buying the correct software for his computer system.
- There's a real reason for winning the contest.
Rules:
- If a verb ends with -e, it loses the last letter before adding the -ing suffix.