Verbs followed by the gerund

VERBS FOLLOWED BY THE GERUND

VERBS FOLLOWED BY THE GERUND

The gerund is used after certain verbs.

Examples

miss: I miss living in England.

The most important of these verbs are shown below.
Those marked * can also be followed by a that-clause

Example:

VERB GERUND

She admitted...

breaking the window

 

THAT-CLAUSE

She admitted...

that she had broken the window.

acknowledge,*
admit,*
anticipate,* appreciate,*
avoid,
celebrate,
consider, contemplate,
defer,
delay,
deny,*
detest,
dislike,
dread,
enjoy,
entail,
escape,
excuse,
fancy (=imagine)*,
finish,
forgive,
imagine,*
involve,

keep,
loathe,
mean,(=have as result)*
mention,*
mind,
miss,
pardon,
postpone,
prevent,
propose,*
recall,*
recollect,*
remember,
report,*
resent,
resist,
risk,
save (=prevent the wasted effort)
stop,
suggest,*
understand,*

 

Examples

  • Normally, a girl wouldn't think of marrying a man she did not love.
  • Most people don't like receiving bad news.
  • We can't risk getting wet - we haven't got any dry clothes.
  • If you take that job it will mean getting home late every night.
  • I can't imagine living in that big house.
  • If you buy some petrol now, it will save you stopping on the way to London.
  • She couldn't resist eating the plum she found in the fridge.
  • They decided to postpone painting the house until the weather improved.

Notes:

1. Appreciate is followed by a possessive adjective + gerund when the gerund does not refer to the subject.

Compare :

  • I appreciate having some time off work. (I'm having the time...)
  • I appreciate your giving me some time off work. (You're giving me the time...)

2. Excuse, forgive, pardon can be followed by an object + gerund or for + object + gerund (both common in spoken English), or a possessive adjective + gerund (more formal and less likely to be said):

  • Excuse me interrupting.
  • Excuse me for interrupting.
  • Excuse my interrupting.

3. Suggest can be used in a number of ways, but BE CAREFUL.

It is important not to confuse these patterns:

suggest/suggested (+ possessive adjective) + gerund:

  • He suggests going to Glastonbury
  • He suggested going to Glastonbury
  • He suggested/suggests my going to Glastonbury

suggest/suggested + that-clause (where both that and should may be omitted):

  • He suggests that I should go to New York
  • He suggested that I should go to New York
  • He suggested/suggests I should go to New York
  • He suggested/suggests I go to New York
  • He suggested I went to New York.

suggest/suggested + question word + infinitive:

  • He suggested where to go.

4. Propose is followed by the gerund when it means 'suggest':

  • John proposed going to the debate
  • but by the infinitive when it means 'intend':
    The Government proposes bringing in new laws
    ..

5. Dread is followed by the infinitive when used with 'think', in the expression 'I dread to think':

  • I dread to think what she'll do next.

6. Prevent is followed EITHER by a possessive adjective + gerund OR by an object + from + gerund:

  • You can't prevent my leaving. (posesive adjective + gerund)
  • You can't prevent me from leaving. (object + from + gerund)