Grammar-Quizzes › Verb Phrases › Verb Complements › Gerunds › Verb + Gerund
Verbs with Gerund Complements
Express opinion or comment on activities
Opening Day at the Ball Park
It's opening day at the ball park. The Giants deny feeling any added pressure to perform well on their first day back at the ball park. The fans anticipate seeing a lot of exciting games this season. They will enjoy seeing the first of many balls fly over the brick wall into McCovey Cove (the bay water behind the outfield).
Fans say they miss coming to the ball park during the off season. Now they are back!
They are arriving by bus, by train, by boat and by taxi. These fans certainly don't mind taking public transportation. They celebrate having an opportunity to attend a game.
The food vendors are back with some interesting new food choices. Fans will enjoy exploring the new food options and will no doubt look forward to trying out Doggie Diner hot dogs, Gilroy Garlic fries, Crazy Crab cocktails, and much more.
| VERB + NOUN PHRASE | ||
|---|---|---|
A comment about an activity can be made with a verb that expresses attitude or opinon (e.g., enjoy, hate, prefer, appreciate) which is then followed by an activity (e.g., sports, a game, a good goal) a noun or a noun phrase. |
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| SUBJECT | PREDICATE | NP COMPLEMENT |
Fans |
enjoy |
the game. |
Fans |
prefer |
seats near first base. |
They |
don't mind |
the night air. |
Joe |
likes |
the atmosphere. (the feeling of the place) |
| VERB + GERUND COMPLEMENT | ||
|---|---|---|
A comment can also be made with a verb expressing attitude or opinion (enjoy) which is then followed by an activity (watching the game) The activity is expressed as a gerund clause¹, also called a nonfinite clause. |
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| SUBJECT | PREDICATE | CLAUSE COMPLEMENT |
Fans |
enjoy |
watching the game. |
Fans |
prefer |
sitting near first base. |
They |
don't mind |
being in the night air. |
Joe |
likes |
watching the crowd. |
¹gerund clause vs. phrase — in current linguistic analysis, the term"phrase" is reserved for particular word groups. A gerund and its modifiers) falls into the clause category of a nonfinite clause. See Grammar Notes (below).
A complement is a word, phrase or clause that completes the meaning of another element in the clause. In some cases, the complement is required in order to make sense. See Complement ("parts of speech").
Also see: What's the Difference between a Noun and a Gerund? | Finite / Nonfinite (gerund clauses and infinitive clauses)
Verbs with Similar Meanings
Express attitudes and opinions with synonyms
Verbs with Similar Meaning Are Complemented Similarly
| VERBS |
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Verbs complemented by gerunds have a meaning that expresses attitude or opinion about the following activity. |
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He 
He 
He 
He 
They | SYNONYMS |
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Verbs with similar meanings (synonyms) also tend to be complemented by gerunds. |
He detests / dislikes missing a game.
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I love / like being a disk jockey. |
I can't stand / hate / detest / loathe sitting still. (not moving) |
I can't avoid / can't stop texting all the time. |
They delayed / put off holding the marathon race. |
admit He admitted smoking marijuana. |
delay They delayed leaving. |
advise³ He advised going to college. |
allow³ They allowed smoking outside. |
avoid We avoid asking for help. |
begin¹ He began talking immediately. |
can't stand He can't stand waiting. |
celebrate He celebrated getting a job. |
deny He denied stealing it. |
deserve He deserves being in jail. |
dislike He dislikes dressing up. |
enjoy She enjoys dressing up. |
forget² I forgot turning the light off. |
imagine He imagined being free. |
love¹ We love going on vacation. |
mention He mentioned having dogs. |
neglect¹ I neglected doing my work. |
postpone I postponed having kids. |
prevent A polio vaccine prevents getting polio. |
prohibit † They prohibit parking here. |
regret¹ I regret not being there. |
remember² I remember hearing it. |
risk He risked losing everything. |
start¹ We started taking walks. |
support He supported going to war. |
tolerate We don' t tolerate cheating. |
like¹ I like learning languages. |
recommend I recommend staying. |
anticipate I anticipate having fun. |
appreciate* She appreciates having help. |
can't bear I can't bear hearing lies. |
can't help I can't help sneezing. |
complete He completed reading it. |
consider He won't consider helping. |
detest She detests exercising. |
discuss We discussed going out. |
escape He escaped getting married . |
finish We finished watching TV. |
hate¹ She hates being alone. |
keep We keep trusting him. |
mind Do you mind smoking there? |
miss I miss being home. |
practice I practice playing the piano. |
prefer¹ We prefer eating early. |
quit I quit smoking. |
recall She recalls being young. |
resent* He resents being left alone. |
resist I resist eating too much. |
stop² He stopped smoking. |
suggest He suggested chewing gum. |
try We tried eating snails. |
understand I understand getting mad. |
¹ complemented by a gerund or an infinitive without a change in meaning.
² complemented by a gerund or an infinitive with a change in meaning.
³ may be complemented by an indirect object: and an infinitive. (He advised us to go to college.)
* may be complemented by an indirect object: and a gerund. (She appreciates you for helping.) Gerund Cls w/Subj
May be followed by that + a clause . Subjunctive Verbs
Verbs — Gerund or Infinitive
Express a similar meaning with either complement
Gerund or Infinitive Complements Expresses Similar Meaning
| VERB + GERUND |
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A gerund expresses attitude or opinion about an activity that is actual, is ongoing, is a known activity. After these verbs there is little difference in meaning when followed by a gerund or an infinitive. |
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I 
I 
Bob | VERB + INFINITIVE |
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An infinitive expresses desire or preference to do an activity. After these verbs, the choice of a gerund or an infinitive has litte effect on the meaning. |
I love to travel.
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I prefer to dunk my doughnuts. |
Bob deserves to have a day off. |
I continue to work out everyday. |
day off (NP) — a day of vacation
work out (V) — exercise
Verb — Gerund or Infinitive List (Similar Meaning)
attempt I attempted to build. / I attempted building a house. |
begin We began to work. / We began working. |
can't bear I can't bear to leave. / I can't bear leaving you. |
can't stand I can't stand to see waste./ I can't stand seeing waste. |
continue We continued to work. / We continued working all day. |
deserve He deserves to be happy. / He deserves being happy. |
hate I hate to miss work. / I hate missing my bus. |
like I like to swim. / I like swimming. See Like. |
love I love to travel. / I love traveling. |
prefer I prefer to walk. / I prefer walking. |
start She started to cry. / She started crying. |
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"Like" — Infinitive vs. Gerund
Examine small differences in meaning
Like + Infinitive vs. Like + Gerund
| LIKE + INFINITIVE COMPLEMENT | ||
|---|---|---|
Like followed by an infinitive expresses desire or preference to do an activity: desire – I'd like and preference – I like. I'd like to hit a home run. (desire, future). "Would you like to go to a game next Saturday?" (invitation) "I like to stay home on the weekends." (Declines invitation by expressing preference for another activity.) |
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| SUBJECT | PREDICATE | INFINITIVE COMPLEMENT |
1a. Jerry |
likes (preference, enjoys) |
to attend games. |
2a. Jerry |
would like (future want or desire) |
to attend games. |
3a. Joe |
does not like (doesn't like but doesn't hate, has a range of feelings) |
to attend day games. |
4a. Joe |
likes (prefers) |
not to attend day games. (specifically dislikes activity) |
5a. Joe |
*dislikes (hates, loathes, can't stand, detests, abhors) |
to attend day games. |
| LIKE + GERUND COMPLEMENT | ||
|---|---|---|
Like followed by a gerund expresses attitude or opinion about an activity — one that is actual, is ongoing, is known. I like hitting a home run. (enjoys) "Would you like to come with me and see a game?" (invitation) "I like staying home. (Declines invitation by expressing enjoyment of present activity. "I'm at home now and like it here.") |
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| SUBJECT | PREDICATE | GERUND COMPLEMENT |
1b. Jerry |
likes (enjoys) |
attending games.
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2b. Jerry |
*would like (future want or desire) |
attending games. (ongoing activities) |
3b. Joe |
doesn't like (doesn't like but doesn't hate, has a range of feelings) |
attending day games. |
4a. Joe |
likes (prefers) |
not attending day games. (specifically dislikes activity) |
4b. Joe |
dislikes (hates, loathes, can't stand, detests, abhors) |
attending day games. |
* not used
3b. Joe doesn't like attending games. (mixed feelings) Joe likes not attending games. (specific feelings)
Negating like expresses a range of feelings from doesn't like to doesn't hate. Negating the infinitive or gerund is more specific. (hates)
5a. Note that dislike is more related in meaning to — hate, loathe, detest, can't stand, abhor — than to like. Similar to these strongly negative syonyms, dislike is followed by a gerund (not an infinitive.)
See "Inscreased Specificity of Negation" Huddleston pp. 838, 1242.
Verbs — Gerund or Infinitive
Express a different meaning with the complement
Gerund and Infinitive Complements Express Different Meanings
| VERB + GERUND COMPLEMENT |
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Sometimes a verb has one meaning when complemented by a gerund clause. |
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I 
I 
That failed, so I 
We | VERB + INFINITIVE COMPLEMENT |
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The verb has another meaning when complemented by an infinitive. |
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I 
I 
I 
We Also so Infinitive Meaning (infinitive meaning differs from gerund meaning).
continue on/go on I continued on working. / I continued on to work elsewhere. (changed activity) |
forget I forgot locking the door. (recall) / I forgot to lock the door. (omit) |
mean Our mistake meant working overtime to correct it. (resulted in) / We meant to fix it. (intended) |
regret I regret telling a lie. / I regret to tell you that your dog died. (tell bad news) |
remember I remember visiting him. (recall) / I remembered to visit him. (didn't forget) |
stop He stopped eating lunch. (discontinue) / He stopped his work to eat lunch. (pause) |
try He will try using a new method. (experiment) / He tried to use a knife instead of a fork. (attempt) |
use We used to smoke. (past habit) / We are used to smoking. (accustomed) See Used/Be used. |
Verbs — Gerund Passive Complements
Focus on the person experiencing the action
Gerund — Active vs. Passive Nonfinite Forms
| ACTIVE |
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A clause in active form places the agent, the person who takes action, in the subject position. The patient, the person who is affected by the action is placed after the predicate, which is a verb phrase [verb + gerund]. |
The players avoided hitting balls towards the fans. |
The fans kept on cheering for the players. |
| PASSIVE |
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A clause with a gerund can be restated in the passive voice by moving the patient, the person who is affected by the action into the subject position. The agent, the person who takes action can be mentioned in a "by" phrase. The verb is formed with being + participle. |
The fans avoided being hit by the players' foul balls. |
The players kept on being cheered by the fans. |
See Passive Nonfinite Forms | Intransitive Verbs – Never Passive | Related Grammar Terms (agent, patient, etc.)
Double -ing Word Forms
"Switching"
Gerund/ Infinitive Switching in Progressive Sentences
| NONPROGRESSIVE VERB | PROGRESSIVE VERB | SWITCH STRATEGY |
|---|---|---|
A nonprogressive verb followed by a gerund sounds acceptable to a native speaker … |
However, a progressive verb followed by a gerund form tends to sound awkward to a native speaker. (two -ing forms together) (Huddleston 14.5.6.1) |
When possible, a native speaker will switch to an infinitive verb, that + a clause, or a rephrasing after a progressive verb form. |
Parents start teaching their children to swim early. |
*Parents are starting teaching their children to swim early. |
Parents are starting to teach their children to swim early. |
Doctors suggest teaching children to swim early. |
*Doctors are suggesting teaching children to swim early. |
Doctors are suggesting that parents teach their children to swim early. |
Doctors suggest teaching children to swim early. |
*Doctors are suggesting teaching children to swim early. |
Doctors are suggesting the method of teaching children to swim early. |
*Yellow highlighted words are examples of incorrect usage.
Pop–Q "Suggest" / "Try"
Grammar Notes (Advanced)
Traditional and Linguistic Description
Traditional and Linguistic Descriptions
| TRADITIONAL / ESL DESCRIPTION |
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"Gerunds are used as objects of certain verbs." (Azar 14-3)
-ing forms are often used in similar ways to infinitives. For instance, they can follow certain verbs, adjectives or nouns. (Swan 293-7)
-ing forms after verbs (Swan 296)
"Unfortunately, there is no easy way to decide which structures are possible after a particular verb. It's best to check in a good dictionary." (Swan 296.1)
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| LINGUISTIC DESCRIPTION |
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The catenative verbs and complements (Huddleston 14 §5) A catenative verb followed by a gerund-participle form is a catenative structure :
A further distinction is made between ordinary and raised subjects. (Huddleston14 §2.2)
Verbs are broken into a framework of three clases based on simiple vs. complex constructions taking either a to-infinitval or a gerund-pariciple. See this resources for various class lists and sub-divisions. (Huddleston 14 §5) A prototypical object has the form of an NP. In contrast, a verb followed by a gerund-participle is a catenative structure. The form following the verb is "licensed" by the verb. [In contrast to traditional description, a gerund-particple is not "used as an object".] catenative verbs are verbs which can be followed within the same clause by another verb. This second subordinated verb can be in either the infinitive (both full and bare) or present participle / gerund forms. An example appears in the sentence He deserves to win the cup, where "deserve" is a catenative verb which can be followed directly by another verb, in this case a to-infinitive construction. (Wikipedia)
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Word Categories: N – Noun; V – Verb; Aux – Auxiliary; Adj – Adjective; Adv – Adverb; P –Preposition; Det –Determiner.
Phrasal Categories: NP – Noun Phrase; VP – Verb Phrase; AdjP – Adjective Phrase; AdvP – Adverb Phrase; PP – Prepositional Phrase; DP – Determinative Phrase.
Clausal Categories: Cls – clause; F – finite clause; NF – nonfinite clause (Ger – gerund; Inf – infinitive; PPart – past participle).
Word Functions: Subj – subject; Pred – predicate/predicator; Comp – complement: elements required by an expression to complete its meaning (DO – direct object; IO – indirect object); Adjunct – adjunct: elements not required by an expression to complete its meaning (Subord – subordinator; Coord – coordinator); Supl – supplement: a clause or phrase added onto a clause that is not closely related to the central thought or structure of the main clause.
Works Cited
- Azar, Betty Schrampfer, and Stacy A. Hagen. Understanding and Using English Grammar. 4th ed., Pearson Education, 2009.
- 'Catenative verb', Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 29 May 2016, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catenative_verb. Accessed on 25 Aug. 2016.
- Huddleston, Rodney D., and Geoffrey K. Pullum. The Cambridge Grammar of the English Language. Cambridge UP, 2002.
- Swan, Michael. Practical English Usage. 3rd ed., Oxford UP, 2005.
Practice 1
Commuting by Ferry
Read Context
I finish –work– at five o'clock last night and went home. I remember –close– the office door. I know that I didn't forget –lock– it. Unfortunately, I missed –catch– the ferry and had to wait thirty minutes. I stopped –rush– after I missed the ferry.
The ferry was also late because it stopped –let– a large cargo ship pass. Sometimes, ferry service can't help –be– late. Nevertheless, commuters expect –leave– on time.
I especially dislike –get– home late at night. Once, I recall –be– an hour late because of high winds on the bay. Most people don't mind -be- delayed a little because the ferry has WiFi.
I recommend –take– the ferry because its a relaxing trip over the water. You will appreciate –commute– without traffic. However, I suggest –allow– extra time in case of a delay.
commute (V) – to travel regularly to and from a place such as work or school
ferry – a boating service that takes commuters (workers) across the bay
Complete the sentence with a gerund or an infinitive verb form.
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Practice 2
Delayed
Read for Errors
Mel and Karen were late arriving to the game. They stopped getting some gas, but then they couldn't get their car started again. They tried jump-starting the car, but it wouldn't start. They sat for a while.
They discussed to take a bus and leaving the car there. Neither of them could imagine to miss the game. It was so important to both of them.
The attendant at the gas station suggested replacing the battery. They did and were on there way. They regretted not replaced the car battery earlier. They arrived at the ball park in time but not on time for the game.
jump-start (V) give an external charge to the battery of the car
can't stand (V) – be upset and unable to accept, tolerate, bear
on their way (expression) – continuing to their destination
Correct or Incorrect?
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Practice 3
The Action in the Stands
Read for Errors
Joe likes going to a game to watch the action on the field, but he also enjoys watch the action in the stands. It amuses him that some people will make complete fools of themselves at games.
A guy who wouldn't be caught dead wear makeup, will show up at a game with his face painted orange and black. Joe remembers to see one guy with his entire body painted in the colors of the team. And how could he forget try to see over the head of a guy wearing a 2-foot high orange wig.
Some fans can't help they scream at the top of their lungs. Really loud fans prevent anyone from hear anything at the game. When a point is scored, some fans start to dance around and jumping up and down on their seats. Joe really hates sit next to someone who is going ape, but it is pretty fun to watch from a distance.
The guys selling nuts are amazing. They practice to toss packages of peanuts long distances with great accuracy. You can hear them come and shouting, "PEAnuts! peaNUTS! Get your PEAnuts!"
accuracy (N) – precision, exactness
going ape (expression) – acting like a monkey or a baboon
lungs (N) – the part (organ) of the body that takes in and lets out the air you breathe
pretty (adv.) – (informal) very, rather
the stands (N) – the area where fans sit and watch
the action (expression) – exciting or amusing activity Lets see some action! Lights, action, camera. (a moviemakers cue to begin filming)
wig (N) – artificial hair
wouldn't be caught dead (expression) – would avoid
Edit for Errors
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