| Function
| Sentence Pattern
| Tense, Voice
| Patterns/sentences to memorize
|
| Subject
| 1. Flying is a thrilling thing.
2. Your being so stubborn makes me mad.
3. It’s no use discussing it now.
4. It’s worth while seeing the exhibition.
5. There was no denying the fact.
| Indefinite gerund active/passive
Perfect gerund active/passive
| Simple and complex subjects with the nominal part expressed by a pronoun or a noun can be observed.
|
| Predicative
| 1. What he loves best is strolling along the quay.
2. What annoyed me most was his accepting their proposal quite readily.
| Indefinite gerund active/passive
| Simple and complex predicatives with the nominal part expressed by a pronoun or a noun can be observed.
|
| Part of a compound verbal aspect predicate
| The audience burst out applauding.
| Indefinite gerund active
| After the verbs to keep on, to go on, to give up, to leave off, to burst out, to finish, to stop, to cease, to begin, to start, to continue.
|
| Part of a compound verbal modal predicate
| 1. Julia couldn’t help feeling the warmth of the reception.
2. She tried acting but soon understood it wasn’t her cup of tea.
| Indefinite gerund active/passive
| 1. After the expression can’t help.
2. Verbs with a modal meaning: to hope, to expect, to try, to attempt, to endeavour, to long, to wish, to want, to desire, etc.
|
| Direct Object
| 1. The gallery is widely known and worth seeing.
2. I remember my brother-in-law going for a sea trip once.
| Indefinite gerund active/passive
Perfect gerund active/passive
| 1. Simple and complex objects with the nominal part expressed by a pronoun or a noun can be observed after the verbs to avoid, to deny, to enjoy, to fancy, to mind, to postpone, to put off, to suggest, to want, to need, to require, to deserve, to be busy, to (dis)like, to hate, to prefer, to excuse, to remember, to forgive, to forget, to regret, to recollect, etc.
2. After the expression can’t bear.
|
| Prepositional object
| 1. We are looking forward to seeing her tonight.
2. He agreed to the letter being registered.
| Indefinite gerund active/passive
Perfect gerund active/passive
| After the verbs and expressions:
1. to approve of, to complain of, to accuse of, to suspect of, to think of, to boast of, to be aware of, to be capable of, to be fond of;
2. to be pleased at, to be surprised at;
3. to agree to, to object to, to confess to, to devote to, to look forward to, to get used to, to get accustomed to;
4. to rely on, to insist on, to count on, to depend on;
5. to persist in, to succeed in, to be busy in, to be engaged in, to be interested in;
6. to prevent from, to keep from;
7. to thank for, to care for;
8. to feel like, to look like.
|
| Attribute
| 1. The doctor gave three different medications with the instructions for giving them.
2. He has no interest in studying the law.
| Indefinite gerund active/passive
Perfect gerund active/passive
| The Gerund is used as an attribute after the following nouns:
1. chance, habit, idea, trouble, risk, method, way, custom, fear, manner, means, problem, necessity, possibility, pleasure, right, hope, intention, effort, importance, feeling sound, sign, etc. + of;
2. instruction, apology, explanation, reason, preparation, excuse, gift,
plan + for;
3. experience, use, skill, interest, sense, harm, difficulty + in;
4. astonishment, disappointment, surprise + at.
|
| Adverbial modifier of time
| 1. Before crossing the road, stop and look both ways.
2. On hearing the news she hurried home.
3. In trying to avoid another car, he ran into a lamp post.
| Indefinite gerund active/passive
| After the prepositions in, (up)on, before, after, at.
|
| Adverbial modifier of manner
| 1. She spent the whole evening in packing.
2. He saved a good deal of time by going there in a car.
| Indefinite gerund active/passive
| After the prepositions in, by, without[1].
|
| Adverbial modifier of attendant circumstances
| 1. Besides being clever she was also really hard-working.
2. He put the letter away without reading it.
| Indefinite gerund active/passive
| After the prepositions without, besides, instead of.
|
| Adverbial modifier of purpose
| The hall is used for dancing.
| Indefinite gerund active/passive
| After the preposition for.
|
| Adverbial modifier of condition
| You will never speak good English without learning it.
| Indefinite gerund active/passive
| After the prepositions without, in case of.
|
| Adverbial modifier of cause (reason)
| Through his being careless he met worst enemy in a dark lane.
| Indefinite gerund active/passive
Perfect gerund active/passive
| After the prepositions for, for fear of, owing to, through, because of.
|
| Adverbial modifier of concession
| In spite of being tired, he continued working.
| Indefinite gerund active/passive
Perfect gerund active
| After the preposition in spite of.
|
