Gerunds after Prepositions

The gerund is used after all prepositions no matter what word precedes – a
noun or a verb:
What can you do besides typing?
You can’t make an omelette without breaking eggs.
I have no objection to hearing your story again.
They escaped by sliding down a rope.
I don’t care for standing in queues.
I’m against saying anything / I’m for saying nothing.

6. The Verb mind

A. This verb is used chiefly in the interrogative and negative:

Would you mind helping me?

I don’t mind doing this.

B. It can be followed directly by a gerund, or by a noun/pronoun or possessive
adjective + gerund:

I don’t mind staying in this hotel. (I stay here and I don’t object to it.)

I don’t mind his/him staying here. (He stays here and I don’t object.

/I don’t object to his/him staying here.)

C. mind can never be followed by an infinitive.

Gerunds with Passive Meaning

After need, require and want, the gerund is used in a passive sense:

Your flowers need watering.

Does this problem require solving?

The house wants repairing. (British English)

Need can also be followed by a passive infinitive:

Your flowers need to be watered.

8. The Gerund: Special Cases

Note the use of the gerund after as, like, than, it is any/some/no etc. good/use, it is useless, it is worth, to feel like, to be for/against:

As well as coming to any party without the invitation,

he is always the last to leave.

I don’t feel like going to bed so early.

There’s nothing I like more than dancing.

It’s no use crying. It’s useless crying.

It was no good objecting.

Are you for or against moving to a new flat?

This book is worth buying.

INFINITIVE AND GERUND CONSTRUCTIONS

Verbs and Adjectives Which May Take either Infinitive or Gerund

advise (117, 8) like (117, 10)

agree (117, 12) love (117, 10) allow (117, 8) mean (117, 4)

attempt (117, 5) need (114; 117,13)

begin (117, 1 ) permit (117, 8)

can’t/couldn’t bear (117, 2) prefer (117, 10)

bother (117, 1) propose (117, 5)

care for (117, 10) recommend (117, 8)

cease (117, 1) regret (117, 9)

continue (117, 1) remember (117, 9)

forbid (117, 8) require (114)

forget (117, 9) start (117, 1)

go on (117, 6) stop (117, 7)

hate (117, 10) try (117, 11)

intend (117, 3) want (114)

accustomed, afraid, ashamed, certain, interested, sorry, sure,
used: see 118.

2. Gerund or Infinitive?
A. begin, start, continue, cease, bother
Either infinitive or gerund may be used without any difference in meaning.
An –ing form is more common when we are talking about the beginning of a
long or habitual activity.
When did you first started playing chess?
The –ing form is not used after the progressive form of begin and start.
I am beginning to get interested in this work.
The infinitive is more usual with verbs of knowing and understanding and
the verb matter.

B. can’t/couldn’t bear

After these verbs, chiefly used in the negative, either gerund or infinitive can
be used. But when the infinitive refers to a deliberate action the expression
implies that the subject’s feeling prevented him from performing the action.

I couldn’t bear to tell him. (so I didn’t)

C. intend

With this verb an infinitive is more usual than a gerund.
I intend to sell my house.
But when we have intend + object the infinitive is used. This is found only in
formal English.
The authority intended him to retire.

D. mean
If the meaning of the verb is ‘intend’, the infinitive is used.
I mean to finish the article by Friday.
If the meaning is ‘involve’ (used only with an impersonal subject), the
gerund is used.
I don’t want to go if it means travelling by air.

Date: 2015-12-11; view: 1952