7. Gerunds can often be modified with possessive forms such as his, her, its, your, their, our, John's, Mary's, the machine's, and so on. This makes it clearer who or what is performing the action.
Examples:
I enjoyed their singing. They were singing.
She understood his saying no to the offer. He said no.
Sam resented Debbie's coming late to the dinner. Debbie came late to the dinner.
We discussed the machine's being broken. The machine is broken.
8. Some verbs are followed by a noun plus an infinitive. In some situations, the noun is required. In other situations, the noun is optional. List of Verbs Followed by a Noun + an Infinitive
Examples:
The police orderedthe man to stop. noun is required
She asked to leave. noun is optional
She asked himto leave. noun is optional
9. Some verbs are usually followed by a gerund, BUT they can also be followed by a noun plus infinitive. Using a noun plus infinitive will usually change who is performing the action. List of Verbs followed by a Gerund OR a Noun + Infinitive
Examples:
I advised taking the train. in general
I advised himto take the train. He will take the train.
10. There are many "go + gerund" expressions used for adventure sports and individual recreational activities.
Examples:
I go swimming every weekend.
Would you ever go skydiving?
11. Gerunds are used after prepositions. Most commonly, these are "verb + preposition" combinations. For reference, see the Verb + Preposition Dictionary and the Phrasal Verb Dictionary. You don't have to memorize these resources, you just need to remember that gerunds are used after prepositions!
Examples:
They admitted tocommitting the crime.
Leslie made up forforgetting my birthday.
He is thinking aboutstudying abroad.
12. Remember that there are many "adjective + preposition" combinations and "noun + preposition" combinations in English as well. These are also followed by gerunds. (List of Adjective + Preposition Combinations Followed by Gerunds and List of Noun + Preposition Combinations Followed by Gerunds). Once again, you don't have to memorize these resources, you just need to remember that gerunds are used after prepositions!
Examples:
Sandy is scared of flying. adjective + preposition
Nick is anxious abouttaking the examination. adjective + preposition
His interest inbecoming a professional snowboarder was well known. noun + preposition
Thomas' story aboutseeing a grizzly bear was really exciting. noun + preposition
Verbs Followed by Nouns + Infinitives
9 = verb followed by a gerund OR a noun + an infinitive 13 = verb followed by a gerund OR an infinitive with a difference in meaning.
List 1: Verb + Required Noun + Infinitive
advise [9]
I advised them to see a doctor.
allow [9]
Ireland doesn't allow people to smoke in bars.
cause
He caused her to make a mistake.
convince
Ned convinced me to quit my job.
enable
Financial aid enabled the students to pay such expensive tuition fees.
encourage [9]
He encourages his patients to eat healthy foods.
force
The commander forced the soldiers to march in the rain.
get (cause to)
Isabelle got Mike to wash her car.
hire
Mr. Donelly hired Sarah to work as a receptionist.
invite
We invited them to join us.
order
The police ordered him to put his hands in the air.
permit [9]
California doesn't permit people to fish without a fishing license.
remind
They reminded me to pay the bills before the end of the month.
require [9]
The certificate requires students to complete two courses.
tell
He told me to shut up.
urge [9]
They urge citizens to recycle bottles and paper.
warn
She warned him not to be late.
List 2: Verb + Optional Noun + Infinitive
Notice in the examples below that the verbs can be followed by an infinitive or a noun plus an infinitive. When a noun is added, it usually changes who or what is performing the action. To understand this better, look at the first verb "ask" and its examples. In the first sentence, she is asking if she herself can leave. In the second sentence, she is requesting that a man leave. Study the examples below and consider how the optional noun changes the meaning.
ask
She asked to leave.
She asked him to leave.
choose
I chose to help out.
I chose him to help out.
expect
They expect to arrive early.
The expect him to arrive early.
need [13]
I need to clean the house.
I need her to clean the house.
prepare
They prepared to take the test.
They prepared her to take the test.
promise
She promised to stop smoking
She promised him to stop smoking.
threaten
He threatened to leave forever.
He threatened her to leave forever.
want
I want to study Spanish.
I want my son to study Spanish.
wish
I wish to stay.
I wish him to stay. rare form
would like
We would like to start now.
We would like him to start now.
Verbs Followed by Either Gerunds OR Nouns + Infinitives
advise
I advised seeing a doctor.
I advised them to see a doctor.
allow
Ireland doesn't allow smoking in bars.
Ireland doesn't allow people to smoke in bars.
encourage
He encourages eating healthy foods.
He encourages his patients to eat healthy foods.
permit
California doesn't permit fishing without a fishing license.
California doesn't permit people to fish without a fishing license.
require
The certificate requires completing two courses.
The certificate requires students to complete two courses.
urge
They urge recycling bottles and paper.
They urge citizens to recycle bottles and paper.
Go + Gerund List
go boating
go sailing
go bowling
go scuba diving
go bungee jumping
go shopping
go camping
go sightseeing
go canoeing
go skateboarding
go climbing
go skating
go dancing
go skiing
go fishing
go skinny-dipping
go hiking
go skydiving
go horseback riding
go sledding
go hunting
go snorkeling
go jogging
go snowboarding
go kayaking
go spearfishing
go mountain climbing
go surfing
go paragliding
go trekking
go parasailing
go water skiing
go rollerblading
go window shopping
go running
go windsurfing
Adjective + Preposition Combinations Followed by Gerunds
The following is ONLY A SAMPLE LIST of the most commonly used adjective + preposition combinations that can be followed by gerunds.
accustomed to
He is accustomed to having his own office.
addicted to
She is addicted to watching TV.
afraid of
She is afraid of speaking in public.
anxious about
Norma is anxious about making the presentation.
bored of
I am bored of doing the same old job.
capable of
He is capable of winning a gold medal.
committed to
She is committed to improving her English.
concerned about
Nancy was concerned about being late.
content with
Tim is content with winning second place.
dedicated to
The organization is dedicated to ending poverty.
devoted to
The money will be devoted to protecting the environment.
disappointed with
Fiona was disappointed with coming in third place.
discouraged by
He was discouraged by not getting the job.
excited about
The researcher was excited about going to Africa.
famous for
That actor is famous for being extremely weird.
fond of
She is fond of having picnics.
frightened of
She is frightened of being alone at night.
guilty of
The banker was guilty of stealing money.
happy about
He was happy about winning the lottery.
interested in
She is interested in becoming a doctor.
involved in
He was involved in making the movie.
known for
She was known for causing problems.
opposed to
They are opposed to building a new road in the park.
proud of
He was proud of having completed the marathon.
remembered for
She is remembered for protecting mountain gorillas.
responsible for
He is responsible for causing the damage.
scared of
Tina is scared of being alone at night.
terrified of
The surfer is terrified of being attacked by a shark.
tired from
She is tired from working all day.
tired of
Margaret is tired of making dinner every night.
worried about
The hikers were worried about not having enough water.
Noun + Preposition Combinations Followed by Gerunds
The following is ONLY A SAMPLE LIST of the most commonly used noun + preposition combinations that can be followed by gerunds.
addiction to
His addiction to surfing the Internet is a problem.
advantage of
He has the advantage of speaking English fluently.
anxiety about
Her anxiety about speaking in public caused her to lose the job.
belief in
His belief in not harming animals was something he learned from his mother.
credit for
She took credit for improving the filing system.
dedication to
His dedication to teaching was impressive.
delay in
The delay in processing the visa caused problems.
devotion to
His devotion to biking allowed him to win the competition.
disadvantage of
The disadvantage of flying is that you can't see the scenery along the way.
experience in
She has a great deal of experience in introducing new products to international markets. With the noun "experience," sometimes a gerund is added without the preposition "in." "Experience introducing new products" would also be acceptable.
fear of
His fear of flying made travel difficult.
fondness for
Her fondness for traveling led to her career in the travel industry.
habit of
His habit of smoking in restaurants caused many problems in California.
interest in
Her career as a pilot evolved out of her interest in flying.
knowledge of
Her knowledge of climbing helped her during the competition.
love of
His love of singing developed when he was a child.
memory of
Their memories of traveling in Africa will stay with them forever.
preference for
I think his preference for speaking his native language is natural.
process of
The process of painting such a large mural is more complicated than you might think.
reaction to
His reaction to winning the prize was quite funny.
reason for
The main reason for taking the course is to improve your language skills.
regret for
The criminal's regret for committing the crime did not convince the judge.
report on
The magazine's report on choosing the right car was not well researched.
reputation for
Her reputation for lying is well known.
responsibility for
His responsibility for completing the project on time was acknowledged by the company.
story about
I don't know if I believe his story about seeing a UFO.
talent for
His talent for learning languages was impressive.
Subjunctive
Form
Use the simple form of the verb. The simple form is the infinitive without the "to." The simple form of the verb "to go" is "go." The Subjunctive is only noticeable in certain forms and tenses.
Use
The Subjunctive is used to emphasize urgency or importance. It is used after certain expressions (see below).
Examples:
I suggest that he study.
Is it essential that we be there?
Don recommended that you join the committee.
Notice
The Subjunctive is only noticeable in certain forms and tenses. In the examples below, the Subjunctive is not noticeable in theyou-form of the verb, but it is noticeable in the he-form of the verb.
Examples:
You try to study often. you-form of "try"
It is important that you try to study often. Subjunctive form of "try" looks the same.
He tries to study often. he-form of "try"
It is important that he try to study often. Subjunctive form of "try" is noticeable here.
