Gerund: Types of Gerunds, Examples of Verbs Followed By Gerund

Gerunds can be an integral part of any sentence structure. Whether you’re writing in formal or informal English, there is a good chance that knowing the basics of gerunds will come in handy at some point.

While the concept may seem daunting to many, it is not as difficult to comprehend as one might think.

In this blog post, we will provide a comprehensive overview of gerunds, their formation, their uses, list of gerunds and share examples of verbs followed by gerunds so you understand how they are used in sentences clearly and accurately!

What is Gerund?

A gerund is a verbal noun (Verb + ing), usually ending in “-ing,” that functions as a noun within the sentence.

Formation of Gerund

It is formed by taking the present participle (Verb + ing) of a verb (the form of the verb that ends in -ing) and using it as a noun. For example, the gerund form of “run” is “running.”

Examples of Gerund

Reading is a great way to relax.” (subject)

“I enjoy swimming in the pool.” (Direct object)

“Her hobby is painting.” (compliment)

List of Some Common Gerunds

1- Cooking

2- Eating

3- Painting

4- Dancing

5- Swimming

6- Writing

7- Shopping

8- Jogging

9- Crying

10- Singing

What is Gerund

What are the functions and Uses of Gerunds?

Functions of Gerunds

Here are 5 Functions of Gerunds;

1- As Subject: Swimming is her favorite sport.

2- As Direct Object: She loves swimming in the pool.

3- As Modifier or Adjective: She bought a swimming suit.

4- After prepositions: She is interested in swimming.

5- After Certain Verbs: He enjoys swimming every day.

Uses of Gerunds

1- Gerunds can be used as the subject of a sentence.

2- They can also be used after certain verbs, like enjoy, stop, and finish.

3- Gerunds can also act as modifiers or adjectives.

4- Finally, they can be used after prepositions to create complex phrases.

By using gerunds, writers can easily switch between tenses and create more complex sentences. Gerunds are also helpful for describing activities in a precise way. They are versatile words that provide an opportunity for writers to express ideas more clearly.

Gerunds also help create interesting sentences by adding variety and texture to writing. For example, instead of simply saying “She likes to exercise” one could say “She enjoys running every morning” which provides more detail about the activity.

Functions And Uses Of Gerunds

Types of Gerunds

There are four types of gerunds and gerund phrases;

  1. Subject
  2. Direct Object
  3. Object of Preposition
  4. Subject Complement

1- Subject:

This type of gerund is used as the subject of a verb. For example, “Voting is an important right.” In this sentence, ‘voting’ is the subject and it is a gerund.

Gerund As Subject Examples

1- Running is a great way to stay in shape.

2- Swimming is my favorite sport.

3- Singing can be therapeutic.

4- Studying can be difficult but rewarding.

5- Shopping can be fun.

2- Direct Object:

A gerund can also be used as a direct object for a verb. An example of this is “I enjoy cooking.” In this sentence, ‘cooking’ is the direct object and it is a gerund.

Gerund As Direct Object Examples

1- I love reading books.

2- He hates studying for tests.

3- She enjoys cooking meals.

4- We prefer swimming in the ocean.

5- They dislike running long distances.

3- Object of Preposition:

A gerund can also be used as the object of a preposition. An example of this is “We talked about going to the movies.” In this sentence, ‘going’ is the object of the preposition ‘about’ and it is a gerund.

Gerund As Object of Preposition Examples

1- She dreamed about traveling the world.

2- Ali decided against running for office.

3- They argued about studying abroad.

4- He thought about taking some classes.

5- They talked about going to the beach.

4- Subject Complement:

A gerund can also be used as a subject complement, which means it is used after a linking verb and describes the subject of the sentence. An example of this is “Her hobby is diving.” In this sentence, ‘swimming’ is the subject complement and it is a gerund.

Gerund As Subject Complement Examples

1- His favorite activity is playing basketball.

2- Our pastime is fishing.

3- His job was teaching English.

4- My goal is studying hard.

5- Our hobby is hiking.

Types of Gerunds 4 Types of Gerunds

Verbs Followed by Gerunds

Verbs followed by gerunds are one of the confusing concepts. Generally speaking, gerunds are nouns created from verbs by adding “-ing”. While some verbs are almost always followed by a gerund (like enjoy or suggest), others should never be followed by one (like own or want). It’s important to pay attention to these nuances when constructing sentences because incorrect usage can unfortunately affect understanding and clarity.

List of Verbs Followed by Gerunds with Example Sentences

1- Accept: He accepted going to the party.

2- Admire: He admires working with boss.

3- Admit: She admitted stealing the money.

4- Adopt: They adopted using green energy in their home.

5- Agree: They agreed meeting up after work.

6- Aim: She aims finishing the project before the deadline.

7- Anticipate: They anticipate going on vacation soon.

8- Appear: He appears studying the map.

9- Appreciate: He appreciated having her assistance.

10- Argue: She is arguing talking to me like that.

11- Arrange: We arranged going on a camping trip next month.

12- Avoid: I’m avoiding eating junk food.

13- Begin: She began learning Spanish last year.

14- Consider: I’m considering taking a class on painting.

15- Continue: They continued studying until midnight.

16- Crave: She craves eating ice cream.

17- Decide: They decided going to the movies tonight.

18- Defend: He defended taking an extra day off work.

19- Delay: We had to delay going to the beach because of bad weather.

20- Demand: She demands having her own way.

21- Deny: She denied stealing the money.

22- Deserve: He deserves getting the promotion.

23- Desire: She desires having her own place.

24- Determine: He determined working late tonight.

25- Discuss: We discussed going to the beach this weekend.

26- Dislike: He dislikes running on the treadmill.

27- Dread: He dreads going to meetings.

28- Endure: She endured doing the same job for years.

29- Enjoy: She enjoys swimming in the lake every morning.

30- Expect: We expect visiting Eiffel Tower when we go to Paris.

31- Fail: He failed passing the exam.

32- Fear: I fear making a mistake.

33- Finish: Have you finished writing your essay?

34- Forget: Don’t forget taking your medication before bedtime.

35- Go: We should go shopping this afternoon.

36- Hate: I hate doing laundry.

37- Hesitate: She hesitated asking for help.

38- Hope: They hope finding a better job soon.

39- Ignore: Don’t ignore talking to him.

40- Imagine: I can’t imagine living without music.

41- Intend: He intends going to school next year.

42- Invite: We invited going camping this weekend.

43- Involve: This job involves working late nights.

44- Keep: You should keep trying until you find the right solution.

45- Like: She likes eating ice cream.

46- Love: He loves playing tennis on Sundays.

47- Mention: He mentioned visiting the museum next week.

48- Miss: I miss having my old friends around.

49- Need: She needs working hard to get into college.

50- Negotiate: They negotiated getting a better salary.

51- Obey: They obey following the rules and regulations.

52- Offer: He offered taking her out for dinner.

53- Persuade: He persuaded going on vacation with his family.

54- Plan: We plan on visiting Europe next summer.

55- Postpone: We had to postpone going camping because of rain.

56- Practice: I need to practice speaking Spanish more often.

57- Prefer: She prefers working in the morning.

58- Prevent: You should prevent making the same mistake again.

59- Propose: He proposed taking a break from work.

60- Provide: She provided hosting the party at her house.

61- Quit: Have you quit smoking yet?

62- Recommend: The doctor recommends exercising more often.

63- Reconsider: I’m reconsidering taking this job.

64- Refuse: He refused attending the meeting.

65- Regret: She regrets studying harder in school.

66- Request: He requested taking a day off work.

67- Resist: She resisted eating chocolate for a week.

68- Risk: He risks getting hurt if he tries that stunt again.

69- Select: She selected taking the bus instead of driving.

70- Start: We should start exercising more regularly.

71- Strive: He strives achieving his goals.

72- Struggle: He struggles studying for exams.

73- Suggest: She suggested taking a break from studying.

74- Support: We support taking time off to relax.

75- Threaten: He threatened quitting his job if he didn’t get a raise.

76- Transfer: He transferred going to a different school.

77- Try: I’m trying eating more vegetables.

78- Understand: Do you understand using a computer?

79- Urge: I urge eating more fruits and vegetables.

80- Use: We use going out for dinner when we need a break.

81- Volunteer: He volunteered helping out at the homeless shelter.

82- Want: He wants finding the perfect job.

83- Wish: She wishes going on a road trip this summer.

84- Worry: She worries making the wrong decision.

85- Yearn: She yearns traveling to new places.

Verbs Followed By Gerunds Verbs Followed By Gerunds image 2 Verbs Followed By Gerunds image 3 Verbs Followed By Gerunds image 4

List of Gerunds (A to Z)

Here is the list of all important A to Z Gerunds;

1- Accepting

2- Accomplishing

3- Accounting

4- Achiving

5- Acting

6- Adding

7- Admiring

8- Advising

9- Affording

10- Allowing

11- Announcing

12- Answering

13- Apologizing

14- Appearing

15- Appreciating

16- Approaching

17- Arranging

18- Asking

19- Attaching

20- Attending

21- Avoiding

22- Backing

23- Balancing

24- Bargaining

25- Bashing

26- Battling

27- Becoming

28- Beginning

29- Behaving

30- Believing

31- Blaming

32- Blessing

33- Boasting

34- Booking

35- Breathing

36- Calling

37- Carrying

38- Catching

39- Challenging

40- Changing

41- Checking

42- Choking

43- Choosing

44- Claiming

45- Closing

46- Collecting

47- Comforting

48- Communicating

49- Comparing

50- Complaining

51- Completing

52- Concentrating

53- Considering

54- Consisting

55- Consuming

56- Containing

57- Continuing

58- Copying

59- Correcting

60- Costing

61- Counting

62- Covering

63- Cracking

64- Creating

65- Crossing

66- Crying

67- Curling

68- Cutting

69- Deciding

70- Declaring

71- Decorating

72- Delivering

73- Demanding

74- Describing

75- Designing

76- Destroying

77- Developing

78- Disappearing

79- Discovering

80- Discussing

81- Disobeying

82- Doing

83- Doubting

84- Drawing

85- Dreaming

86- Drinking

87- Driving

88- Eating

89- Enjoying

90- Entertaining

91- Escaping

92- Examining

93- Existing

94- Expecting

95- Explaining

96- Exploring

97- Expressing

98- Farming

99- Fetching

100- Fighting

101- Filling

102- Finding

103- Finishing

104- Following

105- Forbidding

106- Forgiving

107- Forming

108- Founding

109- Gaining

110- Gathering

111- Getting

112- Giving

113- Going

114- Greeting

115- Growing

116- Guessing

117- Handling

118- Hanging

119- Happening

120- Helping

121- Hiding

122- Holding

123- Hoping

124- Hurting

125- Identifying

126- Imagining

127- Importing

128- Including

129- Increasing

130- Informing

131- Inserting

132- Inspiring

133- Instructing

134- Inviting

135- Joining

136- Keeping

137- Kicking

138- Killing

139- Knowing

140- Lasting

141- Laughing

142- Leading

143- Listening

144- Living

145- Locking

146- Looking

147- Loving

148- Managing

149- Marrying

150- Matching

151- Measuring

152- Meeting

153- Memorizing

154- Mentioning

155- Mixing

156- Moving

157- Naming

158- Needing

159- Noticing

160- Obtaining

161- Occuring

162- Offering

163- Operating

164- Ordering

165- Organizing

166- Originating

167- Overcoming

168- Paying

169- Performing

170- Planning

171- Playing

172- Pointing

173- Possessing

174- Posting

175- Practising

176- Preaching

177- Picking

178- Placing

179- Planting

180- Pointing

181- Presenting

182- Preserving

183- Pretending

184- Preventing

185- Producing

186- Promising

187- Protecting

188- Providing

189- Pulling

190- Pushing

191- Questioning

192- Reaching

193- Reacting

194- Reading

195- Realizing

196- Receiving

197- Recognizing

198- Recommending

199- Recording

200- Recovering

201- Refusing

202- Regretting

203- Rejecting

204- Rejoicing

205- Remaining

206- Remembering

207- Repeating

208- Replacing

209- Reporting

210- Representing

211- Requesting

212- Rescuing

213- Researching

214- Responding

215- Resting

216- Retaining

217- Returning

218- Ruling

219- Running

220- Screaming

221- Searching

222- Seeing

223- Selling

224- Serving

225- Setting

226- Shaking

227- Sharing

228- Showing

229- Singing

230- Smiling

231- Solving

232- Speaking

233- Splitting

234- Spreading

235- Starting

236- Staying

237- Stepping

238- Stopping

239- Struggling

240- Suggesting

241- Supplying

242- Supporting

243- Suspecting

244- Taking

245- Teaching

246- Telling

247- Testing

248- Thinking

249- Throwing

250- Touching

251- Training

252- Travelling

253- Treating

254- Trusting

255- Trying

256- Turning

257- Using

258- Visiting

259- Waiting

260- Waking

261- Walking

262- Wanting

263- Warning

264- Watching

265- Weeping

266- Winning

267- Wishing

268- Working

269- Worrying

270- Writing

271- Yelling

272- Zipping

273- Zooming

List of Gerunds List of Gerunds List of Gerunds image 3 List of Gerunds image 4 List of Gerunds image 5

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