The sentence
The sentence The sentence
E. The ‘-ing’ form Basic information about the ‘-ing’ form We use the –ing form in three ways: 1. We use it as a verb (called a participle): He is playing. She is writing. etc. Walking in the park yesterday, I saw a bird building a nest. (= I was walking. + The bird was building a nest.) 2. We use the –ing form as an adjective: I need some hot water. (= water which is hot) boiling (= water which is boiling) 3. We use the –ing form as a noun (called a gerund): I like coffee. swimming. (i.e. ‘the act of swimming’) With a few exceptions, we use the –ing form (gerund) like any other noun. F. Verb + the ‘-ing’ form ‘I deny taking it’ 1. Some verbs are followed only by the –ing form, not by a to-infinitive: e.g. admit, appreciate, avoid, consider, delay, detest, dislike, enjoy, explain, fancy, feel like, finish, forgive, can’t help, imagine, it involves, keep, mention, mind, miss, pardon, postpone, practice, prevent, recall, resent, resist, risk, stop, suggest, understand. verb + present ‘ing’ form verb + perfect/past ‘ing’ form active: I deny/denied taking it. I deny/denied having taken it. passive: He resents/resented being accused. He resents/resented having been accused. 2. After the verbs come and go, we often use the –ing form relating to outdoor actives: e.g. climbing, driving, finishing, riding, sailing, shopping, skiing, walking, water-skiing: Why don’t you come sailing with us? Let’s go sailing! (Not *to sail/for sail(ing)*) 3. The –ing form can follow need and want: He needs encouraging. It wants mending. ‘Start him working’ 1. These verbs are followed by –ing: hear, keep, smell, start, stop, watch: When are you going to start working? But if we want to refer to someone else, we use a direct object after the verb: When are you going to start him (John, etc.) working? 2. These verbs always have a direct object: catch, find, leave, notice, observe, perceive, see: I’d better not catch you doing that again! ‘We appreciate you helping us’ We can use a possessive (my, John’s) + -ing after these verbs: appreciate, avoid, consider, defer, delay, deny, enjoy, postpone, risk, suggest: We appreciate your (John’s, etc.) helping us. (Not *We appreciate you helping*) 100
‘I can’t imagine my mother (‘s) approving’ These verbs are followed by –ing on its own or by a direct object or possessive + -ing: detest, dislike, escape, excuse, fancy, forgive, hate, imagine, it involves, like, love, mention, mind, miss, pardon, prevent, resent, resist, understand, can’t bear, can’t face, can’t help: a. I can’t imagine my mother approving! c. I can’t imagine my mother’s approving! b. They resented me winning the prize. d. They resented my winning the prize. G. Adjectives, nouns and prepositions + ‘-ing’ Adjectives + ‘-ing’ form (gerund) or to-infinitive We can use –ing or a to-infinitive after a great many adjectives and some nouns: To lie in the sun/Lying in the sun is pleasant. → It’s pleasant to lie/lying in the sun. Adjective + ‘-ing’ form (participle) We use some adjectives with a personal subject (Not *it*) + -ing: I am busy. + I am working. → I am busy working. (Not *to work*) Common expressions followed by ‘-ing’ We use –ing after common expressions like It’s no good and it’s (not) worth: It’s no good complaining about it. Preposition + ‘-ing’ We use –ing after prepositions, not a to-infinitive: He left the restaurant without paying. (Not *without to pay*) The ‘-ing’ form after ‘to’ as a preposition To is part of the infinitive in I want to go home, but it is a preposition in object to, be used to, etc. and we use a noun or –ing after it: I object to noise, I object to smoking . H. The to-infinitive or the ‘-ing’ form? Verb + to-infinitive or ‘-ing’: no change I meaning: ‘begin to read/reading’ 1. We can use a to-infinitive or the –ing form without a change in meaning after: attempt, begin, can’t bear, cease, commence, continue, intend, omit, start: I can’t bear to see/seeing people suffering. 2. We do not use the –ing form after the progressive forms of begin, cease, continue, start: I’m beginning to realize how difficult this is. (Not *I’m beginning realize*) 3. Stative verbs like know and understand cannot be used with an –ing form after begin, cease, continue: I began to understand the problem. (Not *began understanding*) 101
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E. <strong>The</strong> ‘-ing’ form<br />
Basic information about the ‘-ing’ form<br />
We use the –ing form in three ways:<br />
1. We use it as a verb (called a participle): He is playing. She is writing. etc.<br />
Walking in the park yesterday, I saw a bird building a nest.<br />
(= I was walking. + <strong>The</strong> bird was building a nest.)<br />
2. We use the –ing form as an adjective:<br />
I need some hot water. (= water which is hot)<br />
boiling (= water which is boiling)<br />
3. We use the –ing form as a noun (called a gerund):<br />
I like coffee.<br />
swimming. (i.e. ‘the act of swimming’)<br />
With a few exceptions, we use the –ing form (gerund) like any other noun.<br />
F. Verb + the ‘-ing’ form<br />
‘I deny taking it’<br />
1. Some verbs are followed only by the –ing form, not by a to-infinitive: e.g.<br />
admit, appreciate, avoid, consider, delay, detest, dislike, enjoy, explain, fancy, feel like,<br />
finish, forgive, can’t help, imagine, it involves, keep, mention, mind, miss, pardon, postpone,<br />
practice, prevent, recall, resent, resist, risk, stop, suggest, understand.<br />
verb + present ‘ing’ form verb + perfect/past ‘ing’ form<br />
active: I deny/denied taking it. I deny/denied having taken it.<br />
passive: He resents/resented being accused. He resents/resented having been accused.<br />
2. After the verbs come and go, we often use the –ing form relating to outdoor actives: e.g.<br />
climbing, driving, finishing, riding, sailing, shopping, skiing, walking, water-skiing:<br />
Why don’t you come sailing with us? Let’s go sailing! (Not *to sail/for sail(ing)*)<br />
3. <strong>The</strong> –ing form can follow need and want:<br />
He needs encouraging. It wants mending.<br />
‘Start him working’<br />
1. <strong>The</strong>se verbs are followed by –ing: hear, keep, smell, start, stop, watch:<br />
When are you going to start working?<br />
But if we want to refer to someone else, we use a direct object after the verb:<br />
When are you going to start him (John, etc.) working?<br />
2. <strong>The</strong>se verbs always have a direct object: catch, find, leave, notice, observe, perceive, see:<br />
I’d better not catch you doing that again!<br />
‘We appreciate you helping us’<br />
We can use a possessive (my, John’s) + -ing after these verbs:<br />
appreciate, avoid, consider, defer, delay, deny, enjoy, postpone, risk, suggest:<br />
We appreciate your (John’s, etc.) helping us. (Not *We appreciate you helping*)<br />
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