Verb + Gerund

(verbs followed by another verb in the ing form) page 1 of 2

By Rick Shur, LaGuardia CC, New York [ESLprof.com/handouts/Info/verb+gerund.doc]
Group 1: Preference
1. enjoy
2. mind
3. dislike

I enjoy living on the Upper West Side.

I hate vacuuming, but I don't mind doing the dishes.
I dislike listening to the boss's long speeches.

Group 2: Memory
4. remember
5. miss
6. regret
7. report

He remembers sitting on his mother's lap when he was little.

(BUT remembering something that you need to do:
She remembered to lock the door. Remember to call me!)
I miss playing baseball. I used to do it a lot as a kid.
I regret speaking to you like that. I'm so sorry.
The woman reported hearing gun shots outside her home.

Group 3: Stopping
8. stop
9.
10.
11.
12.

can't help
quit
finish
give up

She stopped working when the bell rang.

(BUT stopping for a break:
We stopped to have a drink on our way home.)
I can't help laughing! You look so funny like that!
You have to quit smoking if you want to live past 50.
Have you finished painting your house yet?
She gave up studying English after two years.

Group 4: Continuing
13. keep (on)
14. go on

Please keep (on) working. It's not time to quit yet.

Go on singing! You have a lovely voice!

Group 5: Thinking and Concentrating

15.
16.
19.
20.
21.

think about
consider
concentrate on
practice
imagine

I'm thinking about moving to a different city.

Are you considering buying a new house?
You have to concentrate on finding a job.
She practiced typing until she could type a lot faster.
I can't imagine having a dog in this small apartment!

Group 6: Conversation
17. discuss
18. talk about

We discussed getting a new and bigger car.

We talked about taking a vacation.

Group 7: Being Careful

22. risk
23. avoid

Apologize to the boss! Don't risk losing this job!

You should avoid talking to her. She's a real gossip!

Group 8: Delaying
24. delay
25. postpone
26. put off

We delayed sending payment until we had the money.

He postponed flying to England due to the bad weather.
Don't put off doing the homework until Sunday night.

Verb + Gerund
(verbs followed by another verb in the ing form) page 2 of 2
By Rick Shur, LaGuardia CC, New York [ESLprof.com/handouts/Info/verb+gerund.doc]
Group 9: Difficulty
27. have trouble
28. have problems

We had trouble finding a cheap hotel room there.

We're having problems getting our dog to sit up.

Group 10: Spending Time

29. have fun
We had fun riding horses on my uncle's farm.
30. have a good time We'll have a good time talking with Grandpa.
31. spend [time]
We spent four hours looking for our lost cat.
We spent three days relaxing at the resort hotel.

Group 11: Denial and Confession

32. deny
33. admit (to)
34. confess (to)

OJ Simpson denied killing Nicole.

OJ admitted (to) hitting Nicole once.
The thief confessed (to) stealing the diamond bracelet.

Group 12: Anticipation

35. look forward to

We look forward to seeing our grandparents again.

Group 13: Adapting

36. get accustomed to
I can't get accustomed to using English all the time.
37. get used to
Her husband died. She has to get used to being alone.

Group 14: Activities

38. go roller skating/blading
39.
40.
41.
42.

go
go
go
go

43.
44.
45.
46.
47.
48.
49.
50.

go
go
go
go
go
go
go
go

I used to go roller skating every weekend.

Now, I go roller blading.
dancing
He goes dancing every weekend. He WENT DANCING Sunday.
fishing
We went fishing with our father when we were young.
sightseeing We went sightseeing and saw Rockefeller Center.
shopping/window shopping
We'll go shopping for groceries tomorrow.
I love to go window shopping on Fifth Avenue.
hiking
He'll go hiking in the Catskill Mountains next March.
skiing
did you go skiing in Aspen last week? How was the snow?
camping
We're going camping soon. Get a tent and sleeping bag.
sailing
We went sailing, but there wasn't any wind on the lake.
boating
We went boating in the bay, but we ran out of gas.
ice-skating The lake has frozen over. Let's go ice-skating.
jogging
I can't go jogging until I find my sneakers.
hunting
My father went hunting. He brought home two ducks.

Group 15: The "Lucky Seven"

These verbs can be followed by a gerund or an infinitive.

1. Continue

4. Love

2. Start

3. Begin

5. Like

6. Hate

7. Can't stand (=hate)

Continue working. Continue to work. We started to eat. We started eating.

He'll begin to learn. He'll begin learning. She loves to run. She loves running.
I hate to study. I hate studying. They can't stand to wait. They can't stand waiting.