• RULES FOR GERUND

• Gerund looks exactly the same as a present participle, and

for this reason it is now common to call both forms 'the -
ing form'. However it is useful to understand the difference
between the two. The gerund always has the same function
as a noun (although it looks like a verb), so it can be used:
•

• Rule1 : As the subject of the sentence:

• Eating people is wrong.
• Hunting tigers is dangerous.
• Flying makes me nervous.
• Rule 2: As the complement of the verb 'to be':
• One of his duties is attending meetings.
• The hardest thing about learning English is
understanding the gerund.
• One of life's pleasures is having breakfast in
bed.
• Rule 3: After prepositions. The gerund must be used when a verb
comes after a preposition:
• Can you sneeze without opening your mouth?
• She is good at painting.
• They're keen on windsurfing.
• She avoided him by walking on the opposite side of the road.
• We arrived in Madrid after driving all night.
• My father decided against postponing his trip to Hungary.
• Note : This is also true of certain expressions ending in a
preposition, e.g. in spite of, there's no point in..:
• There's no point in waiting.
• In spite of missing the train, we arrived on time.
• Rule4:
• After a number of 'phrasal verbs' which are composed of a verb +
preposition/adverb
• Example: to look forward to, to give up, to be for/against, to take to,
to put off, to keep on:
• I look forward to hearing from you soon. (at the end of a letter)
• When are you going to give up smoking?
• She always puts off going to the dentist.
• He kept on asking for money.
• NOTE: There are some phrasal verbs and other expressions that
include the word 'to' as a preposition, not as part of a to-infinitive: -
to look forward to, to take to, to be accustomed to, to be used to. It
is important to recognise that 'to' is a preposition in these cases, as
it must be followed by a gerund:
• We are looking forward to seeing you.
• I am used to waiting for buses.
• She didn't really take to studying English.
• Note : It is possible to check whether 'to is a
preposition or part of a to-infinitive: if you can put
a noun or the pronoun 'it' after it, then it is a
preposition and must be followed by a gerund:
• I am accustomed to it (the cold).
• I am accustomed to being cold.
• Rule5 : In compound nouns
• Example:
• a driving lesson, a swimming pool, bird-watching, train-
spotting
• It is clear that the meaning is that of a noun, not of a
continuous verb.
•

• Example:
• the pool is not swimming, it is a pool for swimming in.
•
• Rule6 : After the expressions:
• can't help, can't stand, it's no use/good, and
the adjective worth:
• She couldn't help falling in love with him.
• I can't stand being stuck in traffic jams.
• It's no use/good trying to escape.
• It might be worth phoning the station to check
the time of the train.