Questions tagged [gerunds]
A gerund is a word that functions as a Noun. It is formed by adding the suffix -ing to the base form of a Verb.
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the sound of chewing/the implied agent of a gerund
a. She hates the sound of chewing chips.
Is it clear who is chewing the chips? Is it necessarily 'she' or could it be someone else?
Many thanks
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is fun trying to solve
Many Americans consider the following bad. Do Brits find it bad too?
The problem is fun trying to solve.
I saw the following in a British dictionary definition:
a difficult problem that is fun ...
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Having a gaming computer makes my cousin get hooked on playing games. - is me or my cousin who has the computer?
Example 1
Having a gaming computer makes my cousin get hooked on playing games.
This means my cousin has a gaming computer and that makes my cousin get hooked on playing video games.
Example 2
...
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Lacking of water or Lack of water
Which of the following sentences is grammatically correct?
Lacking of water makes Death Valley a desert, but it is by no means devoid.
Lack of water makes Death Valley a desert, but it is by no means ...
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usage of 'Having to'
A sentence from a high school textbook :
'Originally, matches on Boxing Day were played against local rivals to avoid teams and their fans having to travel long distances after Christmas Day.'
What is ...
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Can I use "leave" with any gerund?
I know that this is correct:
Jack left teaching last year.
What about other verbs?
Jack left reading the book.
Jack left loving her.
Jack left visiting his friend.
I am trying to figure out if there ...
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To Do v.s. To Doing
Sentence in question: (From Yahoo News)
Beijing’s apparent openness to easing tensions with Washington may be
no coincidence. ('to'- preposition? )
What is the difference between the above sentence ...
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Confused about the functions of the V+ING form
I found an Arabic sentence in a text about corporate social responsibility and I translated it as:
Shouldering corporate social responsibility results in increasing profits and eliminating disputes ...
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What better way to
Do the following all work? If so, is there any difference?
What better way to please John than to give him a candy?
What better way to please John than giving him a candy?
What better way to please ...
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Can we a have a noun before a gerund phrase?
I have this sentence:
People smoking cigarettes is unhealthy.
What kind of word group is "people smoking cigarettes"? I understand that "smoking cigarettes" can be a gerund ...
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a sound like rats scrabbling on the other side of the wall
a sound like rats scrabbling on the other side of the wall
'scrabbling' is a present participle or gerund?
In the aspects of structural grammar, both forms are correct.
My question arises from the ...
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Why must we use "to becoming" in this case
both shared an innate ability to listen to music and play along on a range of instruments, the lack of any formal training meant this rough and ready unschooled musician ship was never going to ...
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"To become" or "to becoming"?
"It will take 7 years for you to become a good doctor" is correct but I would like to know if this would be also correct " It will take 7 years to becoming a good doctor" .
I don't ...
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"Labor-saving" as an adjective
Initiatives for labor-saving
This title doesn't sound strange to me. But "labor-saving" is an adjective, so why does the title sound strange if we substitute it for other adjectives? For ...
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"I'm committed to deliver results" vs. ". . . delivering results"
I'd like to describe myself in a cover letter as someone who's committed to deliver results, but:
Should I use "deliver" or "delivering"? How do I choose between the two?
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video of someone do/doing something
which of the following is grammatically correct?
A video of someone doing something.
A video of someone do something.
I am fairly sure only the first one is grammatically correct, but I would ...
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Is "sitting" a participle, gerund, or adjective in the sentence, "I saw him sitting."
I have having trouble explaining to someone why, in a past tense sentence, the second verb is sometimes in the present tense. Here is the sentence:
I saw him sitting.
I know the sentence is ...
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Can I use the construction like "get + gerund" (example: get moving) with continuous and perfect forms?
I guess, I understand about usage of "get moving" or "get doing" in simple.
I always get reading a new book as soon as I have free time.
What about continuous or perfect forms? ...
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Can anybody explain a logic behind the construction get + gerund?
I want to understand the logiс behind such construction as "get + (verb + ing)". I know, it means "to start some action", but I want to get clearer why. Gerund means mostly ...
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Does it omit the single quote(')?
While this had previously been put down to participants mis-seeing the
shape, Otten and colleagues had doubts.
Should it be "While this had previously been put down to participants' mis-seeing ...
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Why is the verb bare infinitive correct in "Use of the alternate facilities will…"?
With current record-setting volumes in air travel, vehicle parking at Calgary lntemational
Airport's terminal parkade can reach its maximum capacity during peak periods. The busiest
periods are ...
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Use it to/for doing
What is the difference in meaning between the following sentences, and which one is more idiomatic?
I use this app for keeping track of what I eat.
I use this app to keep track of what I eat.
Thank ...
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A citizen questioning his government is not a crime
A citizen questioning his government is not a crime.
Is its structure grammatical? It sounds weird to me.
What I think the structure means is 'A citizen is not a crime' which is the reduced form of '...
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What is the difference between "going to" and "going to be"?
What is the difference between two sentences:
Are you going to be filling the bird feeder soon?
Are you going to fill the bird feeder soon?
Is this something to do with active and passive voice?
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Alarm clock needs repairing by you
A new, quite actually exciting, question has occurred in my mind.
I know that when we use need with gerunds, the meaning is passive, for example:
• The cat needs feeding.
So, can we use those need-...
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thanks for or thanks to
Thanks for being here or thanks to be there
I think the first one is good not the second one because the expression is "thank for verbing" not "thanks to". I googled but did not ...
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Verbs before the preposition "to"
It is well known that preposition must be followed by a verb in -ing form. I do see sentences in which it really occurs, for example,
This is crucial to building a good team.
He‘s not used to ...
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In comparison with doing
Can I use in comparison with and compared to with gerunds? I tried to find the answer in WordReference Dictionary, but it only says that they can be used with objects, and nothing about gerunds.
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Related to/has to do with stealing
Can "related to" and "has to do with" be used with gerunds?
▪︎ My idea [Related to/has to do with] stealing Mr. George's secret safe.
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Can we use gerunds with the verb "abuse"?
Can we use gerunds with the verb "abuse"?
If not, what's an alternative?
Here's my attempt at an alternative:
Every time I see a spruce I begin chewing its needles, so I think I abuse ...
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Mind to have or mind having
Two sentences are:
Would you mind having a cup of tea with me?
Would you mind to have a cup of tea with me?
I think both sentences should be correct. But internet says just no.1 is correct. Why ...
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Get rid of [being]
Can "get rid of" be used with gerunds?
▪︎ I'm always forgetting to do what I have to, so I think I need to get rid of [being] so forgettable.
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Is the structure (gerund+of+something) correct in this sentence: "Celebratory drinking of alcohol was restricted in 1600s in Britain."
This is from the BBC (simplified version of a longer sentence).
"Celebratory drinking of alcohol was restricted by them in 1600s in Britain."
The structure "Celebratory drinking of ...
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I was like flying in the sky (be like doing)
I went to take an aerial tramway. The cabin was made of glass. When I got back, at home I talked to my girlfriend:
(In the transparent cabin,) I was like flying in the sky.
Is this sentence correct? ...
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Gerund or infinitive?
The only way to find the Secret Room is solving x.
Is this sentence incorrect? Can we use the gerund here? I assume we can because if we reverse it, it'll be correct (Solving x is the only way to ...
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Is it natural to say 'me not doing something' here?
Suppose Alice liked drawing and considered taking a related career path. When Alice found out she might not be talented enough and said she might quit, Bob encouraged her and told her that he wants ...
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What is the difference
What is the difference between following sentences:
Parents are being urged to keep an eye on their child.
Parents are urged to keep an eye on their child.
Thanks.
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Is it "me" or "my" in this sentence? And why?
He was pretty emphatic about me leaving.
He was pretty emphatic about my leaving.
Which is correct, and why?
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Get to followed by a gerund or an infinitive?
I got to poking around and I found this oyster.
He gets to feeling ashamed of the showing he is making.
The new neighbours got to know each other.
I'd really like to see you again and get to know you ...
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The use of possesive pronouns with gerunds in the passive voice
Can I use possessive pronouns with gerunds in the passive voice?
In the active voice, a gerund modified by a possesive pronoun would sound like this, for example: "I didn't like his going to New ...
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is this sentence grammatically correct? "what I can do is argue that..."
Shouldn't it be "what I can do is to argue/arguing that"? What I am taught is that the part following "is" should be a sentence or a gerund. I am really confused.
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Are both gerund and infinitive okay? "needed for earning" or "needed to earn"
I am struggling between gerund and infinitive in some cases, to me they look the same, is there a rule to decide or both are okay?
A university diploma is not needed for earning high profits trading ...
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Grammar with gerund or Infinitive
He tried ________ (work) in a newspaper firm but he still wasn't satisfied.
These variants are wrong:
working / to work / work / having worked
What is the correct form of (work)?
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Gerund after ing form
After transitive verbs like teach or learn we use a noun (phrase).
But can we also use a gerund (as they function like a noun) even in a progressive sentence?
Are these sentences correct?
Tony is a ...
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I hear you speaking or I hear you speak?
I used to think that it is always
a Subject + verb in a relevant tense + object + verb-ing construction, such as in the examples:
I can hear you speaking
I have seen you drinking
John hates me crying
...
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"look forward to keep working" or "keeping working"?
It seems to me that the construction "look forward to" requires the accompanying verb to be in the gerund. But what should one do if there is more than one accompanying verb?
Ludwig found ...
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Why was "for" used in this case?
I came across this sentence and was surprised that the gerund was used instead the infinitive with to:
The best way for promoting a service is to give customers what they want and to satisfy them.
Why ...
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being paid or to being paid
Could you please tell how these constructions are called and which ones are right?
I admit to being paid by company.
I admit being paid by company.
I enjoyed being paid by company.
I enjoyed to being ...
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It's my understanding that gerunds are verbs +ing used as nouns. But I'm not sure about the following sentences
It's my understanding that gerunds are verbs +ing used as nouns. But I'm not sure about the following sentences.
It's within walking distance of my apartment.
I see more older people walking these ...
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I know that the word "distinguishing" is not a gerund. what is it then?
I know that the word "distinguishing" is not a gerund. what is it then?
I sometimes have difficulty distinguishing Spanish from Portuguese.
source:"https://dictionary.cambridge.org/...
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