Stop doing and stop to do.
We use stop + -ing form to say what we do before we stop.
— I'm a vegetarian. I stopped eating meat 5 years ago. (= I ate meat up to 5 years ago, then I stopped.)
We use stop + to infinitive to say why we stop.
—After I'd been working for 3 hours, I stopped to eat lunch. (= I stopped in order to eat lunch.)
4. Go on doing and go on to do
We use go on + -ing form to talk about something that continues.
— She went on talking about her holiday all evening. (= She continued talking...)
We use go on+ to infinitive to talk about a change to something different.
— She spoke about her son, then she went on to talk about her daughter.
Regret doing and regret to do
We use regret + -ing form to say we regret something that we have already done.
— I regret saying that he was an idiot. (I said that he was an idiot.)
We use regret + to infinitive to say we regret something that We have to do now.
— I regret to say that I won't be able to come to the meeting on Monday.
Note that regret + to infinitive is rather formal.
Illustrative situations Gerund or to + infinitive (same meaning)
John: How about coming for a picnic today? We could go to
the lake. Mary: I like having picnics but I'm afraid it will start to rain
as soon as we get there. Look at the clouds. John: Well, I really don't like staying in on Sundays. It's so
boring. Mary: I prefer to do something active at the weekend too but
I can't bear having picnics in the rain!
Gerund or to + infinitive (different meaning)
Mother: Terry, I'm just wondering. I don't remember locking the front door of the house. Did you remember to do it?
Terry: Stop worrying about it now! It's too late! Anyway, there's nothing worth stealing.
Mother: I always forget to lock the door. I really must try to think about it next time.
The gerund and the verbal noun
In the English language besides the gerund which is half-verb, half-noun, there is a pure verbal noun ending in -ing. Let's draw a parallel between these two forms:
1. The gerund is not used 1. The verbal noun may be used with an article. with an article.
I want you to give my hair a good
brushing.
Who does the cooking in this house7
2. The gerund has no plural 2. The verbal noun may be used in the form. plural.
There are three turnings to the right. Our likings are regulated by our circumstances.
3. The gerund of a transitive 3 A verbal noun cannot take a direct verb takes a direct object. object; it takes a prepositional object. He received more and more The reading of the paper made letters, so many that he had me very excited.
given up reading them.
4. The gerund may be modi- 4. The verbal noun may be modified fied by an adverb. by an adjective.
I was tired of sitting still in the The early coming of spring
library through a whole long makes me feel happy,
morning.
•
Practice
и / 1. Make up short dialogues.
Requests: Would you mind + gerund
A: Have the windows been cleaned?
(a) B: No. Would you mind cfeaning them?
(b) B: No. I wonder if you'd mind cleaning them.
Have/has the...
1. beds been made? 9. shopping been done?
2. table been laid? 10. sheets been ironed ?
3. stairs been swept? 11. tea, been made?
4. onions been cut up? 12. laundry been collected?
5. washing-up been done? 13. letters been posted?
6. gas been paid? 14. sandwiches been cut?
7. furniture been polished? 15. potatoes been peeled?
8. dining-room been dusted? 16. chips been fried?
like/liked + gerund
(a) A (in tones of sympathy): You have to make beds, I suppose. В (cheerfully): Yes, but I like making beds!
Twenty years later, Susan's children have left home, her
husband has retired and they can afford some help in house and garden. Her friend reminds her of her former busy life, (b) A: You had to make beds, I suppose.
B: Yes, but I liked making beds!
This exercise could also be done with (c) don 't/didn 't mind or (d) enjoy/enjoyed.
(a) You have to...I suppose.
1. do housework,
2. live economically,
3. shop around,
4. look after the children,
5. mind their clothes,
6. take them to school,
7. help them with their homework,
8. read to them,
9. answer their questions,
10. attend their school concerts,
11. go swimming with them,
12. give children's parties,
13. meet your husband at the station, (Use my.)
14. listen to your husband's office stories, (Use my.)
15. entertain your husband's colleagues, (Use my.)
16. iron shirts,
17. knit pullovers,
18. look after the garden,
19. cut the grass.
(b) You had to ... I suppose.
1. do housework,
2. live economically, etc.
like/dislike/hate/don 't mind/don't care for/enjoy + gerund
The life of an au pair.
A: T have to cook and wash up. (a)B: So have 1.1 like cooking but (I) hate washing up. (b) B: So have 1.1 enjoy cooking but (I) don't care for washing up
(c) B: So have 1.1 don't mind cooking but (I) dislike washing up. This drill can also be done in the past tense:
A: I had to cook and wash up.
B: So had 1.1 liked cooking but (I) hated washing up.
I have to:
1. vacuum carpets and dust furniture.
2. make beds and clean rooms.
3. answer the door and answer the phone.
4. do 'the flowers and polish the silver.
5. buy fruit at the market and carry it home.
6. take the children to school and hurry home afterwards.
7. collect the children from school and help them with their homework.
8. talk to the children and teach them French.
9. go to the beach with the children and play in the sand.
10. put the children to bed and tidy up after them.
11. look after the baby and share a room with him.
12. give the baby his bath and wash his clothes.
13. walk the dogs and brush them.
14. attend classes and do homework.
prefer... to + gerund
A: My brother plays tennis but hardly ever watches it. B: My brother prefers playing (tennis) to watching (it) too. (slight stress on my)
My brother...
1. talks; he hardly ever listens.
2. spends money but hardly ever saves it.
3. phones; he hardly ever writes.
4. listens to the radio; he hardly ever watches TV.
5. paints pictures; he hardly ever takes photographs.
6. takes taxis; he hardly ever waits for a bus. (Use buses.) 1. drives; he hardly ever lets me drive.
8. cycles; he hardly ever walks.
9. eats out; he hardly ever cooks for himself.
10. stays at home (for his holidays); he hardly ever goes abroad.
•11. rushes about (during his holidays); he hardly ever relaxes 12. takes people to restaurants; he hardly ever invites them to his house.
what about? + gerund, would rather + infinitive without to, would prefer + infinitive
In this drill the prompt only is given and students must form both the question (A) and the answer (B). Students could work in pairs, one being A and the other B.
Prompt: walk on ... wait for a bus
A: What about walking on? Or would you rather wait for a bus?
(a) B: I'd rather walk on (than wait for a bus). (Words in brackets may be omitted.)
(b) B: I'd prefer to walk on.
This drill could also be done with I'm against/for or I'm in favour of+ gerunds:
(c) В: I'm against waiting for a bus.
(d) B: I'm for waiting for a bus.
(e) В: I'm in favour of waiting for a bus.
(The speaker in (d) and (e) does not agree with the speaker in (a), (b) and (c).
Prompts:
' 1. write ... phone
2. camp ... stay in a hotel
3. deliver it by hand ... post it
4. drive ... fly
5. mend the old one ... buy a new one
6. go as we are ... change into evening dress
7. get a job ... ask our parents to send us money
8. finish it tonight... leave it till tomorrow
9. try to fix it ourselves ... send for an electrician
10. wash the sheets at home ... take them to the launderette
11. tune the piano ourselves ... get a piano tuner
12. borrow a TV set... hire one
13. buy a cat... put down rat poison
14. ring the dentist today... put it off till tomorrow
15. start now ... wait for Bill
16. hitch-hike... cycle
17. stay at home next weekend... go away
18. keep some... eat it all now
avoid + gerund
Дп old man is talking to his doctor.
A: I travelled overnight and felt awful afterwards. B: Then try to avoid travelling overnight.
/... and felt awful afterwards.
1. got very angry 8. read in a bad light
2. overate 9. carried a heavy suitcase
(Use suitcases.)
3. drank too much 10. played cards all night
4. went to bed too late 11. took sleeping pills
5. rushed about 12. travelled by jet
6. stood for a long time 13. worked all weekend
7. made a long speech 14. quarrelled with my (Use speeches.) neighbours
enjoy + gerund
A: I had a lovely time yesterday. I wrote letters all day. B: Do you actually enjoy writing letters? (stress on enjoy)
I had a lovely time yesterday. I... all day.
1. peeled potatoes 7. practised the piano
2. washed windows 8. worked in the garden
3. mended socks 9.cooked
4. cleaned shoes 10. baked
5. sewed on buttons 11. looked after the children
6. ironed shirts 12. baby-sat
fancy/imagine + gerund
A: She doesn't go to bed at all! B: Fancy not going to bed at all!
or В: Imagine not going to bed at all!
A: He lost all his savings!
B: Fancy losing one's/your savings!
or B: Imagine losing one's/your savings!
1. My sister doesn't enjoy her days off.
2. Tom doesn't know his own age.
3. Bill refused a rise in salary.
4. She was an au pair girl for ten years.
5. She never has a night out.
6. She baby-sits every night.
7. They paid £200 for a single meal.
8. They watch television for thirty hours a week.
9. The mother doesn't know where her baby is.
10. She got married at fourteen.
11. She waited twenty years for him. (Omit for him.}
12. He works a 70-hour week.
admit/deny/bе suspected/ be accused of+ gerund
A: Did he say he had stolen the documents?
(a) B: Yes, he admitted stealing them.
(b) B: No, he denied stealing them.
(c) В: No, but he is suspected of stealing them.
(d) B: No, but he has been accused of stealing them.
Did he say he had...
1. forged the signature?
2. taken part in the robbery?
3. fired at the policeman?
4. attacked the cashier?
5. shot the chauffeur?
6. received the stolen goods?
7. sold the secret information?
8. given false evidence?
9. bribed the officials?
mind/object to + him/his + gerund
Tom, who has a very relaxed attitude to work, has just joined the staff- A senior employee, shocked by his behaviour, points out his "Crimes" to the manager. But the manager, who is about to retire, doesn't mind much.
A (in shocked tones): He kisses your secretary!
(a) B: Oh, I don't mind him* kissing my secretary!
But when this manager resigns and a new man is appointed, things are going to be different.
A: He kisses your secretary!
(b) B: I object to him * kissing my secretary.
* HIS is technically the more correct form, but HIM is more usual in spoken English.
He...
1. spends two hours having lunch!
2. writes his own lectures during office hours!
3. gets your secretary to type his private letters!
4. arrives late!
5. goes home early!
6. wears jeans!
7. chews gum!
8. puts his feet on the desk!
9. sleeps at his desk !
10. phones his friends from the office!
11. argues with clients !
12. parks his motor cycle in the hall!
13. drops ash on the carpet!
14. leaves burning cigarettes about!
15. smokes your cigars!
prevent +object + (from) + gerund
Next to Tom's house is a nice open, grassy place, where people come for picnics. This annoys Tom, but his friend explains that he can't do anything to stop it.
A (angrily): They park here! >
В : It's very difficult to prevent people (from) parking here.
They..
1. have picnics here! 6. lie about almost naked!
2. light fires! 7. use terrible language!
3. leave litter! 8. play their radios loudly!
4. bang their car doors! 9. fry sausages!
5. make a horrible noise!
couldn't help + gerund
A (accusingly): You got lost! B: I couldn't help getting lost.
1— 8 John wanted Bill to remain absolutely still. Bill, however, couldn't manage this.
You...
1. coughed! ' 5. smiled!
2. sneezed!- 6. moved!
3. laughed! 7. sighed!
4. shivered! -4 8. fell asleep!
9 — 16 Ann is just generally disapproving of Bill's actions.
You...
9. came in late. 13. got into debt.
10. made a noise. 14. saw what was in the letter.
11. woke the people in 15. bought that dog. the next flat. 16. wrote that letter.
12. caught a cold.
keep + gerund
The new secretary isn't a great success. A colleague tries to defend her but the boss is clearly very dissatisfied.
A: It isn't very terrible to break a cup now and then. B: But she keeps breaking cups, (stress on keeps.)
it isn 't very terrible to . now and then.
1. come late 11. forget to switch the lights off
2. go home early
3. take time off 12. look out of the window
4. make mistakes
5. mix up appoint- 13. ring up one's friends (Use her.) ments
6. argue 14. ask for days off
7. answer back
8. lose documents 15. have headaches
9. interrupt 16. switch on one's radio (Use her.) 10. leave the safe 17. spell у our name wrong (Use my.)
open
remember + gerund
Peter annoyed his host, but doesn't remember much about the
party.
A: He says you spoilt his party.
B: I don't remember spoiling his party.
He says you...
1. arrived drunk. 6. called him names.
2. brought two drunk 7. broke a vase, friends.
3. refused to leave. 8. started a fight.
4. shouted at him. 9. made an awful lot of noise.
5. swore at him.
remember + him/his etc. + gerund
Paul didn't enjoy his holiday. But Ann doesn't seem to remember various disasters.
A: Breakfast was late.
B: I don't remember it/its being late.
Use pronoun object: it, him, her, you, them, or possessive adjective: its, his, her,your, their
1. The receptionist was rude. (Use her)
2. The people opposite sang all night.
3. They forgot to bring our early morning tea.
4. They refused to clean my car.
5. The lift broke down.
6. The kitchen staff went on strike. 7.1 lost my camera. (Use you/your.)
8. The taxi drivers cheated us.
9. It rained nearly all the time. 10. The hall porter insulted me.
11.1 suffered from food poisoning.
12. The hotel overcharged us.
13. They mixed up our reservations.
stop + gerund
A disagreeable flat-mate.
A: He plays the radio all night.
(a) B: You should tell him to stop playing the radio all night.
(b) B: Why don't you tell him to stop playing the radio all
night?
He...
1. argues all the time.
2. chews tobacco.
3. sleepwalks.
4. talks to himself.
5. follows me about.
6. listens to my telephone conversations.
7. annoys the neighbours.
8. hangs his washing out of the window.
9. borrows my things.
10. uses bad language.
11. parks outside my garage.
12. steals my apples.
13. bums rubbish in the garden.
14. opens my letters.
15. is rude to my friends.
16. plays the radio all night.
stop + object + gerund
A: He played cards. His mother blamed me for it. (stress on me) B: But how could you stop him playing cards? (stress on stop or you)
Це... His mother blamed me for it.
1. left home.
2. gave up shaving.
3. grew his hair.
4. threw away his suits.
5. went about barefoot.
6. wore dirty jeans.
7. tore up his passport.
8. gave up his job.
9. lived on National Assistance.
10. got married.
11. started a family.
12. played the guitar in the Underground.
try + gerund
A: Do you think it would help if we pressed the red button? B: Yes, let's try pressing the red button.
Do you think it would help if we...
1. put the cake back in the oven?
2. cut the sandwiches the day before?
3. ate less fat?
4. took more exercise?
5. opened the windows?
6. turned down the central heating?
7. moved the piano to another room? **
8. locked the doors at night?
9. painted the ceiling dark green?
10. paid the bills weekly?
11. filled the radiator with hot water?
12. cooked it in oil?
13. washed it in cold water?
suggest + gerund
Two boys lost some of their money during the holidays.
A: Why didn't you hitch-hike home?
B: Well, I suggested hitch-hiking but Tom didn't agree.
Why didn't you.
1. leave at once?
2. look for a cheaper hotel?
3. borrow a tent?
4. sleep on the beach?
5. get a job in a restaurant?
6. offer to work as guides?
7. sell your cameras? (Use out)
8. ring me?
9. tell your parents?
want/need + gerund
A: You should tidy the garden. B: Yes, it wants/needs tidying.
You should...
1. paint your windows.
2. sweep the steps.
3. clean the yard.
4. paint the fence.
5. cut the grass.
6. water the roses.
7. pick the peaches.
8. rebuild your wall.
9. mend the fence.
fr
be afraid of/risk + gerund
Alan and Bill are discussing certain actions by Tom. Alan suggests a reason for them and Bill agrees.
A: I expect he didn't want to get wet. (a)B: Yes, I suppose he was afraid of getting wet. (b)B: Yes, he probably didn't want to risk getting wet.
I expect he didn 't want to...
1. miss his train.
2. overload the car.
3. get a parking ticket.
4. annoy the boss.
5. lose his job.
6. break his neck.
7. make things worse.
8. wake everyone up.
9. press the wrong button.
10. upset his wife.
11. catch cold.
12. spoil his new suit.
13. shock the neighbours.
14. attract attention.
be interested in + gerund
George wants Bill to co-operate with him and offers all sorts of inducements. But Bill is not ambitious.
A: You might make a lot of money!
B: But I'm not interested in making a lot of money.
You might...
1. become a celebrity!
2. be invited to marvellous parties!
3. meet important people!
4. appear on television!
5. take part in radio programmes!
6. influence public opinion!
7. travel first class all over the world!
8. see your name in lights!
9. live in luxury!
10. drive a Rolls Royce!
11. buy an island in the Pacific!
feel like + gerund
One member of the family feels energetic; the other doesn't.
(a) A: Let's go for a walk.
B: I don't feel like going for a walk, (slight stress on feel)
This could also be used as an indirect speech exercise:
(b) A: Let's go for a walk.
В (reporting A's suggestion): He suggests/suggested going for a walk.
Let's...
1. walk to the village.
2. take the dogs out.
3. climb the mountain.
4. run round the block.
5. carry the boxes upstairs.
6. play tennis.
7. swim across the river.
8. pick apples.
9. look for mushrooms.
10. move the piano.
11. tidy the cupboard.
12. sweep the stairs.
13. repaper the sitting-room.
14. paint the greenhouse.
15. rebuild the garage.
for + gerund (punish someone for/apologize for/ get into trouble for)
Tom is at a boarding school. His father has just received his half term report and is reading it out to his wife.
A: Tom broke sixteen windows during his first week! (a)B: Well, I hope they punished him for breaking sixteen windows.
(b)B: Well, I hope he apologized for breaking sixteen windows.
(с)В: Poor Tom. I expect he got into trouble for breaking sixteen windows.
Tom-
1. kicked a football through the greenhouse roof!
2. drove the headmaster's car into the village pond!
3. refused to wear uniform!
4. was rude to the teachers!
5. burnt down the gymnasium!
6. poured milk into the grand piano!
7. sold the school tape recorders!
8. cheated at exams!
9. wrote things on the walls!
10. woke everyone up when he came in!
have difficulty (in) + gerund
A: Did you find the house quite easily?
B: No, I had a lot of difficulty (in) finding the house.
Did you... quite easily?
1. fit everything into your case (Use my)
2. start the car
3. read the map
4. cross the river
5. find a place to park
6. put up the tent
7. light the fire
8. keep warm
9. understand him
10. make yourself understood
11. explain what you wanted
12. arrange a loan
it's no use/good + gerund it's no use/good me/ту + gerund
A: Why didn't you tell him? (a) B: It's no use telling him.
or
В: It's no good telling him. (b) В: It's no use me/my telling him.
Why didn't you...
1. talk to him?
2. remind him?
3. ask him?
4. complain?
5. ring him?
6. refuse?
7. threaten him?
8. offer a reward?
9. warn him?
10. go to the embassy?
11. demand compensation?
12. leave?
13. oppose him?
insist on + gerund, insist on me/ту + gerund
(a) A: Tom painted the ceiling black, didn't he?
B: Yes, he insisted on painting the ceiling black.
(b) A: You painted the ceiling black, didn't you?
B: Yes. Bill insisted on me/my painting the ceiling black.
(a) Tom... didn't he?
1. wore a tie,
2. changed trains,
3. started at midnight,
4. travelled in the guard's van,
5. sent for the Fire Brigade,
6. burnt the film,
7. took the dogs,
8. wrote to the papers,
9. slept in the attic,
10. consulted a fortune-teller,
11. fetched a doctor,
12. stopped the traffic,
13. searched the house,
14. rang the police,
15. waited till the end,
16. signed the petition,
You... didn't you'''
in spite of+ gerund
Prompt: He spends very little.
A: He is quite rich.
B: But in spite of being rich, he spend