Gerunds
Objectives
At the end of the lesson, you will be able to
• Understand the syntactic rules that govern the uses of gerunds
• Understand the meanings and functions of gerunds
• Create effective lessons and activities to teach the gerund
Overview
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Recognition of gerunds: their positions in a sentence
The gerund as the object of the preposition
The gerund as the object of the verb
Verbs that take both gerunds and infinitives
Special expressions: Phrases + gerunds
Go + gerunds
Gerunds with passive meaning
Recognizing the form
Swimming is fun. [subject]
Mary likes swimming. [object]
She’s good at swimming. [object of preposition]
Seeing is believing. [subject and subject complement]
One of my bad habits is biting nails. [subject complement]
Not exercising is good for you. [negative gerund as subject]
I don’t like being sick. [object ]
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Experience the Gerund: Complete the following survey and find out if you have road rage. (Note
that the verbs in the –ing form are gerunds.)
ROAD RAGE INTENSITY PROFILE
We've all heard of Aggressive Driving and Road Rage and most of us feel its effects
from time to time. But who is really at risk? What are the warning signs? Have you
visited the Aggressive Zone? Are you driving too much in the Hostile Zone? Are you
nearly in the War Zone?
Check every option below that applies to you to find your own
personal "RoadRageous Quotient". There is no passing or failing score, just a
question of how far down the list you've gone. The highest number you mark is your
own personal rating. More than half of all Americans are rated between 18 to 22 - more than 60% admit to losing their temper while driving their cars.
Be Aware: even clicking one scenario can put you at risk. Take the test. Submit
your answers and find out where you stand? It's time to ask ourselves... "Is It Really
Worth It?"
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__
__
__
__
__
The
__
Impatient
__
Zone
__
__
1. Habitually rushing and lane-hopping.
2. Always Trying to get ahead and seeing others cars as being in the
way.
3. Making rolling stops or going through red lights.
4. Making illegal U-turns.
5. Driving in a state of low alertness, inattention, or sleepiness.
6. Speeding up to a yellow light because you hate stopping for red
lights.
7. Changing lanes without signaling ahead of time.
8. Being unable to relax, or having negative emotions when police
cars are around.
9. Habitually swearing or being in a bad mood in the car.
10. Not yielding when another driver has the right of way.
__
__
__
__
__
__
__
11. Constantly ridiculing or criticizing other drivers to oneself or
passengers.
12. Taking dangerous risks during multi-tasking (phoning, eating, etc.).
13. Closing the gap to deny entry into your lane, whenever you feel
like it.
14. Regularly going more than 20 miles above the posted speed limit.
The
Hostile
Zone
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The
War
Zone
__
__
__
__
__
15. Speeding past another car or revving the engine as a sign of
protest.
16. Preventing another driver from passing, whenever you feel like it.
17. Tailgating to pressure a driver to go faster or to get out of the way.
18. Fantasizing physical violence against another driver.
19. Flashing your headlights in retaliation.
20. Honking or yelling at someone through the open window.
21. Making a visible insulting gesture at another driver.
22. Using your car to retaliate by making sudden, threatening
maneuvers.
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23. Getting out of the car and engaging in a shouting match.
24. Getting out and beating on, or throwing something at another car.
25. Carrying a weapon and beating on, or throwing something at
another car.
26. Beating or battering someone because of a road exchange.
27. Trying to run another car off the road to punish the driver.
28. Trying to run over someone whose actions angered you.
29. Shooting at another car.
30. Killing someone in a driving dispute.
Source: American Institute for Public Safety, form available at
http://www.aipsnews.com/rurrageous.htm.
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The Gerund as the Subject or Subject Complement
(a) Seeing is believing.
(b) Smoking is hazardous to health.
(c) The biggest problem is giving them too much freedom.
Note: In the diagram below, the gerund clauses are highlighted in red.
Subject
Seeing
Smoking
The biggest problem
Linking Verb
is
is
is
Subject Complement
believing.
hazardous to health.
giving them too much freedom.
Sample teaching activity 1(a): Form-focused exercise and function-focused activity, Intermediate
Grammar, Exercises 2 & 3 p. 358
Complete the following sentences:
1. _____________________ is good exercise.
2. _____________________ is dangerous.
3. _____________________ is easy.
4. _____________________ is unhealthy.
5. _____________________ is expensive.
6. _____________________ takes a lot of time.
7. _____________________ is difficult.
8. _____________________ saves energy.
9. Getting up early _____________________.
10. Raising children _____________________.
11. Washing dishes _____________________
12. Using a computer _____________________.
Sample teaching activity 1(b): Form-focused exercise and function-focused activity,
Intermediate Grammar, Exercises 2 & 3 p. 358
Work with a partner. Choose one of the topics below and make a list of five to ten problems
people have in that situation. Use a gerund to express each problem.
Example: problems with living in a big city
1. Parking
2. Making friends
Topics
1. Problems with living in a big city
2. Problems with living in a foreign country
3. Problems with having a pet
4. Problems with owning your own home
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The gerund as the object of a preposition
Subject
Linking Verb
Subject Complement
Adjective Phrase
Prepositional Phrase
Pronoun
Linking Verb
Adjective
Prep
Gerund (Object of Prep)
He
is
afraid
of
talking.
Note: When a noun or gerund occurs after a preposition, it functions as the object of the
preposition.
Exercise: Fill out the blanks and explain the errors.
(a) Thank you for helping me carry my suitcase.
(b) We were excited about __________ (go) to Canada for our vacation.
(c) Sue is in charge of __________ (organize) the meeting.
(d) It’s not worth __________ (get) upset.
(e) (?) I’m used to sleep with the windows open.
Compare: I used to sleep with the windows open.
(f) (?) I look forward to meet you soon.
(g) (?) I object to work on Sundays.
Some of the common preposition combinations followed by gerunds:
be excited about, apologize for, keep someone from, believe in, be accused of, be
accustomed to, be committed to, ….
Sample Teaching Activity 2: Ask three of your classmates the following questions:
(1) What are you capable of doing?
(2) What are you committed to doing while studying at Biola?
(3) What are you devoted to doing as a Christian teacher of English?
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The Gerund as the Object of the Verb: Verbs + Gerund
(a) I really appreciate having time to relax.
(b) (?) Have you considered to get a job overseas?
(c) (?) Don’t worry. He doesn’t mind to be bothered.
(d) (?) I enjoy to take a long walk every morning.
(e) (?) He told a really funny joke. We couldn’t stop to laugh.
Subject
Pronoun
He
I
Verb
Verb
enjoys
appreciate
Object
Gerund
swimming.
having time to relax.
Other common verbs followed by gerunds:
admit, avoid, contemplate, delay, deny, detest, dislike, endure, enjoy, escape, excuse,
face, feel like, finish, forgive, give up, can’t help, imagine, involve, keep, mention,
mind, miss, postpone, practice, resent, resist, risk, can’t stand, suggest, understand.
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Sample teaching activity 3: (a) Talking about likes and dislikes, Intermediate Gram, p. 363
Sample teaching activity 3: (b) Form-focused exercise: Gram in Use, pp. 100-101
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Verbs that can be Followed by Gerunds and Infinitives
Intermediate Grammar, pp. 376-377
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The Differences Between the Gerunds and the Infinitives
The Gerund
The Infinitive
• Refers to things as a whole
• Refers to an abstract concept
• Refers to an action that occurs
frequently
• Refers to an action that has been
completed
• Refers to a temporary or specific action
• Refers to an action that occurs in the
present or will occur in the future
Compare the following pairs of sentences. How would you explain their meaning and use?
(1)
(a) Selling fake medicine is a serious crime.
(b) To sell fake medicine is a serious crime.
(2)
(a) She remembered doing her homework.
(b) She remembered to do her homework.
(3)
(a) I regret to say that I am unable to go with you.
(b) I regret saying that I am unable to go with you.
(4)
(a) It’s better doing the job that way.
(b) It’s better to do the job that way.
(5)
(a) It was nice meeting you.
(b) It is nice to meet you.
(6)
(a) He stopped eating.
(b) He stopped to eat.
(7)
(a) He tried to keep pigs and rear poultry, but succeeded in neither.
(b) He tried keeping pigs and rearing poultry, but succeeded in neither.
(8)
(a) What does he mean to do?
(b) If they don’t let us know today, it will mean waiting until next week.
(9)
(a) He ignored the noise and went on reading it out loud.
(b) He turned off the radio and went on to read.
(10)
(a) “What kind of pen do you want to have?”
“I prefer ____________ to that blue one.”
(A) having this red pen (B) to have this red pen (C) had this red pen (D) this red having
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(11)
(a) I don’t think it worthwhile discussing the issue.
(b) I don’t think it worthwhile to discuss the issue.
(12)
(a) He apologized for making a mistake.
(b) He apologized for having made a mistake.
(13)
(a) He went on to read.
(b) He went on reading.
(c) He went on with reading.
(14)
(a) Flora doesn’t like to lag behind.
(b) Flora doesn’t like lagging behind.
(c) Flora doesn’t like to be lagging behind.
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Special Cases: Phrases + Gerunds
Supply accurate verb forms to complete the following sentences. Also think about what
explanations you would provide to your students.
(a) We had a lot of fun __________ (play) games at the picnic.
(b) I have trouble __________ (understand) Mrs. Maxwell when she speaks.
(c) I had difficulty __________ (find) the house.
(d) I had a hard time __________ (make up) his mind about anything.
(e) We spent a lot of time __________ (study) grammar.
(f) I waste a lot of time __________ (watch) TV.
(g) It is no use _____________ (worry).
(h) I’m busy ______________ (study) for exams.
(i) It’s not worth _________________ (get) upset.
(j) I can’t help ________________ (laugh).
(k) We had a good time _________________ (roller-blade) yesterday.
Sample teaching activity 4: Read the following story. Circle the correct answers. Pay
particular attention to the gerunds and the infinitives. Be prepared to explain your choices.
In 1970s, because there was a shortage of doctors in the United States, the government
decided (allow, to allow, allowing) foreign doctors (work, working, to work). Still today,
rural areas need doctors. So, foreign doctors (have still come, still come, are still coming) to
the States to practice. In fact, graduates of foreign medical schools (consist, make out, make
up) a fifth of the physicians (practice, practicing) here.
These doctors are (please, pleased) because they receive much (more high, higher)
salaries (then, to, than) they did in their (natives, native) countries. Also, being a physician is
(consider, considered) a (high, highly) prestigious job. Many foreign doctors, too, are
committed to (serve, serving) in rural areas (which, where) U.S. doctors are reluctant (to go,
going). But there is one big problem – language.
In some hospitals, half (of, of the) doctors are foreign born. Since the staff (come,
comes) from (differents, difference, different) countries, not only (patients are having, are
patients having, are having patients) difficulty (understand, to understand, understanding)
the staff, but doctors and nurses (have, are having) problems (communicate, to
communicate, communicate) with each other. This causes a lot of (trouble, troubles).
A Haitian doctor was (ask, asked, asking) by his patient about (weather, whether) he
should see a shrink. The doctor had no idea what (does shrink mean, shrink meant, did shrink
mean). Not (to know, knowing, known) that shrink means psychiatrist, he (must, had to,
should) ask his patient (to, Φ) explain what (was he, he was) talking (about, Φ). While the
patient explained, the doctor received (a, the) dirty look.
A doctor from Russia had a hard time (to communicate, communicating), too. He
asked his patient how (was she, she was) feeling. When the patient said, “I’m feeling under
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the weather,” the doctor (was thinking, has thought, thought) that the patient was switching
the conversation to the weather. He did not realize that “under the weather” meant that the
patient was not feeling (good, well). So the Russian doctor ended up (to ask, ask, asking)
(to, Φ) the patient if it (is, was, were) still raining. His patient looked (confuse, confusing,
confused).
A Brazilian doctor spent a long time (examining, examine) a six- (years-old, year-old)
patient because when the patient complained (to have, about having) a “tummy ache,” the
doctor had no idea what part of the body “tummy” is. He was (very, too, so) embarrassed to
ask. He kept (to ask, asking) his patient how long (had his throat, his throat had) been
bothering him. Only when the patient pointed to his stomach (did the doctor understand, the
doctor understood).
A Chinese doctor had problems (to examine, examining) a woman (who, which, Φ) was
brought into the emergency room. She (told, said) that she felt “like a dog.” This meant she
felt (terrible, terribly) sick. However, the doctor, (thinking, thought) that she was mentally ill,
called (up, Φ) a psychiatrist to examine her immediately.
After (to have, having, have) such a hard time (understand, understanding, to
understand) their patients, these doctors are beginning to (ask, asking) patients (to, Φ) show
them where (does it hurt, it hurts) instead of just (to tell, telling, tell) them. Pointing will help
them (succeed, success, succeeding).
The Gerunds with “Go”
Go is followed by a gerund in certain idiomatic expressions to express, for the most part,
recreational activities.
Let’s go dancing / fishing / bowling / skiing / window shopping…
Sample teaching activity 5: Mime: What does he enjoy doing during the spare time?
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The Gerunds with Passive Meaning
American English: need + to be + past participle (infinitive in the passive voice)
British English: need + doing something (gerund)
(a) Your house needs __________ (repair).
Compare: Your house needs to be repaired.
(b) Your car needs __________ (service).
Compare: Your car needs to be serviced.
Sample exercise 6: Azar, p. 333, Exercise 10
(1) The chair is broken. It needs _______________________ (fix).
(2) The baby’s diaper is wet. It needs _______________________ (change).
(3) My shirt is wrinkled. It needs _______________________ (iron).
(4) There is a hole in our roof. It needs _______________________ (repair).
(5) The house is a mess! It needs _______________________ (clean up).
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