60 min
The -ING Form 2
1 topic
1 task
1.
As mentioned in the previous mission, noun-like -ING forms are called gerunds. In a sentence, they take on virtually the same role as nouns do. Quite naturally, they will be used after prepositions:
Gerunds are also common after the following verbs:
- Sorry about waking you up.
- Thanks for coming!
Gerunds are also common after the following verbs:
- (be) worth
- acknowledge
- admit
- advise
- appreciate
- avoid
- burst out (crying/ laughing)
- can't stand
- can't help
- celebrate
- consider
- contemplate
- delay
- deny
- detest
- discontinue
- discuss
- dislike
- endure
- enjoy
- escape
- excuse
- explain
- face
- fancy
- feel like
- finish
- forgive
- give up
- imagine
- involve
- justify
- keep (on)
- leave off
- mention
- mind
- miss
- postpone
- practice
- prevent
- prohibit
- propose
- put off
- quit
- recall
- regret
- report
- resent
- resist
- risk
- suggest
- support
- tolerate
- understand
2.
Deserve, need, require, want are followed by a gerund with a 'passive' meaning:
- She deserves firing for what she did. = deserves to be fired
- Your shoes need / require / want mending. = need / require / want to be cleaned
3.
Don't confuse the two structures based on the gerund:
1
do the / some / a little / a bit of / a lot of / no / his / her etc.
Ving is used for routine chores:
Ving is used for routine chores:
- do the shopping
- do some ironing
- do a little cleaning
- do a bit of tidying up
- do a lot of cooking
- do no washing
- do his washing up
- do her photocopying
- etc.
2
go Ving requires a verb of motion and refers to pastimes and hobbies.
- go shopping
- go running
- go swimming
- go climbing
- go abseiling
- go wake-boarding
- go walking
- go hang-gliding
- etc.
4.
Gerunds are common with the following structures:
AS WELL AS
- She is a talented musician as well as being a photographer.
THERE'S NO
- There is no knowing / telling what may happen next.
- There is no pleasing the man.
- There is no accounting for his moods.
WHAT'S THE USE OF
IT'S NO USE
THERE'S NO POINT (IN)
IT'S NO USE
THERE'S NO POINT (IN)
- What's the use of worrying about it?
5.
Adverb-like -ING forms refer to a verb and are common in the following structures:
SPEND / PASS *TIME* Ving
- I spent / passed my evening watching TV.
BE BUSY Ving
- We're busy doing our homework.
HAVE A HARD TIME Ving
HAVE DIFFICULTY (IN) Ving
HAVE DIFFICULTY (IN) Ving
- She has a hard time hearing.
- I'm having a hard time hearing you.
AS
- She struck me as being a very nervy kind of person.
END UP
- I ended up doing all the work myself.
WITHOUT
- They left without saying goodbye.
FEEL YOURSELF
Do you know what's worth fighting for
When it's not worth dying for?
Does it take your breath away
And you feel yourself suffocating?
When it's not worth dying for?
Does it take your breath away
And you feel yourself suffocating?
6.
-ING CLAUSES
WHEN, WHILE
- When telephoning from abroad, dial 1865, not 01865.
- Keep your eyes on the road while driving.
AFTER, BEFORE, SINCE, ON
- After talking to you I always feel better.
- After having annoyed everybody he went home.
- Depress clutch before changing gear.
- She's been quite different since coming back from America.
- On being introduced, British people often shake hands.
AS IF, AS THOUGH
- He looked at me as though asking for help.
7.
As was mentioned in the previous mission, participles need to agree with the subject of the sentence. However, they do not always do. Then, they are called dangling participles:
Sentences like these are common and often seem quite natural, particularly when the main clause has preparatory it or there as a subject:
It is even more common in set expressions:
Technically, those are dangling participles too:
- Looking out of the window of our hotel room, there was a wonderful range of mountains.
Sentences like these are common and often seem quite natural, particularly when the main clause has preparatory it or there as a subject:
- Being French, it's surprising that she’s such a terrible cook.
- Having so little time, there was not much that I could do.
It is even more common in set expressions:
- Generally speaking, men can run faster than women.
- Broadly speaking, dogs are more faithful than cats.
- Strictly speaking, I shouldn’t be helping you.
- Judging from his expression, he’s in a bad mood.
- Taking everything into consideration, they ought to get another chance.
- Having said that, you can’t just sit around doing nothing.
Technically, those are dangling participles too:
- Supposing it rains, what shall we do?
- Assuming the house is for sale, would you buy it?
- Seeing that you’re already at the door, I suppose I must invite you inside.
- Failing his arrival we shall stay here.
- What are his intentions regarding you?
- It is excusable considering how young he is.
- Pending his arrival they played chess.
- Following the lecture the meeting was open to discussion.
8.
There are set phrases containing -ing forms, of course:
- sth goes without saying
- in a manner of speaking
- on speaking terms (with)
- up and coming
- Barking dogs seldom bite.
- A drowning man will clutch at a straw.
- A good beginning makes a good ending.
- A rolling stone gathers no moss.
- Beware of Greeks bearing gifts.
- Every cloud has a silver lining.
- Failing to plan is planning to fail.
- If a job is worth doing it is worth doing well.
- It's no use crying over spilt milk.
- Let sleeping dogs lie.
- Seeing is believing.
- The proof of the pudding is in the eating.
- When the going gets tough the tough get going.
- Worrying never did anyone any good.
- You can't make an omelette without breaking eggs.
END OF GUIDE
Stay alert — next up are the assessment tasks.
Hit the test to reinforce what you’ve learned.
Hit the test to reinforce what you’ve learned.
