Definition & Useful List of Verbs Followed by Gerund

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What is a gerund? Learn the gerund definition, types of gerunds, and a useful list of common verbs followed by gerunds in English, with clear examples and ESL printable infographics.

Gerund Definition

A gerund is formed by adding -ing to a verb. It functions as a noun and is commonly used after certain verbs, prepositions, or as part of a gerund phrase.

There are four main grammatical roles of gerunds and gerund phrases:

1. Subject
2. Direct Object
3. Object of a Preposition
4. Subject Complement

Examples:

• Swimming is very good for the body. (Subject)
• Smoking is prohibited in the hospital. (Subject)
• My neighbors admire my gardening. (Direct Object)
• I am enjoying my gardening this year. (Direct Object)
• I have received several awards for my gardening. (Object of a Preposition)
• I love reading. (Direct Object)
• Patrick likes photographing nature. (Direct Object)
• I avoid going to the dentist. (Direct Object)
• I miss taking walks in the morning. (Direct Object)
• My favorite hobby is swimming. (Subject Complement)

List of Verbs Followed by Gerunds with Examples

The most important verbs that are commonly followed by gerunds are shown below.

abhor	Tom abhors working outdoors.
acknowledge	She acknowledges working hard on the project.
admit	He admitted cheating on the test.
advise	The doctor advised drinking low-fat milk.
allow	Ireland doesn’t allow smoking in bars.
anticipate	I anticipated arriving late.
appreciate	I appreciated her helping me.
avoid	He avoided talking to her.
be worth	It’s worth spending some time on grammar.
begin	I began learning Chinese.
can’t help	Tom can’t help complaining about the heat.
can’t bear	He can’t bear having so much responsibility.
can’t see	I can’t see paying so much money for a car.
can’t stand	He can’t stand her smoking in the office.
cease	The government ceased providing free healthcare.
celebrate	We celebrated working together for over fifty years.
complete	He completed renovating the house.
confess	Sam confessed stealing the money.
consider	She considered moving to New York.
continue	He continued talking.
defend	The lawyer defended making such statements.
delay	He delayed doing his taxes.
deny	He denied committing the crime.
despise	She despises waking up early.
detest	Jack detests learning new vocabulary.
discuss	We discussed working at the company.
dislike	She dislikes working after 6 PM.
don’t mind	I don’t mind helping you.
dread	She dreads getting up at 4 AM.
encourage	He encourages eating healthy foods.
endure	We endured listening to him for three hours.
enjoy	We enjoy hiking.
escape	The students escaped having to take the test.
finish	He finished doing his homework.
forgive	She forgave my arriving late.
hate	I hate cleaning the bathroom.
imagine	He imagines working there one day.
involve	The job involves traveling to Japan once a month.
keep	She kept interrupting me.
like	She likes listening to music.
love	I love swimming.
miss	She misses living near the beach.
need	The aquarium needs cleaning.
postpone	He postponed returning to New York.
practice	She practiced singing the song.
recommend	Tony recommended taking the train.
regret	She regretted saying that.
remember	I remember telling her the address yesterday.
risk	He risked being caught.
stop	She stopped working at 5 o’clock.
suggest	They suggested staying at the hotel.
try	Sam tried opening the lock with a paperclip.

Important Grammar Note

Some verbs such as begin, start, continue, like, love, and hate can be followed by either a gerund (V-ing) or an infinitive (to + verb) with little or no change in meaning.

Examples:

• I love swimming.
• I love to swim.
• She started working early.
• She started to work early.

Verbs Followed by Gerunds – Visual Reference

Gerund Exercises

Exercise 1: Choose the Correct Gerund (V-ing)

Complete each sentence using the correct gerund (V-ing) form of the verb in brackets.

1. She enjoys ______ (read) books before bed.
2. They avoided ______ (talk) about the problem.
3. He admitted ______ (cheat) on the exam.
4. We discussed ______ (move) to another city.
5. I don’t mind ______ (help) you with your homework.
6. She misses ______ (live) near the beach.
7. The job involves ______ (travel) abroad once a month.
8. He postponed ______ (return) to New York.
9. They suggested ______ (stay) at the hotel.
10. I finished ______ (clean) the kitchen.

Answers – Exercise 1

1. reading
2. talking
3. cheating
4. moving
5. helping
6. living
7. traveling
8. returning
9. staying
10. cleaning

Exercise 2: Gerund or Infinitive?

Choose the correct form of the verb in brackets: V-ing or to + verb.

1. I enjoy ______ (swim / swimming) in the morning.
2. She decided ______ (to leave / leaving) early.
3. He stopped ______ (smoking / to smoke) last year.
4. We discussed ______ (to buy / buying) a new house.
5. She loves ______ (to travel / traveling).
6. They avoided ______ (to answer / answering) the question.
7. He started ______ (to study / studying) harder this semester.
8. I regret ______ (to say / saying) that to her.
9. Do you mind ______ (to wait / waiting) here for a moment?
10. She tried ______ (to open / opening) the door with a key.

Answers – Exercise 2

1. swimming
2. to leave
3. smoking
4. buying
5. traveling / to travel
6. answering
7. studying / to study
8. saying
9. waiting
10. opening