In a sentence, the gerund is used in different syntactic functions:
Subject
I think walking in the country is a lovely way to spend a day.
Predicative
What I suffer from is not being able to sleep.
Part of a compound modal or aspect predicate
I can’t help feeling depressed sometimes.
Direct Object
I enjoy travelling.
The gerund is used after certain verbs, such as:
admit detest justify resist resent
advise dislike mention risk
allow endure mind save
anticipate enjoy miss suggest
appreciate escape permit tolerate
avoid excuse practise deny
confess face put off imagine
delay forget recommend involve
The Gerund as a direct object is also used after the adjective worth.
The book is evidently worth reading.
Prepositional object
In this function the gerund is used after such verbs as:
admit to depend on
(dis)agree with insist on
aim at object to
apologize for pay for
(dis)approve of put up with
believe in rely on
benefit from resort to
care for succeed in
confess to think of
count on vote for
worry about
Jake is thinking of selling his motor-bike.
The gerund can also follow a verb+object+preposition.
The article accuses the government of concealing important information.
We find the gerund after such verbs as:
accuse of deter from prevent from stop from
blame for discourage from punish for thank for
charge with excuse for/from remind of use for
congratulate on forgive for tell about warn about
The gerund is used as a prepositional object after certain adjectives, such as:
afraid of capable of grateful for sorry for
amazed at content with guilty of surprised at
angry about/at dependent on happy about/with used to
annoyed about/at different from/to interested in worried about
anxious about excited about/at keen on wrong with
ashamed of famous for nervous of satisfied with
aware of fed up with pleased about/with
bad at fond of ready for
bored with good at responsible for
My husband isn’t very good at cooking.
Part of a Complex Object
The Gerund can be part of a complex object when used as the verbal element of a predicative construction (see 10).
I hate people asking me personal questions.
Attribute
In this function the Gerund is always preceded by a preposition.
I noticed Jeff’s success in getting the price down.
Some other nouns can also take a preposition+gerund:
aim of/in excitement about/at possibility of
amazement at fear of problem of/in
anger about/at gratitude for prospect of
anxiety about idea of reason for
apology for job of surprise at
belief in objection to task of
danger of/in pleasure of/ in work of
effect of point of/ in worry about
Adverbial modifier
a) adverbial modifier of time
In this function, the gerund is used with the prepositions after, before, on/upon, in, at.
Please, switch off the lights before leaving.
b) adverbial modifier of manner with the prepositions by, in.
She succeeded in business by being completely single-minded.
c) adverbial modifier of attendant circumstances with the preposition without.
The man left the building without being seen.
d) adverbial modifier of purpose with the preposition for.
These pages may be used for making notes on.
e) adverbial modifier of condition with the preposition without.
The boys could not leave the house without asking for permission.
f) adverbial modifier of cause with the prepositions for, for fear of, owing to.
I feel ever so much better for having taken a holiday.
g) adverbial modifier of concession with the prepositions in spite of, despite.
I still feel tired in spite of having slept eight hours.
10.
