Verbs + (-ING), Gerund, Actions, and Set-up Verbs

Hey Flabbergasting English People,

Welcome back to one more posting. I have been aloof lately due to the fact that college has been tough. However, I am back with full power now and guess what? What, what, what, what! That's a brand-new topic.

Using (-ing) is not as simple as we might think it is. People usually think that (-ing)'s function is only to make verbs into their GERUND FORMS. It also can be used in order TO MAKE VERBS INTO NOUNS, AFTER PREPOSITIONS and SET-UP VERBS. Some verbs can be followed by both infinitive form or gerund form, but the meaning would be different.

Verbs followed ONLY by -ing.
admit to - He admitted to killing someone.
be good/ bad at - I am really good at basketball.
consider - He considered me going with them.
enjoy - I enjoy teaching my students.
mind - I don't mind working late.
suggest- I suggested taking the plane instead of the car.
appreciate - She appreciates shopping.
be interested in - I am so interested in Vânia.
feel like - I don't feel like sleeping very late.
miss - I miss riding in my own car.
talking about - I was talking about moving up north.
avoid - I can't avoid thinking about you all the time.
can't help - I can't help going along with you.
deny - I denied being violent.
finish - I have finished writing my book.
look forward to - I've been looking forward to listening to your sweet voice.
practice - I don't practicing speaking Spanish.
think of - I thought of going back to New York.
be capable of - I'm so capable of doing any kind of work.
can't stand - I can't stand listening to opera.
dislike - I dislike playing golf.
give up - My best friend gave up smoking.
mention - He mentioned farting in the elevator.
succeed in - He succeed in fixing cars.


Verbs that can be followed by both the -ing and the full infinitive with a difference in meaning.

remember + (-ing) - I remember going to the mall with Bill. (previous facts that happened)
remember + infinitive - I remembered to go to the mall with Bill. (didn't happen yet)

stop + (-ing) - I stopped smoking. (give up, quit)
stop + infinitive - I stopped to smoke (stop what you are doing in order to smoke)

Continuous Tenses

Present Continuous - I am working on my monograph with my group.

Past Continuous - My mother was talking to my sister about flunking at Mathmatics.

Present Perfect Continuous - They have been studying English for a year now.

Past Perfect Continuous - We all had been trying those materials out.

I have been so happy for what this blog has become. It's been steadly growing to be more complete so as to inform students, teachers, and researchers about English's curiosities and grammatical features. Let's keep it going on! See y'all on the next topic.

Rodrigo Pelegrini Honorato
ESL Teacher
rphingles@yahoo.com.br