The Voice Distinctions of the Gerund

to admit

to imagine

to resent

to appreciate

to mention

to resist

to avoid

to mind

to risk

to deny

to miss

to suggest

to detest

to postpone

to understand

to enjoy

to practise

can’t help

to excuse

to put off

can’t stand

to fancy

to be afraid

to hate

to propose

to begin

to intend

to recollect

to cease

to like/dislike

to remember

to continue

to love

to regret

can’t afford

to need

to start

can’t bear

to neglect

to stop

to dread

to plan

to try

to fear

to prefer

to want

to forget

to agree

to

to count

on

to consist

in

to depend

on

to hear

of

to rely

on

to learn

of

to succeed

in

to think

of

to look forward

to

to persist

in

to object

to

to boast

of

to accuse

smb.

of

to blame

smb.

for

to suspect

smb.

of

to praise

smb.

for

to prevent

smb.

from

to punish

smb

for

to stop

smb

from

to sentence

smb

for

to assist

smb.

in

to have no difficulty

in

to help

smb.

in

to congratulate

smb.

on

to thank

smb.

for

to remind

smb.

of

to be afraid

of

to be proud

of

to be aware

of

to be sure

of

to be conscious

of

to be responsible

of

to be capable

of

to be sorry

about

to be fond

of

to be keen

on

to be ignorant

of

to be ashamed

of

to be accustomed

to

to be (dis)pleased

with/at

to be used

to

to be surprised

at

to be absorbed

in

to be tired

of

to be engrossed

in

to be disappointed

with

FUNCTIONS

PREPOSITIONS

EXAMPLES

SUBJECT

________

Translating such texts is rather difficult.***

It is no use translating this text without a dictionary.

PREDICATIVE

____/like **

My problem is getting to sleep on time.

I don’t feel like going to bed yet.

PART OF A

COMPOUND VERBAL ASPECTIVE PREDICATE

________

DIRECT OBJECT *

_________

He suggested going to the museum.

He denies having met her.

PREPOSITIONAL OBJECT *

of, about, on, in, for, from, at, to, etc.**

He insisted on going home.

She was not conscious of having shown any special interest in Tom.

ATTRIBUTE

of, about, in, at, for, to **

He was busy and gave up the idea of going to the seaside.

AM of TIME

after, before, on, in, at

She looked at him steadily before answering.

AM of PURPOSE

for, for fear of, for the sake of, for the purpose of

He wants to visit a solicitor tomorrow for the purpose of making a new will.

AM of CONDITION

without, but for

He won’t go without saying good-bye.

AM of CAUSE *

for, through, owing to, for fear of, due to, because of

Through being left out all night in the rain, the metal had rusted.

He felt better for having written the letter.

AM of ATTENDANT*

CIRCUMSTANCES

without, instead of

He went away instead of working.

He arrived at the age of forty-five without having once appeared upon a stage.

AM of CONCESSION

in spite of, despite

In spite of being busy, she managed to translate the text.

AM of MANNER

in, by

Her evening was spent in reading.

AM of COMPARISON

_________

The country is much better for you than working in the hot city all

summer.

* In these cases the Perfect Gerund may occur.

** The choice of these prepositions is determined by V, A, N.

*** The Gerund would not occur after “essential”, “important”, “necessary”.