A practical english grammar - Vyssaja skola 1978

Chapter 11 - VERB + GERUND
Sound symbols

This pattern, like the one in which a verb is followed by an infinitive, has its own limited set of characteristic verbs.

He enjoys eating.

He admitted taking the money.

We couldn’t avoid offending him.

I considered buying a car.

Several verbs in this pattern are commonly used only in the negative or interrogative.

Do you mind sitting here?

I don’t mind waiting.

I can’t help feeling sorry about that.

My mother can’t bear* hearing modern music.

Here are some other verbs in this pattern.

deny   like*   recommend

hate*   love*   resent

intend*   postpone  suggest

involve   prefer*

(* These words can also be followed by infinitives.)

Verbs of starting, stopping, continuing. A number of verbs with these meanings are followed by gerunds. Some of them are two-word verbs.

She started putting away the clothes.

He stopped working.

He gave up smoking,

He went on eating.

He continued eating.

It kept on raining.

We finished working at noon.

I put off writing the letter until today.

Start, begin, and continue can also be followed by infinitives, with no difference in meaning.

Verbs after which infinitive and gerund have different meanings.

1) try

Try opening this window. (By way of experiment, open the window.)

Try to open the window. (Make an effort to open it.)

2) remember

I remembered to answer the letter. (I didn’t neglect to answer it.)

I remembered answering the letter. (I had answered the letter already, and I recalled the act.)

3) forget

He forgot to call me. (He neglected to call.)

He forgot calling me. (He had called, but he didn’t remember doing it.)

4) stop

He stopped talking to us. (He discontinued talking to us.)

He stopped to talk to us. (He stopped, with the purpose of talking to us.)

5) need

I need to rest a while. (I have a need for rest.)

My shirt needs mending. (My shirt is in need of being mended.)