UNIT 52. Verb + ~ing (enjoy doing/stop doing etc.)

UNIT 52. Verb + ~ing (enjoy doing/stop doing etc.)

A. Look at these examples:

* I enjoy dancing. (not 'I enjoy to dance')

* Would you mind closing the door? (not 'mind to close')

* Ian suggested going to the cinema. (not 'suggested to go')

After enjoy, mind and suggest, we use ~ing (not to ...).

Here are some more verbs that are followed by ~ing:

stop delay fancy consider admit miss involve finish postpone imagine avoid deny risk

practise

* Suddenly everybody stopped talking. There was silence.

* I'll do the shopping when I've finished cleaning the flat.

* He tried to avoid answering my question.

* I don't fancy going out this evening.

* Have you ever considered going to live in another country?

Note the negative form not ~ing:

* When I'm on holiday, I enjoy not having to get up early.

B. We also use ~ing after:

give up (= stop)

put off (= postpone)

carry on/go on (= continue)

keep or keep on (= do something continuously or repeatedly)

* Paula has given up smoking.

* We must do something. We can't go on living like this! (or ... carry on living ...)

* Don't keep interrupting me while I'm speaking. (or Don't keep on interrupting ...)

C. With some verbs you can use the structure verb + somebody + ~ing-

* I can't imagine George riding a motorbike.

* You can't stop me doing what I want.

* 'Sorry to keep you waiting so long.' 'That's all right.'

Note the passive form (being done/seen/kept etc.):

* I don't mind being kept waiting. (= I don't mind people keeping me ...)

D. When you are talking about finished actions, you can say having done/stolen/said etc.:

* She admitted having stolen the money.

But it is not necessary to use having (done). You can also use the simple ~ing form for finished actions:

* She admitted stealing the money.

* I now regret saying (or having said) what I said.

For regret, see Unit 55B.

E. After some of the verbs on this page (especially admit/deny/suggest) you can use that ...

* She denied that she had stolen the money. (or She denied stealing ...)

* Ian suggested that we went to the cinema. (or Ian suggested going ...)

For suggest, see also Unit 34.