Some English verbs take a second verb in the -ing form. "I enjoy swimming" is correct, and "I enjoy to swim" is one of the most common learner errors. The -ing form here works like a noun, so it can be the object of the verb.
The list is a fixed pattern, not a rule of meaning. Verbs such as enjoy, avoid and suggest belong to the gerund group, while verbs such as decide and hope belong to the infinitive group. Prepositions always take the gerund, which is the one reliable rule on the page.
This page lists the core gerund verbs, adds the expression patterns that end in -ing, and finishes with a 20-question drill. Every answer shows the gerund in a full context.
The rule
The gerund after the verb
- Some verbs take -ing directly: "I enjoy swimming."
- The -ing form works like a noun in this position.
- The infinitive after these verbs sounds wrong: "I enjoy to swim" is a classic error.
- There is no rule for the list, so learn the verbs as a group.
The core gerund group
- Enjoy, avoid and mind: "Do you mind waiting?"
- Finish, practise and keep: "She finished writing the report."
- Suggest, recommend and consider: "He suggested taking a taxi."
- Admit, deny and miss: "He admitted cheating."
More verbs that take -ing
- Imagine, involve and risk: "Imagine living there."
- Give up, put off and look forward to: "She gave up smoking."
- Be worth and can't help: "It is worth trying."
- Feel like and it is no use: "I feel like sleeping."
Gerund after prepositions
- Every preposition takes a gerund, not an infinitive: "good at drawing".
- Interested in, afraid of and tired of: "She is tired of waiting."
- Before, after and without: "After eating, we left."
- This rule is reliable, unlike the verb list.
Gerund or infinitive with a change of meaning
- Remember, stop and try change meaning with the pattern.
- "I stopped smoking" means I quit; "I stopped to smoke" means I paused to have a cigarette.
- "I remember locking the door" is a memory; "I remembered to lock the door" is a task.
- "I tried calling" tests the phone; "I tried to call" makes an effort.
Examples
- I enjoy swimming in the sea.Enjoy takes the gerund swimming.
- She avoids driving at night.Avoid takes the gerund driving.
- Do you mind waiting a moment?Mind takes the gerund waiting.
- He finished writing the report.Finish takes the gerund writing.
- They suggested taking the early train.Suggest takes the gerund taking.
- She admitted making a mistake.Admit takes the gerund making.
- Imagine living by the ocean.Imagine takes the gerund living.
- She gave up smoking last year.Give up takes the gerund smoking.
- I am interested in learning Arabic.The preposition in always takes a gerund.
- After eating, we went for a walk.The preposition after takes a gerund.
Common mistakes
- Wrong: I enjoy to swim. Right: I enjoy swimming.
- Enjoy belongs to the gerund group and never takes a to-infinitive.
- Wrong: She avoids to drive at night. Right: She avoids driving at night.
- Avoid takes the -ing form after it.
- Wrong: He suggested to take a taxi. Right: He suggested taking a taxi.
- Suggest takes a gerund or a that-clause, never an infinitive.
- Wrong: I look forward to meet you. Right: I look forward to meeting you.
- To here is a preposition, so the next verb takes -ing.
- Wrong: She is good at to draw. Right: She is good at drawing.
- A preposition is followed by a gerund, not an infinitive.
Practice drill
Answer all 20 questions. Each answer is marked at once, and the rule is explained under the question.
I enjoy ___ in the sea.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: A. swimming Enjoy is a gerund verb, so the -ing form swimming follows it.
She avoids ___ at night.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: B. driving Avoid takes the gerund driving, not the infinitive.
Do you mind ___ a moment?
Show answer and explanation
Answer: C. waiting Mind takes the gerund waiting.
He finished ___ the report.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: D. writing Finish takes the gerund writing, which names the completed activity.
They suggested ___ the early train.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: A. taking Suggest takes the gerund taking, never a to-infinitive.
She admitted ___ a mistake.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: B. making Admit takes the gerund making for the action that is admitted.
Imagine ___ by the ocean.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: C. living Imagine takes the gerund living.
She gave up ___ last year.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: D. smoking Give up, like the other phrasal verbs here, takes a gerund.
I am interested in ___ Arabic.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: A. learning The preposition in takes the gerund learning.
After ___, we went for a walk.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: B. eating The preposition after takes the gerund eating.
He denied ___ the window.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: C. breaking Deny takes the gerund breaking when it rejects the accusation.
Keep ___ until you reach the corner.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: D. walking Keep takes the gerund walking to show a continuing action.
It is worth ___ this book.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: A. reading Worth takes the gerund reading.
I cannot help ___ when I watch that film.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: B. laughing Can't help takes the gerund laughing.
We put off ___ the decision until Monday.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: C. making Put off takes the gerund making for the delayed action.
She is tired of ___ the same questions.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: D. answering The preposition of takes the gerund answering.
I feel like ___ a break.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: A. taking Feel like takes the gerund taking.
Would you consider ___ the offer?
Show answer and explanation
Answer: B. accepting Consider takes the gerund accepting.
He risked ___ his job.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: C. losing Risk takes the gerund losing.
"I stopped smoking" means ___.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: D. I quit smoking Stop plus a gerund names the activity that ends, so the habit stopped.
Drill complete
You answered every question.
Next topic: Verbs followed by an infinitive: decide, hope, promiseTake the level test
Questions learners ask
Why do some verbs take -ing?
The pattern came into English with each verb separately, so there is no meaning rule to apply. The gerund names an activity as a thing, which is why it fits verbs about liking, avoiding, finishing and imagining. The practical approach is to memorise each verb with a short example.
Is there a way to avoid learning the list?
Partly. The preposition rule covers a large group: after any preposition, use -ing. For the verbs themselves, learn them in families with one example each, such as "enjoy swimming, avoid driving, suggest going". Reading and listening will then make the wrong pattern sound wrong.
Which is correct, "stop smoking" or "stop to smoke"?
Both are correct but they mean different things. "I stopped smoking" means I quit the habit. "I stopped to smoke" means I paused what I was doing in order to smoke. The gerund names the activity that ends; the infinitive names the purpose of the pause.
More grammar topics
Verbs followed by an infinitive: decide, hope, promise
Many common verbs take to plus the base verb after them: decide, hope, promise, want, need and plan. Some also need a person before the infinitive.
Present perfect with today, this week and this year
Unfinished time takes the present perfect: today, this week and this year are still open. Finished time takes the past simple: yesterday, last week and in 2019.
Past perfect continuous: had been doing
Had been plus -ing describes an activity that was in progress before another past moment. It stresses the duration, not the finished result.
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