Grammar- Verb+ing

Question 1

stop
finish
recommend
consider
admit
deny
avoid
risk
imagine
consider
deny
enjoy
fancy
keep (on)
mind
postpone
suggest

Answer 1

I enjoy reading. (not I enjoy to read)
Would you mind closing the door?
(not mind to close)
Chris suggested going to the cinema.
(not suggested to go)
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. (= I’m not enthusiastic about it)
Have you ever considered going to live in another country?
They said they were innocent. They denied doing anything wrong.
When I’m on holiday, I enjoy not having to get up early.

Question 2

give up (= stop)
put off (= delay until later)
go on or carry on (= continue)
keep or keep on (= do something continuously or repeatedly)

Answer 2

I’ve given up buying newspapers. I don’t read them any more.
You shouldn’t put off telling him what happened. You need to tell him now.
Katherine doesn’t want to retire. She wants to go on working. or … to carry on working.
You keep interrupting when I’m talking. or You keep on interrupting …

Question 3

With some verbs you can use the structure verb + somebody + -ing:

Answer 3

You can’t stop people doing what they want.
I can’t imagine George riding a motorbike.
Did she really say that? I don’t remember her saying that.
Sorry to keep you waiting so long.

Question 4

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

Answer 4

They admitted having stolen the money.
But it is not necessary to use having (done). You can say:
They admitted stealing the money.
I now regret saying that. or I now regret having said that.

Question 5

Other structures are possible with admit, deny, suggest and recommend. For example, you can say:

Answer 5

They denied (that) they had done anything wrong. (= They denied doing …)
Chris suggested (that) we go to the cinema. (= Chris suggested going …)
I recommend (that) you travel by train. (= I recommend travelling …)

Question 6

I remember doing something = I did it and
now I remember this.
You remember doing something after you
have done it.
I know I locked the door. I clearly remember locking it.
(= I locked it, and now I remember this)
He could remember driving along the
road just before the accident, but he
couldn’t remember the accident itself.

Answer 6

I remembered to do something =
I remembered that I had to do it, so I did it.
You remember to do something before you do it.
I remembered to lock the door, but I forgot to shut the windows.
(= I remembered that I had to lock it, and so I locked it)
Remember to buy some bananas. (= Don’t forget to buy them)

Question 7

I regret doing something = I did it and now
I am sorry about it: I now regret saying what I said. I shouldn’t have said it.
Do you regret not going to college?

Answer 7

I regret to say / to tell you / to inform you = I am sorry that I have to say:
(from a formal letter) I regret to say that we are unable to accept your offer.

Question 8

go on doing something = continue doing the
same thing:
The president paused for a moment and then went on talking.
We need to change. We can’t go on living like this.

Answer 8

go on to do something = do or say something
new:
After discussing the economy, the president went on to talk about foreign policy.

Question 9

We use the following verbs with -ing or to … with no difference of meaning:
begin 
start 
continue 
intend 
bother

Answer 9

So you can say:
It started raining. or It started to rain.
Andy intends buying a house. or Andy intends to buy …
Don’t bother locking the door. or Don’t bother to lock …
Normally we do not use -ing after -ing:
It’s starting to rain. (not usually It’s starting raining)

Question 10

try to do = attempt to do, make an eff ort to do:

Answer 10

I was very tired. I tried to keep my eyes open, but I couldn’t.
Please try to be quiet when you come home. Everyone will be asleep.

Question 11

try something or try doing something = do it as an experiment or test:

Answer 11

These cakes are delicious. You should try one. (= have one to see if you like it)
We couldn’t find anywhere to stay. We tried every hotel in the town, but they were all full.
(= we went to every hotel to see if they had a room)
a: The photocopier doesn’t seem to be working.
b: Try pressing the green button.
(= press the green button – perhaps this will help to solve the problem)

Question 12

I tried to move the table, but it was too heavy. (so I couldn’t move it)

Answer 12

I didn’t like the way the furniture was arranged, so I tried moving the table to the other
side of the room. But it didn’t look right, so I moved it back again.
(I tried moving it = I moved it to see if it looked better)

Question 13

I need to do something = it is necessary for me to do it:

Answer 13

He needs to work harder if he wants to make progress.

I don’t need to come to the meeting, do I?

Question 14

You can say that something needs -ing:

Answer 14

My phone needs charging. (= it needs to be charged)
Does your suit need cleaning? (= … need to be cleaned)
It’s a diff icult problem. It needs thinking about carefully.
(= it needs to be thought about carefully)

Question 15

I need to charge my phone.

Answer 15

but My phone needs charging.

Question 16

You can say help to do or help do (with or without to):

Answer 16

Everybody helped to clean up aft er the party. or
Everybody helped clean up …
Can you help me move this table? or
Can you help me to move …

Question 17

I can’t help doing something = I can’t stop myself doing it:

Answer 17

I don’t like him, but he has a lot of problems.
I can’t help feeling sorry for him.
She tried to be serious, but she couldn’t help laughing.
(= she couldn’t stop herself laughing)
I’m sorry I’m so nervous. I can’t help it.
(= I can’t help being nervous)

Question 18

When you talk about repeated actions, you can use -ing or to … after these verbs.

Answer 18

So you can say:
Do you like getting up early? or Do you like to get up early?
Stephanie hates flying. or Stephanie hates to fly.
I love meeting people. or I love to meet people.
I don’t like being kept waiting. or … like to be kept waiting.
I don’t like friends calling me at work. or … friends to call me at work.

Question 19

but

1) We use -ing (not to …) when we talk about a situation that already exists (or existed

Answer 19

For example:
Paul lives in Berlin now. He likes living there.
(he lives there now and he likes it)
Do you like being a student? (you are a student – do you like it?)
The office I worked in was horrible. I hated working there. (I worked there and I hated it)

Question 20

(2) There is sometimes a difference between I like to do and I like doing:

Answer 20

I like doing something = I do it and I enjoy it:
I like cleaning the kitchen. (= I enjoy it.)
I like to do something = I choose to do it (but maybe I don’t enjoy it):
It’s not my favourite job, but I like to clean the kitchen as often as possible.

Question 21

Note that we use -ing (not to …) with enjoy and mind:

Answer 21

I enjoy cleaning the kitchen. (not I enjoy to clean)

I don’t mind cleaning the kitchen. (not I don’t mind to clean)

Question 22

would like / love / hate / prefer

are usually followed by to … :

Answer 22

I’d like (= I would like) to go away for a few days.
What would you like to do this evening?
I wouldn’t like to go on holiday alone.
I’d love to meet your family.
Would you prefer to eat now or later?
Compare I like and I would like (I’d like):
I like playing tennis. / I like to play tennis. (= I like it in general)
I’d like to play tennis today. (= I want to play today)
Would mind is followed by -ing:
Would you mind closing the door, please? (not mind to close)

Question 23

I would like to have (done something)
I would like to have done something = I regret now that I didn’t or couldn’t do it:
It’s a shame we didn’t see Anna. I would like to have seen her again.
We’d like to have gone away, but we were too busy at home.

Answer 23

We use the same structure after would love / would hate / would prefer:
Poor David! I would hate to have been in his position.
I’d love to have gone to the party, but it was impossible.