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If your students struggle with sentences like “I enjoy reading” versus “I enjoy to read,” you’re watching them hit one of English’s trickiest challenges: the gerund decision. Some verbs demand the -ing form; others demand the infinitive. Pick the wrong one, and native speakers will absolutely notice.
This guide maps the 40+ most common verbs that must be followed by gerunds, gives you the exact meaning of each one, shows paired examples that illustrate the pattern, and includes a comparison table for the verbs that accept both forms. You’ll know not just the list, but the logic behind why each verb works the way it does.
Key Takeaways
- Gerunds are -ing verbs that act like nouns — they’re the object of certain verbs. “I enjoy swimming” — swimming is the object of enjoy.
- 40+ common verbs always take gerunds, never infinitives — admit, avoid, consider, delay, enjoy, finish, imagine, keep, mind, miss, practice, suggest, and others.
- The gerund rule is strict for these verbs — you can’t say “I enjoy to swim” or “She finished to work.” It’s gerund only.
- Some verbs allow both — verbs like “start,” “begin,” “continue,” “like,” “love” accept either “I started reading” or “I started to read,” with no change in meaning.
- Learn the patterns, not the isolated words — verbs of completion (finish, complete), feeling (enjoy, hate, dread), and suggestion (suggest, recommend) almost always take gerunds.
What Are Gerunds?
A gerund is a verb form ending in -ing that functions as a noun in a sentence. Unlike the present participle (which also ends in -ing but functions as an adjective or part of a continuous verb), the gerund stands alone and can be the subject, object, or complement of a sentence.
Gerund as subject: Swimming is my favorite exercise.
Gerund as object (after preposition): She is interested in cooking.
Gerund as object (after verb): I enjoy cooking.
The third use — gerunds as the object of specific verbs — is what this guide addresses. Not every verb can take a gerund. You need to know which ones can and build a mental library of their patterns.
The 40 Most Common Verbs Followed by Gerunds
| Verb | Meaning in Context | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| Admit | Confess to doing something | She admitted stealing the cookies. |
| Anticipate | Expect or look forward to | I anticipate leaving by 5 p.m. |
| Appreciate | Be grateful for; value | I appreciate you helping me. |
| Avoid | Stay away from; don’t do | He avoids eating spicy food. |
| Can’t stand | Strongly dislike | I can’t stand waiting in line. |
| Can’t help | Unable to resist | She can’t help laughing at his jokes. |
| Complete | Finish doing something | He completed the project yesterday. |
| Consider | Think about; contemplate | We are considering buying a house. |
| Continue | Keep doing without stopping | She continues working on the presentation. |
| Delay | Put off; postpone | They delayed starting the meeting. |
| Deny | Refuse to admit | He denied taking the last donut. |
| Detest | Hate strongly | I detest doing laundry. |
| Discuss | Talk about | We discussed traveling to Japan. |
| Dread | Fear; be anxious about | She dreads giving presentations. |
| Enjoy | Take pleasure in | I enjoy reading mystery novels. |
| Fancy | Want; desire (British) | Do you fancy going for coffee? |
| Finish | Complete; end | She finished writing the report. |
| Give up | Stop permanently | He gave up smoking five years ago. |
| Hate | Dislike intensely | I hate doing the dishes. |
| Imagine | Picture in your mind | Can you imagine living abroad? |
| Involve | Require as a necessary part | The job involves traveling frequently. |
| Keep | Continue doing; persist | She keeps forgetting her umbrella. |
| Like | Enjoy (often with both) | I like swimming. |
| Love | Enjoy very much (often with both) | He loves cooking Italian food. |
| Mention | Refer to; bring up | She mentioned seeing him last week. |
| Mind | Be bothered by; care about | Do you mind closing the door? |
| Miss | Feel sad about not doing | I miss seeing my grandparents. |
| Need | Require; have necessity for | The car needs washing. |
| Notice | Observe; see | I noticed him leaving early. |
| Permit | Allow (formal) | The rules don’t permit smoking here. |
| Postpone | Delay to a later time | We postponed having the party. |
| Practice | Repeatedly do to improve | He practices playing the piano daily. |
| Prefer | Like better (often with both) | I prefer reading to watching TV. |
| Quit | Stop permanently; leave | She quit smoking last month. |
| Recall | Remember; bring to mind | I recall meeting him before. |
| Recommend | Suggest; advise | The doctor recommended taking the medicine. |
| Regret | Feel sorry about | I regret not taking that job. |
| Resist | Oppose; refrain from | She resisted eating dessert. |
| Risk | Take a chance of; endanger | He risked losing his job by speaking out. |
| Suggest | Propose; recommend | She suggested going to the beach. |
| Tolerate | Put up with; endure | I can’t tolerate being late. |
How Gerunds Work: Grammatical Patterns
When a verb takes a gerund, the -ing form becomes a noun phrase. The gerund itself can have objects and modifiers:
Simple gerund: She enjoys reading.
Gerund with object: She enjoys reading novels.
Gerund with modifier: She enjoys reading French novels.
Gerund with subject: I don’t mind you leaving early. (Here “you” is the logical subject of the gerund “leaving.”)
Tip: If the gerund has a stated subject (like “you” in “your leaving” or “you leaving”), it usually comes before the gerund and is either in possessive form (“your”) or as an object pronoun (“you”).
Grouping Verbs by Pattern
The best way to master gerund-taking verbs is to group them by meaning. This helps memory and transfer to new verbs you haven’t studied.
Verbs of Completion and Process
These verbs focus on finishing, continuing, or doing an action over time.
Finish: She finished writing the essay.
Complete: He completed the training program.
Continue: They continued working after lunch.
Keep: He keeps forgetting his wallet.
Delay: We delayed announcing the news.
Verbs of Feeling and Attitude
These express pleasure, displeasure, or emotional response.
Enjoy: I enjoy playing tennis.
Love: She loves dancing.
Like: He likes swimming.
Hate: I hate waiting for buses.
Can’t stand: She can’t stand loud noises.
Dread: He dreads public speaking.
Detest: I detest eating soggy cereal.
Verbs of Admission and Denial
These focus on confessing, denying, or acknowledging actions.
Admit: She admitted breaking the vase.
Deny: He denied taking the money.
Confess: I confess stealing a cookie from the jar.
Verbs of Suggestion and Recommendation
These propose actions or courses of conduct.
Suggest: She suggested going for lunch.
Recommend: The doctor recommended taking daily walks.
Propose: I propose changing the meeting time.
Verbs of Risk and Avoidance
These express avoiding, risking, or preventing an action.
Avoid: He avoids eating junk food.
Risk: She risked losing her job.
Give up: I gave up smoking.
Resist: He resisted calling her.
Verbs of Imagination and Possibility
These involve picturing, considering, or thinking about actions.
Imagine: Can you imagine living in Paris?
Consider: We are considering buying a dog.
Anticipate: I anticipate finishing by 5 p.m.
Comparison: Gerunds vs. Infinitives
| Aspect | Gerunds | Infinitives |
|---|---|---|
| Form | Verb + -ing (swimming, reading, running) | To + base verb (to swim, to read, to run) |
| Part of speech | Noun | Noun (or part of verb phrase) |
| Can be subject? | Yes: “Swimming is fun.” | Yes: “To swim is fun.” |
| Can be object? | Yes: “I enjoy swimming.” | Only with specific verbs: “I want to swim.” |
| Which verbs take them? | 40+ verbs (avoid, enjoy, finish, consider, suggest) | Different 30+ verbs (want, need, hope, plan, decide) |
| Time reference | Focuses on the action itself, often ongoing | Often future-oriented or purposeful |
| Verbs that take BOTH | start, begin, continue, like, love, prefer | “I like reading” = “I like to read” |
Verbs That Take Both Gerunds and Infinitives
A few verbs (called “dual-natured” verbs) accept both without a change in meaning:
Start: I started reading = I started to read
Begin: She began playing = She began to play
Continue: We continued working = We continued to work
Like: I like swimming = I like to swim
Love: She loves cooking = She loves to cook
Prefer: He prefers walking = He prefers to walk
For these verbs, either form is grammatically correct and means the same thing. However, in common use, Americans tend to prefer the infinitive, while British English shows more gerund use.
Common Mistakes and How to Fix Them
✗ Incorrect: I enjoy to read books.
✓ Correct: I enjoy reading books.
Why: “Enjoy” only takes a gerund, never an infinitive.
✗ Incorrect: She suggested to go to the beach.
✓ Correct: She suggested going to the beach.
Why: “Suggest” must be followed by a gerund, not a to-infinitive.
✗ Incorrect: He finished to study.
✓ Correct: He finished studying.
Why: “Finish” always takes a gerund. You can’t say “finished to study.”
✗ Incorrect: I can’t help to laugh.
✓ Correct: I can’t help laughing.
Why: The idiom “can’t help” is always followed by a gerund.
✗ Incorrect: Would you mind to close the door?
✓ Correct: Would you mind closing the door?
Why: “Mind” takes a gerund, even in polite questions.
Sample Dialogue
Student: I’m confused. Why do I say “I enjoy swimming” but “I want to swim”?
Teacher: Great question! “Enjoy” wants a gerund — the -ing form. “Want” wants an infinitive — the to-form. They’re just different verbs with different rules.
Student: But they both mean the same thing in some way, right?
Teacher: They both describe actions, yes. But the grammar is fixed. With “enjoy,” always use the gerund: enjoying, playing, reading. With “want,” always use the infinitive: to enjoy, to play, to read.
Student: What about “consider”? Can I say “I consider to move”?
Teacher: No. “Consider” is a gerund verb: “I am considering moving.” Not “considering to move.”
Student: So I just have to memorize the list?
Teacher: Partially. But noticing the patterns helps — verbs about finishing or feeling usually take gerunds. Verbs about wanting or planning take infinitives.
Quick Quiz
- Fill in the blank: She ________ (enjoys / enjoys to) reading mystery novels.
- Which is correct? (a) “He finished to work” (b) “He finished working” (c) both
- Rewrite: “Would you mind to help?” Your version: ________
- True or False: The verbs “like” and “love” can take either gerunds or infinitives.
- Fill in the blank: We are ________ (considering to buy / considering buying) a new house.
Answers: 1. enjoys · 2. (b) “He finished working” · 3. “Would you mind helping?” · 4. True · 5. “considering buying”
Related Articles
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Frequently Asked Questions
What exactly is a gerund?
A gerund is a verb form ending in -ing that functions as a noun. For example, “Swimming is fun” — “swimming” is both a verb form and the subject (noun) of the sentence. Same with “I enjoy swimming” — “swimming” is the object (noun) of the verb “enjoy.”
Why do some verbs take gerunds and others take infinitives?
It’s a matter of grammar convention that developed over centuries of English use. Verbs expressing completion, feeling, and suggestion tend to pair with gerunds. Verbs expressing desire, obligation, and purpose tend to pair with infinitives. There’s no logical “why” — it’s just how English works. You learn the patterns and practice.
Can I use both forms with “start” and “begin”?
Yes. “I started reading” and “I started to read” are both correct and mean the same thing. Same with “begin”: “She began playing” = “She began to play.” These are the rare dual-natured verbs.
What’s the difference between a gerund and a present participle?
Both end in -ing, but a gerund is a noun (object, subject, or object of a preposition), while a present participle is part of a continuous verb or functions as an adjective. Example: “Swimming is fun” — “swimming” is a gerund (noun). “The swimming pool is beautiful” — “swimming” modifies “pool” (adjective function).
How do I remember which verbs take gerunds?
Group them by meaning: Completion verbs (finish, complete, continue), Feeling verbs (enjoy, hate, love, dread), Admission verbs (admit, deny), Suggestion verbs (suggest, recommend), and Avoidance verbs (avoid, risk, resist). Practice each group separately, and the patterns will stick.
Is “considering to” ever correct?
No. “Consider” only takes a gerund: “considering buying,” “considering moving,” “considering applying.” Never “considering to buy” or “considering to move.” This is one of the strictest gerund verbs.
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