English Mastery
Module 4 · Gerunds & Infinitives

Verbs Followed by Gerunds

Intermediate50 min25 questions8 sections
Step 1

Quick Look

Some verbs simply refuse the infinitive. After ENJOY, AVOID, FINISH, MIND, SUGGEST and their camp, the next verb must wear -ING — no logic, pure convention, and therefore pure memorisation. This chapter gives you the working set of 25, the patterns that make them stick, and the special expressions (it’s no use, worth, can’t help) that follow the same law.
Sentence TypeStructure + Example
The pattern
verb+gerund
I enjoy travelling. / He avoided meeting the press.
Negative gerund
verb+not+gerund
She suggested not involving the broker.
The trap
enjoy to travel , avoid to meet , finish to eat — all impossible.

The golden rule: there is no meaning-based trick — gerund verbs must be memorised as a set. Learn them in sound-pairs and themes: enjoy–mind (feelings), avoid–postpone–delay (escape), finish–keep–practise (process), admit–deny–suggest (speech). Fifteen minutes of chanting saves fifteen years of ‘enjoy to do’.

The gerund camp on the map
VERB + -INGVERB + TO + V1BOTHFEELINGSenjoy · mind · can’t stand AVOID · DELAYavoid · postpone · put off PROCESSfinish · keep on · practiseSPEECH · THOUGHTsuggest · admit · deny SET PHRASESit’s no use · it’s worthwant · decide · hoperefuse · promise→ Chapter 3begin · likestop · try→ Ch 4 · 5
Five themes, one law: after any of these, the next verb wears -ing. The full list is in the reference table below.
Step 2

When to Use It

FEELINGS & REACTIONS+ V-ingenjoymindcan’t standcan’t helpappreciatefeel like
Use 1

Feelings and reactions

enjoy, mind, can’t stand, can’t help, appreciate, feel like
  • I enjoy showing properties to serious buyers.
  • Would you mind waiting five minutes?
  • He can’t stand losing a negotiation.
  • I couldn’t help laughing at his ‘final offer’.
  • I don’t feel like cooking tonight — let’s order.
AVOIDING & DELAYING+ V-ingavoidpostponedelayput offescaperesist
Use 2

Avoiding and delaying

avoid, postpone, delay, put off, escape, resist
  • She avoids taking calls after 9 p.m.
  • They postponed launching the second tower.
  • Stop putting off filing the mutation papers.
START-TO-FINISH+ V-ingfinishkeep (on)practisequitgive upmiss
Use 3

Process verbs — start-to-finish of an activity

finish, keep, keep on, practise, quit, give up, miss
  • Have you finished scanning the documents?
  • He keeps changing the terms at the last minute.
  • She practised presenting the pitch all weekend.
  • I gave up expecting punctuality from that vendor.
  • I miss playing cricket with the old society group.
SPEECH & THOUGHT+ V-ingsuggestrecommendadmitdenyconsiderimaginementionrisk
Use 4

Speech and thought verbs

suggest, recommend, admit, deny, consider, imagine, mention, risk
  • The lawyer suggested adding an arbitration clause.
  • He admitted receiving the token in cash.
  • She denied signing any such paper.
  • We’re considering shifting the office to the new sector.
  • Imagine owning the whole corner block!
FIXED EXPRESSIONS+ V-ingit’s no useit’s worthbe busythere’s no point (in)have trouble
Use 5

Fixed expressions that take gerunds

it’s no use, it’s worth, there’s no point (in), be busy, have trouble/difficulty
  • It’s no use arguing with the meter reader.
  • The corner unit is worth paying extra for.
  • There’s no point holding an unpriced inventory.
  • He was busy preparing the possession letters.
  • We had trouble locating the original allottee.
Extra

The Gerund Camp — Reference List (25 core verbs)

FeelingsEscape/DelayProcessSpeech/ThoughtExpressions
enjoyavoidfinishsuggestit’s no use
mindpostponekeep (on)recommendit’s worth
can’t standdelaypractiseadmitthere’s no point
can’t helpput offquit / give updenybe busy
appreciateriskmissconsiderhave trouble
feel likeresistimagine / mention
Chant them by column, five at a time. When any of these 25 appears, the next verb wears -ing — no exceptions, no moods.
Step 4

Hindi Concept Note

अHindi Concept Noteहिंदी में समझिए
इन verbs के बाद अगला verb हमेशा -ing पहनता है — कोई logic नहीं, सिर्फ़ रटना।
मुझे नए लोगों से मिलना अच्छा लगता है।
I enjoy meeting new people. (enjoy to meet कभी नहीं!)
उसने वहाँ जाने से बचना चाहा... मतलब, वह वहाँ जाने से बचता रहा।
He avoided going there.
क्या तुमने खाना खा लिया... मतलब, खाना ख़त्म कर लिया?
Have you finished eating?
वकील ने clause जोड़ने की सलाह दी।
The lawyer suggested adding a clause. (suggested to add ग़लत!)
Hindi speakers की #1 ग़लती यहीं होती है, क्योंकि हिंदी का ‘-ना’ दिमाग़ में ‘to’ fit कर देता है: ‘enjoy karna’ ‘enjoy to do’। इस chapter की list रट लो — ग़लती जड़ से ख़त्म।
Hindi ‘-ना’ whispers ‘to’ — resist it
✗ verb + to + V1 — road closed✓ verb + V-ing — the only roadenjoy to travelenjoy travellingavoid to meetavoid meetingfinish to eatfinish eatingsuggest to visitsuggest visiting
After enjoy, avoid, finish, suggest (and their camp), the ‘to’ road is closed.
Step 5

Common Mistakes Hindi Speakers Make

Wrong
Right
Why
I enjoy to watch old Hindi movies.
I enjoy watching old Hindi movies.
Enjoy is the camp captain — always + gerund.
He suggested to visit the site on Sunday.
He suggested visiting the site on Sunday.
Suggest + gerund (or suggest THAT we visit) — never suggest + to.
She avoided to answer my question.
She avoided answering my question.
Avoid + gerund, always.
Have you finished to pack the files?
Have you finished packing the files?
Finish + gerund.
Would you mind to close the gate?
Would you mind closing the gate?
Mind + gerund — you met this in Module 3’s politeness chapter.
It’s no use to cry over spilt milk.
It’s no use crying over spilt milk.
The fixed expressions take gerunds too.
Step 6

Signal Words

Memory anchors:
Feelings: enjoy, mind, can’t stand, can’t help, feel like -ing
Escape: avoid, postpone, delay, put off, risk -ing
Process: finish, keep, practise, quit, give up, miss -ing
Speech/thought: suggest, recommend, admit, deny, consider, imagine -ing
Expressions: it’s no use / worth / no point / busy / have trouble -ing
Step 7

Practice

Set A

Fill in the blanks

0 / 10
  1. 1
    He enjoys (bargain) more than the deal itself.
  2. 2
    Please avoid (park) in front of the main gate.
  3. 3
    They have finished (whitewash) the stairwell.
  4. 4
    Would you mind (send) the KYC set again?
  5. 5
    The CA suggested (open) a separate current account.
  6. 6
    She keeps (postpone) (visit) the dentist. (two blanks)
  7. 7
    I can’t help (feel) that we quoted too low.
  8. 8
    He denied (leak) the customer data.
  9. 9
    It’s worth (get) the borewell water tested.
  10. 10
    We’re considering (appoint) a channel partner in Meerut.
Set B

Correct the mistake

0 / 8
  1. 11
    I enjoy to drive on the new expressway.
  2. 12
    The committee postponed to take a decision.
  3. 13
    He admitted to broke the society rule. (keep ‘admitted’ as the main verb)
  4. 14
    She practises to speak English in front of the mirror.
  5. 15
    Do you feel like to have chai?
  6. 16
    There’s no point to argue with him.
  7. 17
    I couldn’t help to notice the crack in the beam.
  8. 18
    They risked to lose the entire token amount.
Set C

Translate into English

0 / 7
  1. 19
    मुझे शाम को टहलना पसंद है... मतलब, मैं शाम की सैर enjoy करता हूँ।
  2. 20
    उसने मेरा फ़ोन उठाने से बचना शुरू कर दिया... मतलब, वह मेरा call उठाने से बचता है।
  3. 21
    क्या आपने report लिखना ख़त्म कर लिया?
  4. 22
    वकील ने केस वापस लेने की सलाह दी।
  5. 23
    बहस करने का कोई फ़ायदा नहीं।
  6. 24
    वह बहाने बनाता रहता है।
  7. 25
    मुझे पुराने दोस्तों के साथ क्रिकेट खेलना याद आता है... मतलब, उसकी कमी महसूस होती है।
Step 8

Answer Key

Show answersHide answers
Answers · Set A
1
bargaining
2
parking
3
whitewashing
4
sending
5
opening
6
postponing ... visiting
7
feeling
8
leaking
9
getting
10
appointing
Answers · Set B
11
I enjoy driving on the new expressway.
12
The committee postponed taking a decision.
13
He admitted breaking the society rule. (Admit + gerund; V1 inside the gerund: breaking.)
14
She practises speaking English in front of the mirror.
15
Do you feel like having chai?
16
There’s no point (in) arguing with him.
17
I couldn’t help noticing the crack in the beam.
18
They risked losing the entire token amount.
Answers · Set C
19
I enjoy walking in the evening. / I enjoy my evening walks.
20
He avoids picking up my calls. / He has started avoiding answering my phone.
21
Have you finished writing the report?
22
The lawyer suggested withdrawing the case.
23
It’s no use arguing. / There’s no point (in) arguing.
24
He keeps making excuses.
25
I miss playing cricket with my old friends.

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Next up · Chapter 3Verbs Followed by Infinitives

Want, decide, hope, refuse, promise — plus the powerful ‘verb + person + to’ pattern that fixes ‘I want that you come’.