The gerund in English is used as subject of a sentence; when immediately after several prepositions such as on, for, of, by and others; after a number of verbs to convey a general meaning among which the commonest are love, like, hate, don’t mind, would mind, prefer, enjoy, can’t stand, can’t help and several others; the gerund is also used in compund nouns such as cooking board (a board for cooking). Here is a table with the most frequent uses of the gerund in English:
| Main uses of the gerund | Rule | Examples |
| As subject of a sentence | the gerund is used when the action is considered in a general sense | Swimming is better than dancing for your body and your health
Discovering that you enjoy a good reputation among your friends is the best thing you can long for
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| After a preposition | any preposition can be followed by the gerund | We’re looking forward to seeing you soon
He’ s thinking of giving up smoking I’m very sorry for keeping you waiting for so long |
| After certain verbs | love, like, hate, don’t mind, would mind, enjoy, prefer, can’t stand, can’t help and several others | Would you mind helping him with his homework?
I can’t stand people watching in the immediate aftermath of a car accident. |
| In compound nouns | the function of the gerund is to specify what something is for | My brother wants to get the driving licence as soon as he’s 18.
When he goes diving he’s always supported by the staff of qualified diving centres
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