Page 118 - English Grammar in Use

Unit
53 Verb + -ing (enjoy doing / stop doing etc.)

A We say: Would you mind
I enjoy reading. (not I enjoy to read) closing the door?
Would you mind closing the door?
(not mind to close)
Chris suggested going to the cinema.
(not suggested to go)

Aft er enjoy, mind and suggest, we use -ing (not to …).
Some more verbs that are followed by -ing:
stop recommend admit avoid imagine
finish consider deny risk fancy

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.
The negative form is not -ing:
When I’m on holiday, I enjoy not having to get up early.

B We also use -ing aft er:
give up (= stop)
put off (= delay until later)

go on or carry on (= continue)
keep or keep on (= do something continuously or repeatedly)

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 …

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

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

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

suggest ➜ Unit 34 being done (passive) ➜ Unit 44B Verb + to … ➜ Unit 54
Verb + to … and -ing ➜ Units 55C, 56–58 remember / regret / go on ➜ Unit 56B
106 go on / carry on / keep on ➜ Unit 141A