Page 146 - Oxford_English_Grammar_Course_Basic_2015

-ing forms as subjects Smoking is bad for you.

We often use -ing forms (also called 'gerunds') as subjects - more often than infinitives.

Smoking is bad for you. (More natural than To smoke is bad for you.)
Swimming is good exercise. Driving makes me tired. Travelling takes a lot of my time.

fa Complete the sentences.
► . .........is slower than \YXd:..............(running; swimming)
1 ................................... is more dangerous than..................................(reading; skiing)
2 ................................... is faster than..................................(flying; going by train)
3 ................................... costs more than................................... (washing; eating)
4 ................................... is easier than................................... (speaking; writing)
5 ................................... is harder than................................. (listening; understanding)
6 ................................... is more interesting than..................................(shaving; shopping)

7 ................................... is more tiring than.................................. (resting; working)
8 ................................... is more dangerous..................................(smoking; driving)

Q Make three more sentences like the ones in Exercise 1. Use some of the words in the box.

cycling learning running shopping sleeping teaching thinking writing

1
2

3

We can put objects after -ing forms.

Learning languages is difficult and takes time. (NOT ... are difficult... - learning is singular.)
Eating chocolate does not make you slim.

^ Complete this list of activities with verbs from the box (use -ing forms). Then number
them in order of interest: 1 = most interesting (for you); 8 = least interesting.

buy cook learn listen to look after meet play read

............................ cards....... ............................ poetry....... music .
............................ meals....... ............................ languages..............................................friends
............................ children ....... ............................ clothes.......

In notices, you often see NO before -ing forms.
NO SMOKING NO WAITING

fa GRAMMAR AND VOCABULARY: public notices
Which words go with which notice?

Use a dictionary if necessary.

NO PARKING ..f.. NO SMOKING ......
NO FISHING ...... NO CYCLING ......
NO CAMPING ......

In some answers, both contracted forms (for example I'm, don't) and full INFINITIVES AND -ING FORMS 131
forms (for example lam, do not) are possible. Normally both are correct.