Verbs followed by the '-ing' form
Level: beginner
Common verbs followed by the -ing form are:
- verbs of liking and disliking:
| detest | dislike | enjoy | fancy | hate | like | love |
I love swimming but I hate jogging.
They always enjoyed visiting their friends.
- phrases with mind:
wouldn't mind (= would like)
don't mind (= I am willing to)
would you mind (= will you please …?)
I wouldn't mind having some fish and chips.
I don't mind waiting for a few minutes.
Would you mind holding this for me?
- verbs of saying and thinking:
| admit | consider | deny | imagine | remember | suggest |
Our leader suggested waiting until the storm was over.
Everyone denied seeing the accident.
- others:
| avoid | begin | finish | keep | miss | practise | risk | start | stop |
I haven't finished writing this letter.
Let's practise speaking English.
- Verb + -ing form 1
- Verb + -ing form 2
verb + noun + -ing form
Some verbs are followed by a noun and the -ing form:
- verbs of the senses:
| see | hear | listen to | smell | watch | etc. |
We saw everybody running away.
I could hear someone singing.
- others:
| catch | find | imagine | leave | prevent | stop |
I caught someone trying to break in to my house.
We couldn’t prevent them getting away.
- Verb + noun + -ing form 1
- Verb + noun + -ing form 2
- Infinitive or -ing form?
Many of the verbs above are sometimes followed by a passive form of -ing (being + past participle):
I don't like being interrupted.
Our dog loves being stroked under the chin.
