Table of functions of gerunds in sentences. Gerund in English (Gerund): what is a gerund, its forms and functions, use of gerund

Gerunds in English are formed by adding a suffix -ing to the base of the verb, i.e. it has the same form as the participle I: work - working, write - writing.

In Russian there is no corresponding form (i.e. gerund).

The properties of the verb in the gerund are as follows:

	Active	Passive
Indefinite	working	being worked
Perfect	having worked	having been worked

I like reading short stories.
I love reading short stories.

3. A gerund can be defined by an adverb.

He likes driving quickly.
He likes to drive fast.

The properties of a noun in a gerund are as follows:

Not began translating a new book.
He began translating a new book. (He began translating a new book.)

Don't like swimming. He loves to swim (swimming).

d) indirect object (or prepositional object):

Not fond of driving. He loves to drive a car.

Don't touch the bench. It is fresh painted.
Don't touch the bench. It has been recently painted.
Don't drink this water.
Don't drink this water. (Do not drink water.)
Do not smoke here.
Don't smoke here. (No smoking here.)

2. There are a number of verbs after which only a gerund is used to convey the corresponding meaning: to stop- stop, to finish - end, to avoid - avoid, to prevent - prevent, to recollect - recall. to fancy - imagine, to imagine - imagine, to delay - save, to forgive - forgive, to pardon - forgive, to excuse - excuse, to mind - mind, to require - demand, to suggest - suggest and etc.

Try to avoid working at night.
Try to avoid working (working) at night.

Forgive my coming late.
Sorry for my lateness.

He suggested studying in the evening.
He suggested studying in the evening.

They often recollect traveling about (in) the Crimea.
They often remember their trip to Crimea.

Stop laughing. Stop laughing.

I don't mind living here.
I have nothing against (don't mind) living here.

Please note: stop in the meaning of cease - stop, stop doing something requires a gerund after itself.

Stop whistling. Stop whistling.

In the meaning of stopping for some purpose (to do something), stop is used with an infinitive after it.

Not stopped to speak to Mary.
He stopped to talk to Mary.

3. There are verbs after which you can use both a gerund and an infinitive with the same meaning. These are the following verbs:

A) to begin, to start - start off, to continue - continue.

I began working. I start work.
I began to work. I start work.

b) to attempt - try, to intend - mean(these verbs are more often used with an infinitive than with a gerund).

Doesn't intend to leave (leaving) the Army.
He intends to leave the army.

V) to love - be in love, to like - like, to hate - hate, to prefer - prefer(after verbs in Present and Past a gerund is usually used, in other cases the infinitive is usually used).

I like walking. (=I like to walk.)
I like to walk.

He hated waiting.
He didn't like to wait.

G) to permit, to allow - allow, to advise - advise(if the person to whom the action relates is mentioned, then the infinitive is used; if not mentioned, the gerund is used).

I don't allow him to drive a car.
I don't let him drive the car. (The person to whom the action relates is indicated - him.)

I don't allow smoking here. I don't allow smoking here.

d) to remember - remember, to regret - regret(a gerund is used after these verbs if the action expressed by the gerund precedes the action expressed by the verbs to remember, to regret).

I regret going there.
I regret going there. (I went earlier, I regret it now.)

e) to need - need, to want - want, to require - demand(after these verbs a gerund or infinitive is used, but the gerund is more common).

The flowers want watering. (= The flowers want to be watered.)
Flowers need to be watered. (= flowers need to be watered.)

and) to try - try, try, to propose - propose, make an offer, to go on - continue, to be afraid of - afraid(verb to try meaning to attempt - try requires an infinitive after itself, and in the meaning of to make the experiment - experiment requires a gerund after itself).

They tried to put
They tried to put wire mesh around the garden.

It is not clear from this sentence whether the net was installed or not. Second sentence using a gerund:

They tried putting wire netting all round the garden.
They tried (did an experiment) to put a net around the garden.

The use of a gerund indicates that they performed the main action, i.e., put up a net, but whether this had a positive result is unknown, i.e., whether it saved the garden from hares, foxes, etc.

Verb to propose in the meaning of to intend - mean requires an infinitive after itself, and in the meaning of suggest - suggest requires a gerund after itself.

I propose to start tomorrow.
I intend to leave tomorrow.

I propose waiting till the doctor gets here.
I suggest you wait until the doctor comes.

Verb to go on(= to continue) - continue usually used with a gerund, but with verbs such as to tell, to talk, to explain, etc., when the speaker talks about the same topic, but introduces new aspects, the infinitive is used.

Didn't go on talking.
Did not begin by showing us where the island was and went on to tell us about its climate.
He continued talking. He started by showing us where the island was and then went on to talk about its climate.

4. After verbs to go, to come a verb indicating physical activity is used in the form of a gerund.

They are going playing football.
They go to play football.

5. used to + Infinitive expresses a past habit.

I used to smoke.
I used to smoke (but now I don’t).

The verb to use in the form to be used to in the meaning to be accustomed - get used to it used with a gerund.

I am used to standing in queues.
I'm used to standing in lines.

Structure to be afraid of + Gerund means the expression of fear, fear and is usually used with verbs expressing undesirable actions.

Wasn't afraid of falling. He was afraid of falling.
He was afraid of missing his train.
He was afraid of missing his train.

Structure to be afraid + Infinitive expresses that the person (as the subject) is afraid to perform the action expressed by the infinitive.

I wasn't afraid to jump so he stayed where he was.
He was afraid to jump and so he stayed where he was.

6. Gerunds are often included in compound nouns that indicate the purpose of an object: writing table - desk, booking office - ticket office, swimming pool - swimming pool.

7. Gerund is often used after verbs, adjectives and participles as a prepositional object and requiring certain prepositions after itself: to depend on - depend from, to insist on - insist on, to object to - object against, to agree to - agree to, to think of - to think about, to thank for - thank you for, to prevent from - hinder, hinder to succeed in - succeed in, to be proud of - be proud of (someone, something), to be fond of - to love (something), to be sure of - to be sure of (something), to be pleased at/with - to be pleased with (someone, something), to be surprised at - to be surprised (at something) to be interested in - be interested in (something), to be connected with - be related to.

She succeeded in playing the piano.
She achieved success in playing the piano.

He wasn't surprised at seeing her in our house.
He was surprised to see her (when he saw her) in our house.

He insisted on my moving to their house.
He insisted on me moving into their house.

She was proud of winning the first prize.
She was proud that she received (won) the first prize.

8. Perfect Gerund (having worked, having written) is used instead of Present Gerund (working, writing) when the action refers to the past tense.

We were surprised at him having arrived to the conference.
We were surprised that he came to the conference.

9. A gerund in the passive voice (Passive Gerund) is used when the action expressed by the gerund is performed on the person or thing to which it refers.

Present: being worked, being written.
Past: having been worked, having been written.

I remember being taken to the Zoo as a small child.
I remember being taken to the zoo when I was little.

He was punished by being sent to bed without any supper.
He was punished by being sent to bed without dinner.

Complex gerundial phrase

The combination of a possessive pronoun or a noun in the possessive or general case with a gerund is called a complex gerundial phrase.

In this combination, the gerund expresses an action performed by the person or thing designated by the pronoun or noun. The entire turn is translated by a subordinate clause.

He insisted on her returning home.
He insisted on her returning home.

They objected to their son’s changing his job.
They were against their son changing jobs.

There was no hope of our getting tickets.
We had no hope of getting tickets.

An objective predicative participle, also called a Compound Object or an Object Participle, is a combination of a noun in the common case or a personal pronoun in the objective case with a participle.

Gerund- Gerund

Gerund in English expresses the name of an action and has the properties of a verb and a noun, and, therefore, can perform the functions of a subject, an object in a sentence, be part of a predicate and be used with adverbs. The gerund is translated into Russian as a noun, infinitive, gerund, or subordinate clause.

The gerund has four forms: two in the active voice and two in the passive voice.
1. Gerund in active voice:
A. Simple Gerund Simple Gerund
b. Perfect Gerund Perfect Gerund
2. Gerund in the passive voice:
A. Simple Gerund Passive
b. Perfect Gerund Passive Perfect gerund of the passive voice

Gerund form	Pledge
	Valid	Passive
Simple	IV	being III
	painting	being painted
Perfect	having III	having been III
	having painted	having been painted

Unlike the infinitive, the gerund has one syntactic structure: the gerundial phrase. It looks like this:
Possessive Noun/Possessive Pronoun + Gerund
His buying a gift is really no excuse. Buying a gift does not justify it in any way.

Use of Simple Gerund

1. The action expressed by the gerund occurs simultaneously with the action expressed by the verb in the personal form, or refers to the future tense.
Mia avoided diving. Mia tried not to dive.
2. Gerund denotes action at all, without relating it to any time.
Vanessa dislikes swimming. Vanessa doesn't like to swim (at all).

Using Perfect Gerund

1. The action expressed by the gerund precedes the action expressed by the personal verb. Mostly after verbs like:
to admit
to regret
to deny
to remember
to forget to forget
to recall
Steven is proud of having won this prize. Stephen is proud to have won the prize.
2. After verbs:
to forgive
to remember
to thank
and after prepositions:
after after
on/upon
without without
and etc.
Simple Gerund can be used to indicate a previous action.
Nathaniel doesn't remember hearing this story. Nathaniel doesn't remember her hearing this story.

Rules for using gerunds in active and passive voices

1. If the action expressed by the gerund is performed object, to which it refers, the gerund is used in the active voice.
Alexa remembers having seen this photo. Alexa remembers seeing this photo.
2. If the action expressed by the gerund is performed above the object, to which it refers. then the gerund is used in the passive voice.
Alexa remembers having been shown this photo. Alexa remembers being shown this photo.
Note: After verbs:
to want
to require
and after the adjective worth (worth),
The gerund has a passive meaning, despite the fact that it is used in the active voice.
Her car requires repairing. Her car needs to be repaired (Her car needs repairs).
The Shawshank redemption is worth watching. Shawshank Redemption is worth watching.

Using gerunds as different parts of speech

1. Subject or part thereof.
Listening to classical music is nice. Listening to classical music is pleasant.
2. Predicate.
Reading is knowing. Reading means learning.
3. Part of the predicate ambassador of verbs that express:
A. Necessity, possibility, probability, desirability, etc.
to advise
to allow
to avoid
to appreciate
can't stand the bear
can't stand stand
can't help
to detest to hate
to dislike
to dread
to expect
to fell like
to intend to intend
to like
to permit
to propose
to recommend recommend
to want
and etc.
He detests skating. He hates skating.
b. Beginning, end, duration of action.
to begin
to cease
to commence
to finish
to give up
to go on, keep on, to proceed, to continue, to carry on
to quit, leave, resign
to resume
to stop
and etc.
It has started raining. It started to rain.
4. Addition after:
A. Verbs
to admit
to anticipate
to consider
to delay
to enjoy
to escape
to excuse
to fancy imagine, imagine
to forbid
to forgive
to imagine
to involve
to mean
to mind to object
to miss
to pardon to apologize
to postpone
to practice
to prevent
to recollect
to regret
to remember
to resent being indignant
to resist
to risk
to suggest
to understand
and etc.
Do you mind my opening the windows? Do you mind if I open the window?
b. Verbs with prepositions
to account of
to aim at
to apologize for
to approve of approve
to assist in
to believe in
to complain of complain about
to depend on
to decide against
to dream of
to be engaged in to be engaged in any activity
to inform of
to insist on
to be interested in
to prevent from prevent, interfere
to think of / about
to succeed in
to rely on
to suspect of
to warn against
to look forward to look forward to
to object to object
to devote to devote oneself to something
and etc.
All people dream being happy. All people dream of being happy.
5. Definition after nouns with prepositions.
an advantage of the positive side, advantage
a cause of reason
a chance of chance, opportunity
a decrease of fall, decrease
a difficulty in difficulty
a disadvantage of negative side, disadvantage
a fact of fact, circumstance
a fall in decline
fear of fear
a feeling of sensation
a gift of gift
an idea of ​​idea
an opportunity of opportunity
a reason for reason
a rise in rise, jump
a way of way, manner
and etc.
His way of talking was rather rude. His manner of speaking was quite rude.
6. Circumstances of time, manner of action, conditions, goals, reasons after prepositions:
after after
at at, on
before
by to
despite in spite of; despite
for for
in
instead of
in spite of
on by
through by; by using
without without
upon on
and etc.
In spite of living abroad for a long time he hasn't forgotten his native language. Despite living abroad for a long time, he did not forget his native language.

(partial) and gerund ( gerund). There is no such form as the gerund in the Russian language, so some may find it difficult to understand this topic. So what is a gerund in English?

Functions of the gerund in English

The gerund in English expresses the name of an action and has the characteristics of a noun and a verb. Gerund can perform various functions in a sentence:

1. Gerund as a subject:
   

   Traveling is a very adventurous thing. – Traveling is a very exciting activity.

2. In the function of addition (direct and prepositional):
   

   I don't mind staying. - It’s okay, I’ll stay.

   I am good at playing football. – I play football well.

3. Gerund as a function of circumstance:
   

   He left without saying a word. “He left without saying a word.”

4. In the function of the nominal part of the predicate:
   

   His task was translating an article. – His task was to translate the article.

5. A gerund with prepositions can serve as a definition:
   

   I like her way of doing this. – I like the way she does it.

   A gerund can be specified by and, or by a noun in general and ( his singing- his singing, my friend's speaking- my friend's speech). A gerund can be preceded by a preposition ( before leaving- before leaving).

As can be seen from these examples, the formation of a gerund in English occurs by adding the ending - ing to the infinitive of a verb without a particle to. If negation is necessary, put the particle not before the gerund. Gerunds in English have tense forms and .

What are the verb characteristics of a gerund in English? Firstly, it can be followed by a direct object:

Making mistakes are very unpleasant. – Making mistakes is very unpleasant.

A gerund can be specified by an adverb:

I don't like walking slowly. – I don’t like to walk slowly.

The gerund has several forms, which are presented below:

1. Indefinite Active(indefinite in active voice) – reading.
2. Indefinite Passive(indefinite in passive voice) – being read.
3. Perfect Active(committed in the active voice) – having read.
4. Perfect Passive(committed in the passive voice) – having been read.

Rules for translating gerunds in English

The gerund in English can be translated:

1. A noun that conveys a process ( reading– reading, walking- walk, painting- drawing).
2. A verb, usually an infinitive, and sometimes a gerund ( Much depends on his leaving the hotel. “A lot depends on whether he leaves the hotel; without saying a word- without saying a word).
3. Complex gerund forms are almost always translated into subordinate clauses.

The topic of the gerund in English is complex in that some verbs are used only with it, and some with other non-finite forms of the verb. Moreover, there are verbs and some expressions that allow, for example, the use of both a gerund and an infinitive. These groups of verbs (and certain expressions) need to be known by heart so as not to make grammatical errors when constructing sentences. At the end we offer you a test to better remember this material.

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Test

Gerund in English

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Find gerunds in sentences

Exercise 1. They sat down without looking at each other.

Task 2. In his youth, her uncle was good at playing basketball.

Task 3. She felt frustrated without having any idea what to write in her blog.

Task 4. Traveling to Africa can be dangerous.

Task 5. Listening to your favorite songs can help you decrease the stress level.

Task 6. My cousin really enjoys watching horror movies.

Task 7. Jeremy didn’t mind working late, but now he thinks he should spend more time with his wife and children.

Many who have studied English have come across such a concept as “gerund”.

Although this is a very simple word, many teachers explain it in incredibly complex ways, resulting in students not understanding at all what it is or why it should be used.

Also, one of the reasons for the misunderstanding is that there is no such concept in the Russian language.

In this article I will talk in detail about this type of verb in English.

What is a gerund in English?

A gerund is an action formed from a verb that carries the characteristics of an object and answers the question “what.”

To better understand this, look at these examples:

Here are some more examples:

Swim - swimming

Draw - drawing

Reading, swimming and drawing are gerunds

Using a gerund, we focus on the process of performing an action.

How are gerunds formed in English?

Very simple!

To do this, add the ending -ing to the verb.

We usually translate it into Russian as a noun ending -nie, -nie.

reading - reading
singing - singing
driving - driving

In English, you can make almost any action a gerund by adding the ending -ing.

For example:

I like shop ing.
I love walking tion go shopping.

Swim ing is my favorite thing.
Plava tion- my favorite thing.

Of course, the formation of the gerund was not without exceptions.

Let's look at them.

The rule for adding the ending -ing

There are a few things to be aware of when adding this ending:

1. If the verb ends in -e, then the letter e we remove and add to the verb -ing

danc e- danc ing- dance
mov e-mov ing- move

2. If the verb is short, we double the last consonant:

si t- si ting- sit
ba n-ba nning- forbid

Exceptions: verbs ending in -x And -w:

mi x- mi xing- to mix

3. If the verb ends in -ie, then we replace this ending with -y

l ie-l ying- lie
t ie-t ying- tie

Now you know how to correctly turn a verb into a gerund. The question remains: “Why is this necessary?”

To understand this, let's look at its main functions in a sentence.

How is the gerund used in English?

It can perform 4 functions in sentences:

1. Be the main member of the sentence

In this case, we put the gerund first in the sentence.

For example:

Reading is very interesting thing.
Reading is a very interesting activity.

Jogging is her favorite sport.
Running is her favorite sport.

2. Be part of the main action

Most often in this role we place the gerund after the verb to be.

For example:

My hobby is reading books.
My hobby is reading books.

His task was writing an article.
His task was to write an article.

3. Used as a complement to action

That is, go immediately after the action. Please note that we never put to before a gerund.

For example:

4. Used with wordsmy, his, her, their or prepositions

For example:

Do you mind my asking you?
Do you mind me asking you? (verbatim)

I heard her singing.
I heard her singing.

Gerund and infinitive in English

Many people are often confused about the concepts of infinitive and gerund. And that's why they make mistakes. Let's see how they differ from each other.

1. Particle to (infinitive)

Infinitive (particle to)- this is the initial form of the verb. We put it before an action that answers the question “What to do?/What to do?”

For example:

He likes to swim.
He likes (what to do?) swim.

2. Gerund (ending -ing)

We use when we talk about action to mean process. In this case, the action answers the question “What?”

For example:

He likes to swim ing.
He loves swimming.

How does a gerund differ from an infinitive?

The difference in meaning between the use of a gerund and the particle to is often small.

• Using a gerund, we emphasize the process of action itself
• Using the infinitive we talk about a preference (habit) or the result of an action

However, there are some verbs in English that are followed by either only an infinitive or only a gerund.

Let's look at the table.

Verbs followed by an infinitive

Verbs followed by a gerund

Afford - afford something Allow - to allow someone Agree - agree Aim - strive, aim Arrange - negotiate, arrange Ask - to ask Decide - decide Deserve - deserve Expect - expect Fail - fail Hope - to hope Learn - to study Manage - be able to do something Offer - to offer Plan - plan Prepare - prepare Pretend - pretend, pretend Promise - promise Refuse - refuse Seem - seem, introduce yourself Tend - to have a tendency Threaten - to threaten Turn out - turn out

Admit - acknowledge Adore - to adore Avoid - avoid Can’t stand - not to stand, not to endure Carry on - continue Delay - put off, delay Deny - deny Discuss - discuss Enjoy - enjoy Finish - finish Imagine - imagine Involve - to attract Keep (on) - continue Look forward to - look forward to Mind - to object, to have against Miss - fail, miss Practice - to practice Quit - stop doing Recall - remember Resist - resist, oppose Risk - to take risks, dare Suggest - to suggest, advise Understand - to understand

So, now you are familiar with the concept of a gerund in English. Let's practice using it.

Reinforcement task

Translate the sentences into English. Leave your answers in the comments.

1. He enjoys drawing.
2. His hobby is collecting.
3. Reading is useful.
4. He likes to run.
5. He doesn't like her singing.

The gerund is one of the English parts of speech that is absent in the Russian language.

A gerund in English is a form of a verb called impersonal (non-finite), which expresses an action, but has the characteristics and properties of not only a verb, but also has the characteristics of a noun.

The gerund is also called the verbal part of speech. Answers the question: doing what?

We usually use this part of speech after verbs:

• Indicating the beginning, duration and end of an action:
  • to start, to continue, to stop, to finish
• Expressing an attitude towards an action: dislike, preference, etc. For example:
  • to like, to enjoy, to love, to hate, to prefer, etc.

Useful knowledge about the English gerund:

• Can have a direct object without any preposition:
  Reading stories, growing flowers
• A possessive pronoun (his, her, their) or a noun in the possessive case (friend's, mother's) can be used before it, but not an article.

Possible functions of a gerund in a sentence

Since the gerund is a cross between an English verb and a noun, it can take on different functions in sentences. It can be an addition, a circumstance, a subject, a definition, unless the position of a simple predicate is beyond its capabilities. Let's consider sequentially what functions a gerund can perform in sentences:

Functions subject:

• Running is very useful. — Running is very useful

These kinds of sentences can be easily rephrased without changing the meaning. The gerund is replaced by an infinitive; such displacement is especially common in colloquial speech:

• It's very useful to run. — It’s very useful to run

Functions prepositional object:

• He is fond of swimming. — He loves bathing

Functions direct object:

• I mind your smoking here. — I object to you smoking here

Functions circumstances of the time:

• On coming home he drank a cup of tea. — On returning home he drank a cup of tea

Functions circumstances of the course of action:

• Instead of going school she watched TV-shows. — Instead of going to school, she watched a TV show

Could be part compound nominal predicate:

• My mother's hobby is making cakes. — My mother’s hobby is making cakes

Definition:

• I like her manner of speaking. — I like her way of speaking

In view of so many functions performed in sentences, this variable part of speech undoubtedly deserves due attention.

Subtleties of gerund formation

The gerund is formed according to the formula:

verb + ing

The general rule for forming a simple gerund does not cause difficulties: we take the particle to from the verb in the infinitive, then add the ending to it -ing:

• To cook - cooking
• To listen - listening

However, there are several cases where there are some deviations from the above rule:

1. If the verb ends in -e, That -e is omitted and added - ing:
   To make - making
   To serve - serving
2. Verbs that end in a consonant and are preceded by a stressed short vowel require doubling the final consonant, and then -ing is added:
   To swim - swimming
   To begin - beginning
   To run - running
3. Verbs that have a stressed last syllable and end in -r, double it, however, the stressed syllable should not contain diphthongs, since their presence excludes the doubling of the final -r:
   To star - starring ( -r becomes pronounced after doubling)
   To wear - wearing (there is a diphthong, so doubling -r unacceptable)
4. According to British rules, the final -l always doubles, despite the fact that the last syllable is stressed or unstressed.
   To travel - travelling
5. If the infinitive has final - ie, they are replaced by -y:
   To lie - lying

Ending -ing, which helps form the verbal part of speech and is pronounced like a nasal , A -g We don’t pronounce it.

On the translation of gerunds into Russian

The gerund is translated into Russian as a noun or as a verb:

1. We translate them as Russian verbal nouns (conveying process), which, as a rule, end in - aniye, —tion:
   To smoke (smoking) - smoking (smoking)
   To swim (swim) - swimming (swimming)
2. Sometimes we translate them into Russian, like verbs

Forms that a gerund can take

Due to its relationship with the verb, the gerund can take the forms of active and passive voices, and can also be of two types: indefinite and perfect. We have 4 forms, of which one is only simple, the other three are complex, for clarity we will place them in the table.

View	Active voice(Active voice)	Passive voice(Passive voice)
Indefinite	1) SellingVerb + ing	2) Being doneBeing + + 3rd form of irregular verbs / regular verb + ending -ed
Perfect	Having sold3) Having + 3 form of irregular verbs / regular verb + ending -ed	Having been done4) Having been + 3rd form of irregular verbs / regular verb + ending -ed

1. The first simple form is used most often in English and denotes an action that occurs simultaneously with the main verb, which is the predicate:
   I like writing the articles. — I like to write articles
2. The second form of the gerund indicates the action that the subject or object experiences:
   I hate being deceived. - I hate being deceived
3. The third form of the gerund expresses an action that occurred earlier than something that is conveyed through the predicate:
   I regretted having this story published. — I regretted publishing this story. (Watch the sequence of events: he first published, then regretted it.)
4. The fourth form also indicates an action preceding the action that the predicate in the sentence expresses, while some subject or object experienced it:
   We remember having been shown the painting. — We remember that they showed us this picture

Gerund or infinitive

In English, there are cases when you need to choose a gerund or an infinitive.

The following table will help to deal with this problem; it clearly distinguishes the cases of use of these two forms in English.

Gerund	Verb infinitive
In view of his - ing the long form expresses a long-term action, more generalized: They began working here in 2008. - They started working here in 2008.	Specific, shorter duration of action: He began to read the book two hours ago. — He started reading the book two hours ago.
The expressed processes are related to the past or present: He regret telling her this new. — He regrets telling her this news.	The action moves more towards the future: He propose to continue the work tomorrow. — He offers to continue work tomorrow.
To forget (to forget), to remember (to remember) are used with the verbal part of speech if we are talking about something already accomplished or done: Ann forgot writing him e-mail. - Anna forgot that she (already) wrote him an email I remember reading the book. — I remember that I read (already) this book	To forget (to forget), to remember (to remember) are used with the infinitive if an action that should have been done but was not done is forgotten or remembered: Ann forgot to write him e-mail. — Anna forgot to write him an email. I remember to read the book. — I remember that I need to read this book.
To stop (stop), if it implies the cessation of some action, needs an impersonal form of the verb: He stopped eating sweets. — He stopped eating sweets.	To stop (stop), if it implies the cessation of movement, in order to do some action requires an infinitive: He stopped to buy some sweets for his children. — He stopped to buy sweets for his children.

So, today we figured out what a gerund is in English, found out its characteristics, forms, functions in sentences. Due to the absence of such a part of speech in the Russian language, it may seem meaningless to you, but this is not so. With a little effort, perseverance and training exercises, you will understand its meaning in English.