Gerunds and Short Responses

Gerunds and Short Responses

Learn how to use gerunds with opinion verbs and respond with short agreement or disagreement phrases

⏰ When do we use Gerunds and Short Responses

We use gerunds with short responses to:

  • Express Opinions About Activities:
    • I love playing video games.
    • I hate working on weekends.
  • Show Agreement with Affirmative Statements:
    • A: I enjoy cooking. B: So do I.
    • A: I’m good at solving problems. B: So am I.
  • Show Agreement with Negative Statements:
    • A: I don’t mind working evenings. B: Neither do I.
    • A: I can’t stand commuting. B: Neither can I.
  • Express Disagreement Politely:
    • A: I hate working on weekends. B: Really? I like it.
    • A: I’m not good at selling. B: Well, I am.

πŸ“Œ Structure

  • Affirmative + Gerund: Subject + verb + gerund
  • Negative + Gerund: Subject + don't/doesn't + verb + gerund
  • Agreement (Affirmative): So + auxiliary + subject
  • Agreement (Negative): Neither + auxiliary + subject
  • Disagreement: Subject + auxiliary (opposite)

πŸ“ Note

Common verbs and phrases that are followed by gerunds include:

    Opinion verbs: love, like, hate, enjoy, don’t mind, can’t stand
    Ability phrases: be good at, be bad at, be interested in
    Short responses: Use “So” for affirmative agreement, “Neither” for negative agreement

Examples: I love swimming β†’ So do I, I don’t like running β†’ Neither do I.

πŸ’¬ Examples

βœ… Affirmative Statements + Agreement

  • A: I love playing video games. B: So do I.
  • A: I enjoy cooking. B: So do I.
  • A: I’m good at solving problems. B: So am I.

❌ Negative Statements + Agreement

  • A: I don’t mind working evenings. B: Neither do I.
  • A: I’m not good at selling. B: Neither am I.
  • A: I can’t stand commuting. B: Neither can I.

πŸ”„ Disagreement Responses

  • A: I love playing video games. B: I don’t.
  • A: I hate working on weekends. B: Really? I like it.
  • A: I’m not good at selling. B: Well, I am.

🎯 Common Verbs and Phrases with Gerunds

πŸ’ Opinion Verbs

  • love: I love dancing.
  • like: She likes reading.
  • enjoy: We enjoy traveling.
  • hate: He hates cleaning.
  • can’t stand: She can’t stand lying.

🀷 Neutral Expressions

  • don’t mind: I don’t mind waiting.

🎯 Ability Phrases

  • be good at: I’m good at swimming.
  • be interested in: She’s interested in learning.
  • be bad at: He’s bad at remembering names.

🎯 Practice Exercises

⬇️ Interactive exercise will appear here soon.

Ready to Use “-ing” Forms and Give Quick English Replies?

Understanding gerunds (verbs ending in -ing used as nouns) and mastering short responses is a fantastic step to sounding more natural and efficient in English conversations. It’s how you say “I enjoy reading” or quickly answer “Yes, I do”!

Do you want to practice using gerunds correctly and giving concise, natural answers? My online English classes offer fun, interactive ways to master gerunds, short responses, and all other essential grammar points. You’ll get plenty of chances to speak and build your confidence.

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