La forma -ing: cuatro usos

La forma -ing (gerundio) funciona como sustantivo. Puede ser sujeto, complemento de un verbo o seguir a una preposición.

Como sujeto

Swimming is great exercise.

Después de ciertos verbos

I enjoy reading. / She avoids driving.

Después de preposiciones

She's good at solving problems. / I'm thinking of leaving.

Con "go" para actividades

Let's go swimming. / We went hiking.

Verbos seguidos de -ing

Estos siempre toman gerundio — nunca infinitivo

enjoy

I enjoy cooking.

avoid

She avoids eating late.

finish

Have you finished reading?

keep / keep on

He keeps interrupting.

mind (en preguntas/negativos)

Do you mind waiting?

suggest

She suggested going to the cinema.

can't stand / can't help

I can't stand waiting.

Después de preposiciones: siempre -ing

Una preposición debe ir seguida de la forma -ing, nunca del infinitivo

good at

She is good at drawing.

interested in

He is interested in learning Japanese.

thinking of/about

I'm thinking of moving.

before / after

Before leaving, check all the doors. / After eating, we went for a walk.

without

He left without saying goodbye.

to como preposición (no parte del infinitivo) también exige -ing: I look forward to seeing you. / She's used to working late.

Verbos con -ing vs infinitivo: cambio de significado

remember + -ing

I remember meeting her. (Recuerdo el evento pasado)

remember + to

I remembered to call. (No olvidé la tarea futura)

stop + -ing

She stopped smoking. (Dejó el hábito)

stop + to

She stopped to smoke. (Se detuvo para fumar)

try + -ing

Try adding more salt. (Experimentar)

try + to

I tried to open the jar. (Intentar hacer algo)

Errores frecuentes

I enjoy to swim.

→

I enjoy swimming.

enjoy siempre lleva -ing

She is good at to solve problems.

→

She is good at solving problems.

después de la preposición "at" → -ing

I look forward to see you.

→

I look forward to seeing you.

"to" aquí es preposición, no parte del infinitivo

Before leave, turn off the lights.

→

Before leaving, turn off the lights.

before/after + -ing

Resumen

Después de enjoy/avoid/finish/mind

siempre -ing

enjoy swimming, avoid driving

Después de preposiciones

siempre -ing

good at solving, before leaving

Como sujeto

-ing = sustantivo

Swimming is good for you.

Cambio de significado

remember/stop/try + -ing vs to = distinto significado

stopped smoking vs stopped to smoke

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Forma -ing (Gerundio)