Three Laws of Gerunds: 

Essential Tips for Global Professionals

CEFR Level: B1-B2

Published:  2025-03-19

Gerunds are a subtle yet vital component of English adroitness, especially for professionals navigating global communication. Learners from various linguistic backgrounds, including Japanese, often struggle with correctly using gerunds, particularly when differentiating them from infinitives or employing them in complex sentence structures. This post provides concise, effective strategies to help business professionals and corporate teams elevate their command of gerunds in everyday communication.

1. Use High-Frequency Verbs with Gerunds

Begin by anchoring understanding in verbs that commonly require gerunds. High-frequency verbs are easier to internalize and apply in real-world settings. For example:

– enjoy → I enjoy reading reports.

– avoid → She avoids speaking in long meetings.

– suggest → He suggested taking an earlier flight.

Practical Application: Create brief workplace dialogues to reinforce usage:

“I suggest reviewing the presentation before the client call.”

2. Gerunds Always Follow Prepositions

One of the most reliable grammar rules: prepositions are always followed by gerunds. This rule is especially helpful in business writing and formal communication.

– He’s interested in learning new software.

– They’re focused on improving their team’s efficiency.

– After finishing the project, we conducted a review.

Memory Aid: Prepositions function like magnets—they pull gerunds.

3. Gerund vs. Infinitive: Understand Meaning Shifts

Some verbs allow both gerunds and infinitives but shift meaning depending on usage. Clarifying these nuances prevents costly miscommunication.

– Stop talking. (Cease the action of talking.)

– Stop to talk. (Pause another activity to begin talking.)

– Try to fix it. (Make an effort.)

– Try fixing it. (Experiment to see if it works.)

4. Business Context: Gerunds in Action

Encourage learners to list work tasks that naturally use gerunds. This connects grammar to their professional environment:

– Reviewing reports

– Attending virtual meetings

– Emailing clients

Turn these into full sentences:

“Reviewing reports requires attention to detail.”

5. Visual Learning: The ‘Learn Hive Three Laws Of Gerunds’

After Prepositions	As A Subject	Verb + Gerund
interested in working	Writing is challenging.	enjoy learning
good at speaking	Networking opens doors.	avoid wasting time

Use a simple chart to organize common gerund patterns:

6. Correction Practice: Real-World Errors

Reinforce learning through targeted error correction exercises:

Incorrect: I suggested to meet at 3pm.  

Correct: I suggested meeting at 3pm.

Conclusion

Gerund comprehension enhances professional clarity and precision, particularly for non-native speakers navigating high-stakes communication. By embedding these practical strategies into your team’s learning, you enable more confident, effective, and accurate business communication across global markets.

To explore bespoke training solutions for your team and for a personalized consultation, contact us at info@learn-hive.com.