Gerunds

How to use gerunds

In English, the ing form, for example swimming or smoking, is both a noun and a verb. You can follow it by an object, smoking cigarettes, by a verb, swimming is good, or you can make it the object of a sentence, I like swimming.

After verbs

You use the ing form after some verbs such as enjoy, admit, appreciate, can't stand / help / bear, deny, avoid, mind, understand.
For example, "I can't stand doing nothing", or "she denied breaking the copier".

With 'from' and 'to' with some verbs

Prevent / stop someone from doing: "He prevented her from leaving."
Look forward to doing: "We look forward to hearing from you soon."
Object to doing: "Does anyone object to me smoking?"
Get used to doing: "It took him a long time to get used to living in a city."
Prefer something to doing something else: "I prefer cooking to doing the dishes."

After prepositions

"Before going out he turned off the heating."
"I'm tired of arguing."
"These are used for cracking walnuts."
"I passed the exam by remembering the equations."

In some fixed expressions

"As well as doing…"
"It's no good doing…"
"It's no use doing…"

Some verbs can use either the 'to do' or the 'ing' form

See / hear / watch someone do / doing
With the verb form do, you see or hear the whole action. For example,"I heard him tell you about the letter."
With the verb form ing you only see or hear part of the action. For example, "I saw her drinking a coffee in the bar."

Remember / regret
If you use ing after these verbs, you are talking about something that happened before. "I remember coming here as a child" – I'm not a child any more, but I remember the times when I came here before.
"I regret not studying." (I didn't study in the past and I regret it now.)
If you use the to do form after these verbs, then you are referring to something in the future.
"Please remember to turn off the lights." (Please don't forget to do it later.)
"I regret to inform you that…" (I'm just about to tell you some bad news.)

Stop
"I want to stop smoking." (I want to break my habit.)
"She stopped to sit down." (She stopped walking so that she could sit down.)

Try
Try + ing = try out this experiment.
Try reading something in English every day." (You may be surprised at the results!)
Try to do = try hard to do something.
"Please try to be quiet when you come in." (Please make an effort.)
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This source is from http://www.english-at-home.com/grammar/how-to-use-gerunds/

More Source to expand more understanding about Gerunds

Gerunds (-ing)

When a verb ends in -ing, it may be a gerund or a present participle. It is important to understand that they are not the same.
When we use a verb in -ing form more like a noun, it is usually a gerund:

• Fishing is fun.

When we use a verb in -ing form more like a verb or an adjective, it is usually a present participle:

• Anthony is fishing.
• I have a boring teacher.

Gerunds as Subject, Object or Complement

Try to think of gerunds as verbs in noun form.
Like nouns, gerunds can be the subject, object or complement of a sentence:

• Smoking costs a lot of money.
• I don't like writing.
• My favourite occupation is reading.

But, like a verb, a gerund can also have an object itself. In this case, the whole expression [gerund + object] can be the subject, object or complement of the sentence.

• Smoking cigarettes costs a lot of money.
• I don't like writing letters.
• My favourite occupation is reading detective stories.

Like nouns, we can use gerunds with adjectives (including articles and other determiners):

• pointless questioning
• a settling of debts
• the making of Titanic
• his drinking of alcohol

But when we use a gerund with an article, it does not usually take a direct object:

• a settling of debts (not a settling debts)
• Making "Titanic" was expensive.
• The making of "Titanic" was expensive.

Gerunds after Prepositions

This is a good rule. It has no exceptions!
If we want to use a verb after a preposition, it must be a gerund. It is impossible to use an infinitive after a preposition. So for example, we say:

• I will call you after arriving at the office.
• Please have a drink before leaving.
• I am looking forward to meeting you.
• Do you object to working late?
• Tara always dreams about going on holiday.

Notice that you could replace all the above gerunds with "real" nouns:

• I will call you after my arrival at the office.
• Please have a drink before your departure.
• I am looking forward to our lunch.
• Do you object to this job?
• Tara always dreams about holidays.

Gerunds after Certain Verbs

We sometimes use one verb after another verb. Often the second verb is in the infinitive form, for example:

• I want to eat.

But sometimes the second verb must be in gerund form, for example:

• I dislike eating.

This depends on the first verb. Here is a list of verbs that are usually followed by a verb in gerund form:

• admit, appreciate, avoid, carry on, consider, defer, delay, deny, detest, dislike, endure, enjoy, escape, excuse, face, feel like, finish, forgive, give up, can't help, imagine, involve, leave off, mention, mind, miss, postpone, practise, put off, report, resent, risk, can't stand, suggest, understand

Look at these examples:

• She is considering having a holiday.
• Do you feel like going out?
• I can't help falling in love with you.
• I can't stand not seeing you.

Gerunds in Passive Sense

We often use a gerund after the verbs need, require and want. In this case, the gerund has a passive sense.

• I have three shirts that need washing. (need to be washed)
  
  
• This letter requires signing. (needs to be signed)
  
  
• The house wants repainting. (needs to be repainted)

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This source is from http://www.englishclub.com/grammar/verbs-gerunds.htm
You can test your understanding about Gerunds at http://www.englishpage.com/gerunds/index.htm