What function does it have?
As a subject of the sentence
If the gerund is used as the subject of the sentence, it will be at the front of the sentence.
- Drinking under the age of 18 is illegal.
- Skiing can be very dangerous
After verbs where you indicate what you think
- (dis)like, love, hate, fancy, etc.
- My father loves watching football.
- I hate doing the dishes.
After sensory verbs
- see, watch, hear, smell, feel
- I smell something burning.
- Do you see that man dancing?
Other verbs (unfortunately, you have to learn this one by heart)
- avoid, consider, give up, go on, keep, manage, mind, prefer, recommend, start, stop, suggest
After certain expressions
- She can't help biting her nails.
- It's no use waiting for them.
- It's worth trying.
- They can't stand seeing me win.
After prepositions (voorzetsels)
- I look forward to hearing from you!
- Don't cross the road without looking.