动名词具有名词的性质，因此在句中可以作主语、表语、宾语、定语、补语、状语作主语Reading is an art. 读书是一种艺术Climbing mountains is really fun. 爬山真是有趣Working in these conditions is not a pleasure but a suffer. 在这种工作条件下工作不是一件愉快的事而是一件痛苦的事动名词作主语，谓语动词一般用单三形式动名词作主语，在动词的基础上加ing , 使该动词或动词短语，有名词的各种特征，可作名词灵活使用如：It is no use/no good crying over spilt milk. 覆水难收It is a waste of time persuading such a person to join us. 劝说这样的人加入真是浪费时间It was hard getting on the crowded street car.上这种拥挤的车真难It is fun playing with children. 和孩子们一起玩真好There is no joking about such matters. 对这种事情不是开玩笑。
动名词可以在句子中充当名词所能充当的多种句子成分动名词作主语有如下几种常见情况：1. 直接位于句首做主语Swimming is a good sport in summer.2. 用 it 作形式主语，把动名词(真实主语)置于句尾作后置主语动名词做主语时，不太常用 it 作先行主语，多见于某些形容词及名词之后It is no use telling him not to worry.常见的能用于这种结构的形容词还有：better，wonderful，enjoyable，interesting，foolish，difficult，useless，senseless，worthwhile等注意：important，essential，necessary 等形容词不能用于上述结构3. 用于“There be”结构中There is no saying when he'll come.很难说他何时回来4. 用于布告形式的省略结构中No smoking (No smoking is allowed (here) )..（禁止吸烟）No parking.（禁止停车)5. 动名词的复合结构作主语当动名词有自己的逻辑主语时，常可以在前面加上一个名词或代词的所有格，构成动名词的复合结构（名词或代词的所有格做动名词的逻辑主语）。
动名词的复合结构也可以在句中作主语Their coming to help was a great encouragement to us.动名词作主语与动词不定式作主语的比较动词不定式和动名词都可以用作主语，在意义上相近，但动名词多用来表示泛指或抽象动作，不定式多用来表示特指或具体动作比较：Smoking is not good for health.It is not good for you to smoke so much.注意：1) 在口语中，用动名词作主语位于句首的较不定式多见2) 在“It is no use...”，“It is no good...”，“It is fun...”，“It is a waste of time...”等句型中，通常用动名词作真实主语：It is no use/good/a waste of time talking about that.It is no use/good/a waste of time to talk about that.3) 在疑问句中，通常用动名词的复合结构，而不用不定式的复合结构作主语：Does your saying that mean anything to him?Does for you to say that mean anything to him?4) 在“There be”句型中，只能用动名词，而不能用不定式作主语：There is no telling what will happen.It is impossible to tell what will happen.5) 当句子中的主语和表语都是非限定动词时，要遵循前后一致的原则，主语和表语在形式上要求统一：Seeing is believing.To see is to believe.作宾语1．作动词的宾语某些动词后出现非限定性动词时只能用动名词作宾语，不能用不定式。
常见的此类动词有：admit, appreciate, excuse, stand, advise, allow, permit, avoid, consider, enjoy, finish, give up, cannot help, imagine, include, keep, understand, keep on, mind, report, risk, miss, put off, delay, practice, resist, suggest, depend on, think about, set about, succeed in, worry about, burst out, insist on, can't help, feel like, be used to, get used to, devote…to…，look forward to, pay attention to, get down to, escape等如：They went on walking and never stopped talking.他们继续走，说个不停I found it pleasant walking along the seashore.在海滩上走真是乐事。
Mark often attempts to escape being fined whenever he breaks traffic regulations.每当马克违反交通规则时，他常常企图逃避罚款的处分有些动词之后既可接动词不定式，又可接动名词，可把这类动词分为三种类型：两种形式所表达的含义基本相同，可以互换这类动词有：attempt ，begin，cease，continue，intend，omit，start，cannot bear，decline，disdain，loathe，neglect，commence例如：They ceased talking/to talk.他们停止说话Prices will continue to rise/rising.物价将继续上扬What do you intend to do/doing next?你下一步打算干什么？宾语用不定式和动名词所表达的含义略有变化用不定式作宾语时，表示特定的一次性的未来动作；用动名词则表示一般的行为，或者是目前正在进行的行为也可以说，动名词表示泛指的动作，而不定式表示特指的动作常这样用的动词有：hate，like，love，prefer，dread等。
例如：Would you like to go with me？你想跟我一起走吗？He preferred to do this rather than do that.他宁愿做这件事，而不愿做那件事2．作介词的宾语动词+介词+动名词例如：The rain prevented us from completing the work.下雨妨碍我们完成工作She complains of the book being too difficult.她抱怨这本书太难形容词+介词+动名词例如：I know who is responsible for breaking the window.我知道窗户是谁打开的名词+介词+动名词例如：There are many ways of doing it.有许多方法可以做这件事We are thinking of making a new plan for the next term.我们正考虑为下学期制定新的计划Shall we have a rest or get down to doing our work?我们休息呢还是开始干活？there be和it is也可变为动名词there being 和it being与介词连用。
例如：The car stooped because of there being no fuel in the tank.因为油箱里没有油，所以汽车停了下来介词+动名词也可在句中作状语，表示时间、条件等例如：On leaving school, he went into business.一离开学校，他就投身到商业中去了3．作形容词的宾语The music is well worth listening to more than once. 这种曲子很值得多听几遍We are busy preparing for the coming sports meet. 我们正为马上到来的运动会忙着做准备作表语动名词作表语时句子主语常是表示无生命的事物的名词或what引导的名词性从句表语动名词与主语通常是对等的关系，表示主语的内容，主语、表语可互换位置如果句中的主语和表语同为动词时，要注意保持两个动词在形式上的一致Your task is cleaning the windows.你的任务就是擦窗户Cleaning the windows is your task.)What I hate most is being laughed at.我最痛恨的就是被别人嘲笑。
Being laughed at is what I hate most.)The most popular pastime is playing chess.最大众化的消遣是下棋（The most popular pastime is to play chess.）The only thing that interests her is working.她唯一感兴趣的事就是工作.作定语动名词作定语往往表示被修饰词的某种用途如：a walking stick =a stick for walking=a stick which is used for walkinga washing machine=a machine for washing=a machine which is used for washinga reading room=a room for reading=a room which is used for readinga measuring tape=a tape for measuring=a tape which is used for measuringsleeping pills=pills for sleeping=pills which is used for sleeping。