Do a lot of + gerund
This construction is used to emphasize the frequency with which an action is performed. Study the following sentences.
- He does a lot of reading. (Affirmative)
- He doesn’t do much reading. (Negative)
- I used to do a lot of gardening. (Affirmative)
- I don’t do much gardening these days. (Negative)
- My job requires me to do a lot of traveling.
- I hate having to do much traveling.
Notes
We use much / many in negative and interrogatives sentences. In affirmative sentences longer expressions like ‘a lot of / plenty of / a great deal of’ etc are used.
Exercise
Rewrite the following sentences using the do a lot of + gerund constructions.
1. I rode a lot in my youth.
2. He drank too much last night.
3. The old woman talks too much.
4. We used to read a lot when we were at university.
Answers
1. I did a lot of riding in my youth.
2. He did a lot of drinking last night.
3. The old woman does a lot of talking.
4. We did a lot of reading when were at university.
How about / what about + gerund
These expressions are used to seek an opinion or propose a suggestion. They are used at the beginning of a question. Note that how about / what about cannot be followed by an infinitive.
- How about hiring a cab? (NOT How about to hire a cab?)
- What about buying ourselves a drink?
- How about going to the movies?