动名词在句中起名词的作用，可以充当主语、表语、宾语(动词宾语或介词宾语)。它可以有自己的定语、宾语或状语。
1)动名词作主语
Seeing is believing. Talking mends no holes. Taking a cold shower every morning does him a lot good.____in an atmosphere of simply living was what her parents wished for. (CET-4 1999,1)
A) The girl to be educated
B) The girl educated
C) The girl's being educated
D) The girl was educated
解析：动名词和不定式都可以做主语。不定式做主语表示具体的动作，动名词做主语则可以表示抽象或一般性的动作或情况。根据句意，这个女孩在朴素的生活环境中接受教育是她的父母所希望的，接受教育不是具体的一次性动作，因此用动名词，答案为C。当动名词做主语时，我们常用先行词it作形式主语，而把真正的主语动名词放到句尾，特别要注意如下结构：It is useless (no use, no good, no harm) doing... It is a waste of time doing... It is worthwhile doing...，例如：
It is no use crying over spilt milk. It is a waste of time discussing such matters with him. It is no good leaving today's work for tomorrow.
2)动名词作动词宾语
动名词作动词宾语是大学英语四级考试的重要内容。
a)英语中有些动词后面只能跟动名词作它的宾语。这类动词常见的有：admit, advice, anticipate, appreciate, avoid，consider, delay，deny，dislike, enjoy，escape，excuse, fancy，favor, finish，imagine，include , keep, mind，miss, postpone, practice，prevent , propose, resist, risk, suggest等。例如：
Mike often attempts to escape being fined whenever he breaks traffic regulations. The doctor suggested that I avoid smoking and drinking for a month. Would you mind opening the window? The murderer denied killing the rich man. I would appreciate ____it a secret. (CET-4 1995,6)
A) your keeping B) you to keep
C) that you keep D) that you will keep
解析：appreciate后面一般加动名词做宾语，动名词可以有自己的逻辑主语，因此答案为A。
That young guy still denies____the fire behind the store. (CET-4 2000,12)
A) to start B)having started
C) start D) to have started
解析：Deny后面加动名词作宾语，而且引发火灾是在否认这一动做之前，所以用动名词的完成式，答案为B。
b)动名词在demand, deserve, need, require, want等动词后面作宾语时，表示被动的意思。例如：
My shoes need mending. The following language points deserve mentioning. This matter demands discussing. Your hair wants ____. You had better have it done now. (CET-4 1997, 1)
A) cut B) to cut
C) cutting D) being cut
解析：Want, need, require等动词后经常加动名词做宾语，表示被动的意思，故答案为C。
c)有些短语动词和结构后面也要求跟动名词作宾语。这样的短语动词常见的有：feel like，give up，go on，object/objection to，put off，keep on，insist on，leave off，look forward to，think of, can't help, be/get used to, spend...in , have difficulty in, have trouble/a hard time in, there be no need, confess to等。例如：
Do you feel like going out for dinner with me tonight? Chinese people are looking forward to holding the 27th Olympic games. I am used to going to bed late and getting up late. Although punctual himself, the professor was quite used ____late for his lecture. (CET-4 1998,1)
A) to have students B) for students' being
C) for students to be D) to students' being
解析：be/get used to doing表示习惯于干什么，是固定用法，因此答案为D。
I have no objection____ your story again. (CET-4 2000,6)
A) to hear B) to hearing
C) to having heard D) to have heard
解析：object/objection to doing是固定用法，因此A和D可以排除。动名词的完成式表示其动作发生在谓语动词的动作之前，而句中听的动作还没有进行，因此用动名词的一般式，答案为B。
d)有些动词既可以加动名词，又可以加不定式，两者在意义上有差别。这些动词有：forget, like, remember, regret, try等。forget to do：忘记去做某事，还没有做。例如：
Don't forget to take an umbrella when you go out.
forget doing：忘了做过某事。
例题：
I'll never forget ____you for the first time. (CET-4 2000,12)
A) to meet B) to have met
C) meeting D)having to be meeting
解析：forget to do表示忘记去做某事，还没有做。forget doing表示忘了做过某事。根据句意：我永远不会忘记第一次遇到你，遇到的动作已经发生，应选择动名词，答案为C. remember to do：记住去做某事，还没有做。
I will remember to write to you often. If I had remembered ____the window, the thief would not have got in.(CET-4 1996,1)
A) to close B) closing
C) to have closed D)having closed
解析：remember to do表示记得要做某事，还没有做。根据句意，如果我记得去关窗户，小偷就不会进来，窗户很明显没有关，所以用不定式，答案为A。r
emember doing：记得做过某事。例如：
I remembered putting my wallet in the bag, but I could not find it.
regret to do：遗憾做某事，经常用：regret to say。例如：
I regret to say that I can't accept your invitation.
regret doing：后悔做过某事。例如：
I regret notshavingstaken your advice.
try to do：尽力做某事。例如：
One should try to do everything well.
try doing：试着做某事。例如：
I tried cooking, but I failed.
3)动名词作介词宾语
动名词作介词宾语，并且和介词构成介词短语。例如：
She left without saying anything to us.Man's dream of landing on the moon came true in1968.I am afraid of being punished by the teacher.Ann never dreams of ____for her to be sent abroad very soon.(CET-4 1998,6)
A) there being a chance B) there to be
C) there be a chance D) being a chance
解析：of为介词，后面接动名词做宾语，因此B和C都可以排除。另外，根据句意：安妮从来没有梦想过她有一个很快被送出国的机会，介词后面含有“有”的意思，用there be结构表达，故正确答案为A.