In English some verbs take gerunds as verbal direct objects exclusively while other verbs take only infinitives and still others can take either. Many such verbs are listed below, organized according to which kind of verbal direct object they take. With many of the verbs that follow the object, the use of the gerund indicates continuous action while the use of the simple verb indicates a one-time action. Still, sometimes the simple verb can indicate continuous action if one-time action wouldn't make sense in the context. Sometimes the simple-verb version might seem unconventional, so it's safer in most cases to use the gerund version.
Appositive phrases explain, identify, or rename words that it follows.
An appositive may be a noun phrase, a gerund phrase, and infinitve phrase, or a prepositional phrase. An absolute phrase modifies a whole clause or sentence, not just one word. It consists of a noun or noun equivalent usually followed by a participle. Absolute phrases are grammatically independent of the rest of the sentence. It is never a subject, nor does it modify any word in the sentence, but is used absolutely or independently.