He deserves ____________(lock) up for ever for what he did.
Should I say"deserve locking" or "deserve being locked"? HELP! AND THANKS!
1. "He deserves to be locked up." This sounds better if he is not already locked up.
2. "He deserves being locked up." is correct if he is already locked up. "Being locked up [as he is] is something he deserves."
3. "He deserves locking up." = He merits locking up. Use as in 1.
All of these could be used whether he's locked up or not, but this is how I'd use them.
Note that "being locked up" can refer to:
1. the
action of someone locking him up (takes about a minute).
"He is locked up." Locked [up] is the past participle.
2. the
state of being locked up (which could last a lifetime).
"He is locked up." Locked [up] is a participial adjective.