GERUNDS VS INFINITIVES

Welcome:

Gerunds and Infinitives

What is a gerund?

The gerund is a verb form ending in -ing which is used to form verb tenses, and which in English may also be used as an adjective and a noun, for example: What are you doing? The setting sun looks great. Dancing is funny!

How do we use gerunds?

We use gerunds (verb + ing)

• After certain verbs - I enjoy singing.
• After prepositions - I drank a cup of coffee before leaving.
• As the subject or object of a sentence - Lifting weight is good exercise.

What is an infinitive?

The infinitive is a form of the verb that does not have any endings added to it and does not relate to any particular tense. In English, the infinitive is usually shown with to, such as in: to speak/ to eat/ to jump.

How do we use infinitives?

We use 'to' + infinitive:

• After certain verbs - We decided to study together.
• After many adjectives - It's difficult to get up early.

What about bare infinitives?

We use the bare infinitive (the infinitive without 'to'):

• After modal verbs - I can meet you at six o'clock
• After 'let', 'make' and (sometimes) 'help' - The teacher let us play videogames in the class.
• After some verbs of perception (see, watch, hear, notice, feel, sense) - I watched her walk away
• After expressions with 'why' - why go out the night before an exam?

Verb patterns

Sometimes in a sentence, one verb follows another. For example: I want to buy a new cellphone. The first verb is 'want', the second verb is 'buy'. In sentences like this, there are different possible patterns. For example: (a) I want to buy an electric car. (b) I hate driving.

• In sentence A, the first verb is followed by an infinitive.
• In sentence B, the first verb is followed by a gerund (-ing) form.

Verb patterns with Gerunds

Here are some of the most common verbs that are usually followed by the gerund.

• enjoy: I enjoyed living in France.
• fancy: I fancy seeing a film tonight.
• discuss: We discussed going on holiday together.
• dislike: I dislike waiting for buses.
• finish: We've finished preparing for the meeting.
• mind: I don't mind coming early.
• suggest: He suggested staying at the Grand Hotel.
• recommend: They recommended meeting earlier.
• keep: He kept working, although he felt ill.
• avoid: She avoided talking to her boss.

Verb patterns with Infinitives

And here are some common verbs followed by 'to' and the infinitive.

• agree: She agreed to give a presentation at the meeting.
• ask: I asked him to leave early.
• decide: We decided to go out for dinner.
• help: He helped to clean the kitchen.
• plan: She plans to buy a new flat next year.
• hope: I hope to pass the exam.
• learn: They are learning to sing.
• want: I want to come to the party.
• would like: I would like to see her tonight.
• promise: We promised not to be late.

https://www.thoughtco.com/verbs-gerund-infinitive-that-change-meaning-1209884

Verbs with Gerunds and Infinitives

Remember

• When you remember something that has happened in the past:
• I remember going to the beach when I was a child. (= I have a memory of going to the beach).

• When you think of something that you need to do:
• I remembered to buy milk. (= I was walking home and the idea that I needed milk came into my head, so I bought some).

https://www.thoughtco.com/verbs-gerund-infinitive-that-change-meaning-1209884

Verbs with Gerunds and Infinitives

Forget

• When you forget about a memory, something that you've done in the past.
• Have we really studied this topic before? I forget reading about it.

• When you want to do something, but you forget about it.
• I forgot to call my mother.

https://www.thoughtco.com/verbs-gerund-infinitive-that-change-meaning-1209884

Verbs with Gerunds and Infinitives

Try

• When you do something as an experiment. The thing you do is not difficult, but you want to see if doing it will have the result that you want.
• She tried giving up chocolate, but it didn't help her lose weight.

• When the thing you do itself is difficult.
• She tried to catch the bus, but she couldn't run fast enough.

https://www.thoughtco.com/verbs-gerund-infinitive-that-change-meaning-1209884

Verbs with Gerunds and Infinitives

Stop

• When we stop doing something it means the verb in the gerund is the thing that we stop. It can mean 'stop forever' or 'stop at that moment'.
• There was a fire alarm, so I stopped eating and went outside.

• We stop something else in order to do the verb in the infinitive.
• She was shopping and she stopped to get a cup of coffee.

https://www.thoughtco.com/verbs-gerund-infinitive-that-change-meaning-1209884

Verbs with Gerunds and Infinitives

Regret

• When you are sorry about something you did in the past and you wish you hadn't done it.
• I regret going to bed so late. I'm really tired today.

• We use this construction when we are giving someone bad news, in quite a formal way. The verb is almost always something like 'say' or 'tell' or 'inform'.
• The company regrets to inform employees that the London office will close next year.

Remember:

Thanks!