Gerunds and Infinitives

Gerunds and Infinitives Part 1

1. A gerund is a noun made from a verb by adding "-ing." The gerund form of the verb "read" is "reading." You can use a gerund as the subject, the complement, or the object of a sentence.

Examples:

• Reading helps you learn English. subject of sentence
• Her favorite hobby is reading. complement of sentence
• I enjoy reading. object of sentence

Gerunds can be made negative by adding "not."

Examples:

• He enjoys not working.
• The best thing for your health is not smoking.

2. Infinitives are the "to" form of the verb. The infinitive form of "learn" is "to learn." You can also use an infinitive as the subject, the complement, or the object of a sentence.

Examples:

• To lea is important. subject of sentence
• The most important thing is to lea. complement of sentence
• He wants to lea. object of sentence

Infinitives can be made negative by adding "not."

Examples:

• I decided not to go.
• The most important thing is not to give up.

3. Both gerunds and infinitives can be used as the subject or the complement of a sentence. However, as subjects or complements, gerunds usually sound more like normal, spoken English, whereas infinitives sound more abstract. In the following sentences, gerunds sound more natural and would be more common in everyday English. Infinitives emphasize the possibility or potential for something and sound more philosophical. If this sounds confusing, just remember that 90% of the time, you will use a gerund as the subject or complement of a sentence.

Examples:

• Learning is important. normal subject
• To lea is important. abstract subject - less common
• The most important thing is learning. normal complement
• The most important thing is to lea. abstract complement - less common

4. As the object of a sentence, it is more difficult to choose between a gerund or an infinitive. In such situations, gerunds and infinitives are not normally interchangeable. Usually, the main verb in the sentence determines whether you use a gerund or an infinitive.

Examples:

• He enjoys swimming. "Enjoy" requires a gerund.
• He wants to swim. "Want" requires an infinitive.

5. Some verbs are followed by gerunds as objects.

Examples:

• She suggested going to a movie.
• Mary keeps talking about her problems.

6. Some verbs are followed by infinitives.

Examples:

• She wants to go to a movie.
• Mary needs to talk about her problems.

Exercises Based on Part 1 of the Gerunds and Infinitives

1. Dan enjoys …………………… science fiction.

a: to read b: reading

2. Cheryl suggested …………………… a movie after work. a: to see b: seeing

3. I miss …………………… in the travel industry. Maybe I can get my old job back.

a: working b: To work

4. Where did you learn …………………… Spanish? Was it in Spain or in Latin America?

a: to speak b: speaking

5. Do you mind …………………… me translate this letter?

a: to help b: helping

6. He asked …………………… to the store manager.
a: to talk b: talking

7. You've never mentioned ……… in Japan before. How long did you live there?
a: to live b: living
8. If he keeps ………………… to work late, he's going to get fired!
a: to come b: coming

9. Debbie plans …………. abroad next year.
a: to study b: studying

10. I agreed …………. Jack wash his car.

a: helping b: to help

1. Dan enjoys reading science fiction.

   2. Cheryl suggested seeing a movie after work.

   3. I miss working in the travel industry. Maybe I can get my old job back.

   4. Where did you learn to speak Spanish? Was it in Spain or in Latin America?

   5. Do you mind helping me translate this letter?

   6. He asked to talk to the store manager.

   7. You've never mentioned living in Japan before. How long did you live there?

   8. If he keeps coming to work late, he's going to get fired!

   9. Debbie plans to study abroad next year.

   10. I agreed to help Jack wash his car.

1. I hope to graduate from college next June.

   2. The models practiced walking with a book balanced on their heads.

   3. Mandy has promised to take care of our dog while we are on vacation.

   4. Mr. Edwards chose to accept the management position in Chicago rather than the position in Miami.

   5. I don't know what she wants to do tonight. Why don't you ask her?

   6. Frank offered to help us paint the house.

   7. Sandra decided to study economics in London.

   8. Witnesses reported seeing the bank robber as he was climbing out of the second-story window.

   9. Stephanie dislikes working in front of a computer all day.

   10. Mrs. Naidoo appears to be the most qualified person for the job.

Gerunds and Infinitives Part 2

7. Gerunds can often be modified with possessive forms such as his, her, its, your, their, our, John's, Mary's, the machine's, and so on. This makes it clearer who or what is performing the action.

Examples:

• I enjoyed their singing. They were singing.
• She understood his saying no to the offer. He said no.
• Sam resented Debbie's coming late to the dier. Debbie came late to the dier.
• We discussed the machine's being broken. The machine is broken.

8. Some verbs are followed by a noun plus an infinitive. In some situations, the noun is required. In other situations, the noun is optional.

Examples:

• The police ordered the man to stop. noun is required
• She asked to leave. noun is optional
• She asked him to leave. noun is optional

9. Some verbs are usually followed by a gerund, BUT they can also be followed by a noun plus infinitive. Using a noun plus infinitive will usually change who is performing the action.

Examples:

• I advised taking the train. in general
• I advised him to take the train. He will take the train.

10. There are many "go + gerund" expressions used for adventure sports and individual recreational activities.

Examples:

• I go swimming every weekend.
• Would you ever go skydiving?

11. Gerunds are used after prepositions. Most commonly, these are "verb + preposition" combinations. For reference, see the and the . You don't have to memorize these resources, you just need to remember that gerunds are used after prepositions!

Examples:

• They admitted to committing the crime.
• Leslie made up for forgetting my birthday.
• He is thinking about studying abroad.

12. Remember that there are many "adjective + preposition" combinations and "noun + preposition" combinations in English as well. These are also followed by gerunds. and . Once again, you don't have to memorize these resources, you just need to remember that gerunds are used after prepositions!

Examples:

• Sandy is scared of flying. adjective + preposition
• Nick is anxious about taking the examination. adjective + preposition
• His interest in becoming a professional snowboarder was well known. noun + preposition
• Thomas' story about seeing a grizzly bear was really exciting. noun + preposition

1. I can't stand her complaining all the time.

   2. Our teacher won't allow us to use dictionaries during the test.

   3. We advised him to take a taxi instead of walking to the restaurant.

   4. The city doesn't allow parking along curbs painted red.

   5. She prefers my making dier because she doesn't like to cook.

   6. I hope you don't mind my smoking while you eat.

   7. John is never on time to work! I hate his arriving late every day.

   8. Sarah urged me to vote in the next election.

   9. He needs to get a visa extension immediately. The authorities won't permit him to stay in the country without a visa.

   10. Travel agents usually advise reconfirming flight bookings three days before departure.

1. I enjoy not having to get up so early in the morning. Sleeping in is great!

   2. Nancy proposed our having a picnic at the beach.

   3. Do you wish to continue, or would you like to stop now?

   4. His car needs washing. It looks like it hasn't been washed in years.

   5. Smokers risk getting several smoking related illnesses.

   6. The astronomer told us not to look into the sun during the eclipse.

   7. I wish she would just quit complaining all the time.

   8. Leslie hired someone to repair her fence.

   9. She resisted taking advice from her coworkers.

   10. Linda regretted not going to her high school reunion.

13. Some verbs can be followed by a gerund or an infinitive, but with a difference in meaning.

Verbs Followed by Gerunds OR Infinitives (Different Meaning)

begin	She began singing. She began to sing. When "begin" is used in non-continuous tenses, you can either use a gerund or an infinitive.	She is begiing to sing. When "begin" is used in continuous tenses, an infinitive is used.
dread	She dreaded taking the test. Usually "dread" is followed by a gerund.	He dreaded to think of the consequences of his actions. "Dread" is sometimes used with infinitives such as "think" or "consider." In the sentence above, "dreaded to think" means "did not want to think."
forget	She forgot reading the book when she was a kid. When "forget" is used with a gerund, it means "to forget that you have done something." The sentence above means that she read the book when she was a kid, and that she has forgotten that fact.	She forgot to pay the rent this month. When forget is used with an infinitive, it means "to forget that you need to do something." The sentence above means that she forgot that she needed to pay the rent.
keep	She kept talking. "Keep" is normally used with a gerund to mean that you continue doing an action.	The attackers kept hostages to prevent the police from entering. "Keep" can also be used with an object followed by an infinitive, but then the infinitive takes on the meaning of "in order to... ." In the sentence above, the attackers kept hostages in order to prevent the police from entering.
need	The house needs cleaning. When "need" is used with a gerund, it takes on a passive meaning. The sentence above means "the house needs to be cleaned."	He needs to call his boss. He needs him to call his boss. "Need" is usually used with an infinitive or an object + an infinitive.
regret	I regretted being late to the interview. "Regret" is normally used with a gerund.	We regret to inform you that your position at the company is being eliminated. "Regret" is sometimes used with infinitives such as "to inform." In the sentence above, "We regret to inform you" means "We wish we did not have to tell you (bad news)."
remember	I remember mentioning the meeting yesterday. When "remember" is used with a gerund, it means "to remember that you have done something." The sentence above means that I mentioned the meeting, and that I remember the fact that I did that.	He remembered to turn off the lights before he left. When "remember" is used with an infinitive, it means "to remember that you need to do something." The sentence above means that he remembered that he needed to turn the lights off.
start	Marge started talking really fast. Marge started to talk really fast. When "start" is used in non-continuous tenses, you can either use a gerund or an infinitive.	Marge is starting to talk really fast. When "start" is used in continuous tenses, an infinitive is used. I started to learn Russian, but it was so much work that I finally quit the class. In other situations, an infinitive means that you did not complete or continue an action.
stop	He stopped smoking for health reasons. "Stop" is normally used with a gerund.	He stopped to rest for a few minutes. When "stop" is used with an infinitive, the infinitive takes on the meaning of "in order to." In the sentence above, he stopped in order to rest for a few minutes.
try	She can't find a job. She tried looking in the paper, but there was nothing. She tried asking friends and family, but nobody knew of anything. She also tried going shop to shop, but nobody was hiring. "Try + gerund" means to try or to experiment with different methods to see if something works. She tried eating the snake soup, but she didn't like it. "Try + gerund" is often used when you experiment with something, but you do not really like it or want to do it again.	She tried to climb the tree, but she couldn't even get off the ground. When you "try to do" something, you want to do it, but you do not succeed in actually doing it. In the sentence above, an infinitive is used because she caot successfully climb the tree. Try not to wake the baby when you get up tomorrow at 5 AM. An infinitive is also used if you are asking someone to try something they may or may not be able to accomplish.

Examples:

• Nancy remembered getting married. Nancy has a memory of getting married.
• Fred remembered to bring sunblock to the beach. Fred remembered that he needed to bring sunblock.

14. Some verbs can be followed by a gerund or an infinitive with little difference in meaning.

can't bear	He can't bear being alone.	He can't bear to be alone.
can't stand	Nancy can't stand working the late shift.	Nancy can't stand to work the late shift.
cease	The government ceased providing free health care.	The government ceased to provide free health care.
continue	She continued talking.	She continued to talk.
hate	He hates cleaning dishes.	He hates to clean dishes.
like	Samantha likes reading.	Samantha likes to read.
love	We love scuba diving.	We love to scuba dive.
neglect	He neglected doing his daily chores.	He neglected to do his daily chores.
prefer	He prefers eating at 7 PM.	He prefers to eat at 7 PM.
propose	Drew proposed paying for the trip.	Drew proposed to pay for the trip.

REMEMBER

Although the difference in meaning is small with these particular verbs, and gerunds and infinitives can often be used interchangeably, there is still a meaning difference. Using a gerund suggests that you are referring to real activities or experiences. Using an infinitive suggests that you are talking about potential or possible activities or experiences. Because of this small difference in meaning, gerunds and infinitives caot always be used interchangeably, such as in the examples below.

Examples:

• The British reporter likes living in New York. He lives in New York and he likes what he experiences there.
• The British reporter likes to live in New York whenever he works in the United States. He likes the option or possibility of living in New York when he works in the United States.
• I like speaking French because it's such a beautiful language. I like the experience of speaking French, and the way it makes me feel when I speak the language.
• I like to speak French when I'm in France. I prefer the option of speaking French when I am in France.

Examples:

• She likes swimming.
• She likes to swim.

Although the difference in meaning is small with these particular verbs, and gerunds and infinitives can often be used interchangeably, there is still a meaning difference. Using a gerund suggests that you are referring to real activities or experiences. Using an infinitive suggests that you are talking about potential or possible activities or experiences. Because of this small difference in meaning, gerunds and infinitives caot always be used interchangeably, such as in the examples below.

Examples:

• The British reporter likes living in New York. He lives in New York and he likes what he experiences there.
• The British reporter likes to live in New York whenever he works in the United States. He likes the option or possibility of living in New York when he works in the United States.
• I like speaking French because it's such a beautiful language. I like the experience of speaking French, and the way it makes me feel when I speak the language.
• I like to speak French when I'm in France. I prefer the option of speaking French when I am in France.

15. There are many "be + adjective" combinations that are commonly followed by infinitives.

Be + Adjective Combinations Followed by Infinitives

be amazed	He was amazed to discover the truth.
be anxious	She was anxious to start her new job.
be ashamed	He was ashamed to admit he had lied.
be bound	She is bound to be elected class president.
be careful	They were careful not to reveal the wier of the prize until the end.
be certain	She is certain to get the job.
be content	The student was content to receive second place in the competition.
be delighted	We were delighted to be invited to the wedding.
be determined	He was determined to finish the marathon.
be eager	He was eager to begin.
be eligible	They were not eligible to participate in the program.
be fortunate	She was fortunate to receive the research grant.
be glad	I would be glad to help out.
be happy	She was happy to see them at the party.
be hesitant	Mary was hesitant to say anything.
be liable	The mountain climber is liable to hurt himself if he doesn't use well-made equipment.
be likely	They are likely to show up at any time.
be lucky	You were lucky to have such an opportunity.
be pleased	I am pleased to meet you.
be proud	He was proud to have been chosen to lead the project.
be ready	I'm ready to go now.
be reluctant	The witness was reluctant to reveal what he had seen.
be sad	She was really sad to leave.
be shocked	He was shocked to discover the truth.
be sorry	I am sorry to have to tell you that the tickets are sold out.
be surprised	She was surprised to discover that he had never learned how to swim.

Examples:

• They were anxious to begin.
• She was delighted to receive such good feedback.
• He is lucky to have such good friends.

16. There are also many nouns that are commonly followed by infinitives.

Examples:

• It was a good decision to move to San Francisco.
• His wish to become an actor was well known.
• Laura's desire to improve impressed me.

17. Sometimes infinitives are used to express the idea of "in order to do something."

Examples:

• He bought the English dictionary to look up difficult words. in order to look up
• Janine sold her car to get the money that she needed. in order to get
• Juan uses Englishpage.com to lea English. in order to lea

This idea of "in order to do something" is found in many English patterns.

too + adjective/adverb + infinitive

Examples:

• The box is too heavy to carry.
• The television is too expensive to buy.
• Fiona ran too slowly to win the race.
• We arrived too late to see the begiing of the movie.

adjective/adverb + enough + infinitive

Examples:

• She is tall enough to reach the book on the shelf.
• Brian was smart enough to enter college at the age of 12.
• Linda runs quickly enough to win the race.

enough + noun(s) + infinitive

Examples:

• He has enough money to buy his own car.
• Cheryl owns enough books to start her own library!
• Diane needs enough time to finish writing her book.

18. Certain expressions are followed by "ING" forms.

Examples:

• He had fun fishing.
• They had difficulty finding a parking place.
• She spent her time practicing the piano.

19. Verbs which indicate location can often be followed by "ING" forms. This pattern is VERB OF LOCATION + LOCATION + VERB+ING.

Examples:

• Sarah stood at the corner waiting for Tom.
• Melissa lay in bed thinking about her future.
• Don clung to the side of the cliff looking down.

20. In addition to simple gerund and infinitive forms, there are progressive gerund and infinitive forms, passive gerund and infinitive forms and perfect gerund and infinitive forms as well as combinations of these forms. Progressive forms are used to emphasize that an action is taking place now. Passive forms are used to emphasize that the subject of the sentence is being acted upon. Perfect gerund and infinitive forms are used to emphasize completion in both the past and the future. Study the examples below to help understand these concepts. To learn more about progressiveness, the passive voice and the perfect aspect, complete the .

	GERUND FORMS	INFINITIVE FORMS
SIMPLE	The teacher enjoys teaching.	The teacher wants to teach.
PROGRESSIVE	Mr. Smith is really enjoying teaching his class. Looks the same as simple form above.	Mr. Smith would like to be teaching his class.
PASSIVE	The students enjoy being taught.	The students want to be taught.
PERFECT	The retired teacher recalled having taught.	The teacher was expecting to have taught that already.
PASSIVE + PROGRESSIVE	The students are enjoying being taught by such an exciting new teacher. Looks the same as the passive form above.	The students would like to be being taught by Mr Smith.
PASSIVE + PERFECT	The older students recalled having been taught that already.	The students were expecting to have been taught that by now.

1. Eliza recommended eating in a dim sum restaurant while we're in Hong Kong.

2. I demand to talk to the manager of the hotel immediately.

3. My grandmother recalled seeing a plane for the very first time when she was six.

4. She claims to be related to George Washington, but I don't believe her.

5. This broken bicycle needs fixing before someone can ride it.

6. I can't understand driving such a big car when gas prices are so high, not to mention what it does to the environment.

7. She refused to speak to me after our fight.

8. The wilderness adventure course lasts ten days and involves hiking more than fifty miles through rugged mountainous terrain.

9. Don't hesitate to ask for help if you don't understand the directions.

10. She managed to communicate with them, even though she didn't speak their language