Gerunds And Infinitives

Basic notes about gerunds and infinitives

Using gerunds and infinitives can sometimes be challenging, especially when using one instead of the other. Gerunds are defined as verbs put in the present participle form. That is, verbs that take the ing-forms, such as writing, doing, speaking, having, etc.

Infinitives, on the other hand, are referred to as verbs that have “to” at the beginning like to play, to cook, to get, to read, etc. This means that these verbs are not conjugated in any tense.

When do we put verbs in the gerund form (ing-form)?

A verb takes the gerund form in the following cases:

1. If it comes after a preposition

Take a look at the examples below:

• I dream of becoming an entrepreneur.
• She always goes to bed after brushing her teeth.
• They are interested in going to the mountains.

2. If they are used as subjects at the beginning of the sentence

Look at the examples below:

• Cycling is my favorite sport.
• Cooking is Sarah’s hobby.
• Getting a good job can sometimes be very difficult.

3. If they function as objects following a verb

Examples:

• I want to quit smoking as soon as possible.
• Anna loves riding horses.
• We should avoid eating junk food whenever we can.

4. Some verbs are directly followed by a gerund (ing-form)

Examples:

• Susan can’t help crying when she remembers her dead father.
• They celebrated being spouses for more than 20 years.
• The Browns are considering moving to a new apartment.

Here is a list of common verbs and expressions followed by gerunds

When do we use infinitives with “to” (to+verb)?

We use infinitives with “to” in the following cases:

1. After certain verbs

Take a look at these examples:

• Anna and George decided to get married.
• Alexandra wants to go to university after getting her baccalaureate.
• Morocco and England have agreed to establish bilateral relations.

2. After most adjectives

Examples:

• This exercise is difficult to do
• I find hiking tough to practice.
• Social issues are not always easy to deal with.

3. To indicate purpose

Look at the following examples:

• I’d like to leave my job to start a business.
• Mary goes to the supermarket to do the shopping.
• Andrew met his uncle, Pablo, to discuss some family problems.

Here is a list of common verbs and expressions that are followed by the infinitive with “to”

When do we use infinitives without “to” (bare infinitives)?

1. After modals/auxiliary verbs

Take a look at the examples below:

• Drivers must respect the driving code.
• Although she is still 15, Sarah can cook very well.
• Students should revise their lessons regularly.

2. After certain verbs (let and make)

Examples:

• Mrs. Brown never lets her daughter, Alexandra, go out alone.
• You always make me wait for hours.

3. After verbs of perception (feel, watch, see, hear, notice)

Examples:

• Every evening, I hear Mary quarrel with her husband.
• The neighbors saw the thief steal the car.
• The waiter noticed the woman leave the restaurant without paying.

4. After the expression “why (not)”

Examples:

• Why not use alternative medicines?
• Why ask for help if you can fix the problem yourself?

Here is a list of common verbs and expressions followed by infinitives without “to”

Exercise about gerunds and infinitives

Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the verbs.

1. You ought to ……………….. the grammar mistakes in your essay. (correct – to correct – correcting)
2. I don’t want ………………….. there alone. (go – to go – going)
3. You needn’t ………………… anything else. (do – to do – doing)
4. I can’t bear ……………… to that guy. He is too boring. (talk – to talk – talking)
5. Can you show me how to ……………….. the machine, please? (operate – to operate – operating)
6. Jane heard Nancy ………………… to him. (whisper – to whisper – whispering)
7. Students can’t do this task without ……………….. with each other. (collaborate – to collaborate – collaborating)
8. The police forced the suspect ………………… the truth. (say – to say – saying)
9. They made him ……………. the document unknowingly. (sign – to sign – signing)
10. The officials didn’t ………………. dogs enter the zoo. (let – to let – letting)
11. You will not ……………… the apples if you don’t stand on your tip-toes. (reach – to reach – reaching)
12. I advised my son ……………….. smoking as soon as possible. (give up – to give up – giving up)
13. Dorothy loves …………………. plants. (water – to water – watering)
14. I can’t stand ………………….. women scream. (hear – to hear – hearing)
15. The family could hear the noise of the cat ……………… away. (run – to run – running)
16. If you don’t ……………….. hard, you won’t be able to finish on time. (work – to work – working)
17. I can ……………….. the time when we first met at school. (remember – to remember – remembering)
18. ……………. everybody is sometimes risky. (trust – to trust – trusting)
19. The company manager is strongly interested in …………….. a look at your CV. (take – to take – taking)
20. Edward dislikes ……………….. lottery tickets. (buy – to buy – buying)

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