What are Gerunds and Infinitives?
Gerunds and infinitives are verb forms that can take the place of a noun in a sentence.
-
A Gerund is the "-ing" form of a verb. It acts like a noun.
> * Swimming is my favorite hobby. (Here, "swimming" is the subject of the sentence.) -
An Infinitive is "to + the base form" of a verb. It can also act as a noun.
> * My goal is to swim every day. (Here, "to swim" renames the subject "goal.")
The main challenge is knowing which form to use after another verb.
When to Use a Gerund (-ing)
1. As the subject of a sentence:
- Reading helps you learn new things.
- Driving at night can be tiring.
2. After a preposition:
If a verb follows a preposition (like in, on, at, for, after, by), it must be a gerund.
- I am interested in learning Spanish.
- She is good at painting.
- Thank you for helping me.
3. After certain verbs:
Some verbs must be followed by a gerund.
enjoy, avoid, finish, suggest, recommend, quit, mind, keep, practice, deny
- I enjoy walking in the rain.
- He finished working at 7 PM.
- Would you mind opening the window?
When to Use an Infinitive (to + verb)
1. To express purpose:
The infinitive can explain why an action is done.
- I came to this school to learn English. (Why did you come? To learn.)
- He is saving money to buy a car.
2. After many adjectives:
- It is important to be on time.
- I'm happy to help you.
- This exercise is difficult to understand.
3. After certain verbs:
Some verbs must be followed by an infinitive.
want, hope, decide, plan, agree, need, offer, promise, seem, learn
- She plans to move to a new city.
- I decided to sell my car.
- We hope to see you soon.
Verbs That Take Both (With a Change in Meaning)
This is the most complex area. For some verbs, the choice between a gerund and an infinitive changes the meaning completely.
| Verb | With Gerund (-ing) | With Infinitive (to + verb) |
|---|---|---|
| remember | You have a memory of a past action. | You think of something you need to do. |
| I remember meeting her for the first time. | Please remember to lock the door. | |
| forget | You don't have a memory of a past action. | You fail to do something you were supposed to do. |
| I'll never forget seeing the Eiffel Tower. | Don't forget to call your mother. | |
| stop | Quit an action completely. | Pause one action to do another. |
| He stopped smoking last year. | He stopped to smoke a cigarette. (He stopped walking to smoke) | |
| try | Do something as an experiment to see what happens. | Make an effort to do something difficult. |
| Try turning it off and on again. | I tried to lift the box, but it was too heavy. | |
| regret | Feel sorry about something you did in the past. | Feel sorry to announce bad news (formal). |
| I regret telling him my secret. | We regret to inform you that your application was rejected. |
Verbs That Take Both (With No Change in Meaning)
Some verbs can be followed by either a gerund or an infinitive with little or no difference in meaning.
start, begin, continue, like, love, hate, prefer
- It started to rain. / It started raining.
- I love to read. / I love reading.
Summary
| Use a Gerund (-ing) when... | Use an Infinitive (to + verb) when... |
|---|---|
| It's the subject of the sentence. | It shows the purpose of an action. |
| It follows a preposition. | It follows an adjective. |
It follows verbs like enjoy, finish, avoid. |
It follows verbs like want, decide, hope. |
💡 The key takeaway: The verb before the gerund/infinitive is the key. Memorize the most common verb lists and pay special attention to the "meaning-change" verbs like
stopandremember.