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Unit 16
Gerunds & Infinitives
verb patterns & usage
Gerund vs Infinitive — The Basics
A gerund is the -ing form of a verb used as a noun. An infinitive is to + base verb. Both can be subjects, objects, or complements — but each follows specific verbs.
| Form | Example sentence | Function |
|---|---|---|
| Gerund (-ing) | Swimming is good for you. | Subject |
| Gerund (-ing) | I enjoy reading. | Object after certain verbs |
| Infinitive (to + verb) | I want to learn Spanish. | Object after certain verbs |
| Infinitive (to + verb) | She came to study. | Expressing purpose |
Verbs Followed by Gerund
These verbs are always followed by the -ing form:
- enjoy, avoid, finish, stop, mind, suggest, keep, admit, deny, miss, practise, dislike, risk, imagine, consider
- I enjoy reading at night.
- She avoids driving during rush hour.
- He suggested going for a walk.
- We finished eating and left.
Verbs Followed by Infinitive
These verbs are always followed by to + base verb:
- agree, decide, expect, hope, learn, need, offer, plan, promise, refuse, want, would like, manage, afford
- She decided to go abroad.
- He promised to help me.
- I need to finish this report.
- We hope to see you soon.
Verbs That Change Meaning
Some verbs can take either form — but the meaning changes:
| Verb | Gerund meaning | Infinitive meaning |
|---|---|---|
| remember | Recall a past action: I remember meeting her. | Not forget to do: Remember to call her. |
| stop | Quit an activity: He stopped smoking. | Pause to do sth else: He stopped to smoke. |
| try | Experiment: Try adding salt. | Make an effort: Try to finish it. |
| forget | Forget a past experience: I forgot meeting her. | Forget to do: Don't forget to call. |
| regret | Regret doing: I regret saying that. | Formal announcement: I regret to tell you... |
Verb + Object + Infinitive
Some verbs take an object before the infinitive:
| Verb + object + infinitive | Example |
|---|---|
| tell, ask, advise, warn, want, expect, invite, remind, allow, encourage | She told me to stay. / I want you to be happy. |
Bare Infinitive — No "To"
After let, make, help, see, hear, feel — use the base verb without "to":
| Verb | Example |
|---|---|
| let | They let me go early. |
| make | The teacher made us redo the test. |
| help | She helped me carry the bags. |
| see / hear / feel | I saw him leave. / I heard her sing. |
Gerund After Prepositions
After a preposition, always use the gerund:
- She's interested in learning English.
- I'm tired of waiting.
- Thank you for helping me.
- I'm looking forward to seeing you. ← "to" here is a preposition, not part of the infinitive!
- I'm used to getting up early.
Like, Love, Hate & Would Like
| Verb | Pattern | Example |
|---|---|---|
| like / love / hate / prefer | -ing or to (small difference) | I like swimming. / I like to swim in the morning. |
| would like / would love / would prefer | always to | I'd like to go. (not |
| start / begin / continue | -ing or to (same meaning) | It started raining / to rain. |
Infinitive after Adjectives & for Purpose
- Adjective + to + verb: English is easy to learn. · I was happy to help. · It's important to sleep well.
- Purpose = to + verb (why?): I went to the shop to buy bread. (not
for buy/for buying) - for + noun for purpose: I went there for a meeting.
- Gerund as the subject: Learning a language takes time.
Annotated Examples
Subject
Verb
Auxiliary
Object
Adjective
Adverb
Preposition
Hover over any word to see its role.
subjectIverbenjoyobjectreadingobjectbooksadverbbefore bed.
↳ "Enjoy" always takes gerund: reading.
subjectSheverbdecidedobjectto goadverbabroad.
↳ "Decide" always takes infinitive: to go.
subjectHeverbstoppedobjectsmokingadverblast year.
↳ "Stopped smoking" = quit the habit (gerund).
Common Mistakes
I enjoy to swim.
→
I enjoy swimming.
"Enjoy" is always followed by the gerund (-ing).
I want going.
→
I want to go.
"Want" is always followed by the infinitive (to + verb).
She suggested to go.
→
She suggested going.
"Suggest" takes a gerund.
They let us to leave.
→
They let us leave.
"Let" takes the bare infinitive — no "to".
I'm looking forward to see you.
→
I'm looking forward to seeing you.
"To" here is a preposition → gerund follows.
I'd like going to the cinema.
→
I'd like to go to the cinema.
would like + to.