Gerund vs infinitive
In English, if you want to follow a verb with another action, you must use a gerund or infinitive. For example:
- We resumed talking (gerund - verb + ing)
- I miss hanging out with my friends
- I want to see a movie (infinitive - to + base verb)
- She threatened to quit if she didn't get a raise
- It started to rain/ It started raining (Both are correct)
Common verbs followed by a gerund:
Common verbs followed by an infinitive:
Common verbs followed by a gerund or infinitive with little to no change in meaning:
Verbs followed by a gerund or infinitive with a change in meaning:
> I forgot to meet him (I didn't meet him because I forgot to do it)
> I forgot meeting him (I don't have the memory of meeting him before)
2. Go on
> He went on to learn English and French (He ended one period of time before this)
> He went on learning English and French (He continued learning the languages)
3. Quit
> She quit to work here (She quit another job in order to work here)
> She quit working here (She quit her job here. She doesn't work here anymore)
4. Regret
> I regret promising to help you (I'm sorry that I made the promise)
> I regret to tell you that we can't hire you (I'm telling you now, and I'm sorry)
5. Remember
> She remembered to visit her grandmother (She didn't forget to visit)
> She remembered visiting her grandmother (She had memories of this time)
6. Stop
> I stopped to call you (I interrupted another action in order to call you)
> I stopped calling you (I stopped this activity. Maybe we had a fight)
7. Try
>I tried to open the window (I attempted this action but didn't succeed)
>I tried opening the window (This was one option I sampled. Maybe the room was hot)
8. Come
> The book has come to mean something quite different for me (something happens or develops, perhaps outside the subject's control)
> My dog always comes bounding out of the car (Dog is doing something as they move)
9. Mean
> If you take that job in London it will mean traveling for two hours every day (express what the result of an action will be, or what will be necessary. The word mean could be replaced by the word involve)
> I mean to finish this job by the end of the week (express an intention or a plan. The word mean could be replaced by the word intend)
The gerund as the subject or object of the sentence
Ex: Flying makes me nervous
Brushing your teeth is important
I like eating coconut oil
One of his duties is attending meetings
The hardest thing about learning English is understanding the gerund
One of life's pleasure is having breakfast in bed
Jumping off a cliff is dangerous, but a real thrill
The gerund after prepositions.
Ex: Can you sneezing without opening your mouth?
She is good at painting
She avoided him by walking on the opposite side of the road
We arrived in Madrid after driving all night
My father decided against postponing his trip to Hungary
There's no point in waiting
Inspire of missing the train, we arrived on time
I made dinner before getting home
He looked unhappy after seeing his work schedule
The gerund after phrasal verbs (verb + preposition or adverb)
Ex: When will you give up smoking?
She always putt off going to the dentist
He kept on asking for money
Jim ended up buying a new TV after his old one broke
There are some phrasal verbs that include the word 'to' as a preposition for example to look forward to, to take to, to be accustomed to, to get around to, to be used to. You can check whether 'to' is a preposition or part of the infinitive. If you can put the pronoun 'it' after the word 'to' and form a meaningful sentence, then the word 'to' is a preposition and must be followed by a gerund.
Ex: I look forward to hearing from you soon
I look forward to it
I am used to waiting for buses
I am used to it
She didn't really take to it
When will you get around to mowing the grass?
When will you get around to it?
The gerund in compound nouns
Ex: I am giving Sally a driving lesson (lesson for driving)
They have a swimming pool in their back yard (pool for swimming)
I bought some new running shoes (shoes for running)
The gerund after some expressions
Ex: She couldn't help falling in love with him
I can't stand being stuck in traffic jams
It's no use trying to escape
It might be worth phoning the station to check the time of the train
Infinitives can be used after many adjectives
Ex: It is hard to make dinner this late.
I find it difficult to describe my feelings about writing research essays
Infinitives can be used to show purpose
Ex: I left for Rusia to study Russian.
I came to the office to solve the mystery of the missing keys.
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Expressions that end in a preposition are generally followed by a gerund – a verb that ends in -ing. Here are four expressions that are followed by gerunds
- I've thought about doing some professional development.
- Jan's interested in coaching other employees.
- He plans on getting his MBA.
- I look forward to taking a night course.
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