Gerunds andGerunds andinfinitivesinfinitives

Grammar III

I CO – 2011

by

Carlos Roberto Mora

Infinitive

• The uninflected form of the verb.

• The infinitive form may be used alone or in

conjunction with the particle to.

• An infinitive is the base form of a verb with

-to-

Infinitive (to) + Gerund

• The infinitive after a verb often describes a future event.

After: hope, expect, promise, want… the event in the to-infinitive comes after the

activity or thought in the main verb:

– I hope to see you next week.

• Gerund describes an activity.

– We enjoyed seeing you last weekend.

• afford / agree• learn / need• ask / decide

• promise / refuse - to - to -• expect / fail• tell / want• hope / wish• want / decide

afford / agree

• I agree to go to the USA trip this summer.

• I can afford to buy this picture.

learn / need

• We should learn to do housework.• Humans need to drink water.

Hope / wish

• I hope to meet Beckham in England.

• I wish to fly up high in the sky.

Want / decide• I want to do the homework today.• I decide to buy this book.

Expect / fail

• We expect to pass the English exam.

• We failed to do the homework.

Tell / want

• He wanted to tell her about his feelings.

Ask / decide

• I asked my mum to go shopping with me.

• I decided to go hiking this Sunday.

Promise / refuse

• I promised my mother to finish my homework this weekend.

• I refuse to invite Mary to my party.

No major difference in meaning

• Some verbs can be followed by either the infinitive or the gerund without any major difference in meaning:

Begin

Continue

Start Intend

• Mother Teresa started to live/living in the slums of Calcutta from 1948.

• Though she faced many problems, Mother Teresa continued to work/working for the poor.

Gerund (general) to-infinitive (particular situation)

• Some verbs are generally followed by the gerund when used in a general sense

• The to-infinitive is often used for a particular situation.

• I like swimming, but I don’t like to swim on cold days.

The Gerund The Gerund is formed by adding “ing” to the base form of a verb

• swim swimming

• eat eating

• run running

The Gerund can be used…

As a noun

• Running is my favourite sport. (subject)

• He tried running faster. (object)

• She was afraid of losing. (object of

preposition)

After adjectives + preposition

accustomed to capable of fond of afraid of successful in good at tired of interested in

• She is accustomed to training for many

hours.• He is good at running the 200 meters race.

• admit• avoid• delay• deny• enjoy - ing - • finish• keep• mind

Admit• My brother admitted breaking the

vase.

Avoid• I avoid walking on busy streets.

Delay• The school delayed opening this

morning.

Finish

• I finish doing my homework.

Keep• After 4 hours, he keeps standing there.

Mind• Would you mind lending your pen to

me.

Deny

• I deny doing a wrong thing• I deny being late to school every

day.• I deny talking during the lesson.

Enjoy• I enjoy playing computer games.

After verbs…

admit can’t help finish keep try enjoy advise keep dislike appreciate mind avoid understand suggest forgive

• John has finished repairing his bicycle.• They enjoy walking in the evening. • Mary dislikes swimming in winter.

I enjoy to swim.

Which is correct ?

I enjoy swimming.right

I want to study .

Which is correct ?

　 I want studying.

right

I finish to eat .

Which is correct ?

　 I finish eating.right

I need to study .

Which is correct ?

　 I need studying.

right

I hope to study .

Which is correct ?

　 I hope studying.

right

I stopped to smoke.

Which is correct ?

　 I stopped smoking.right

Also… Some verbs can be followed by either an infinitive

or a gerund, with NO DIFFERENCE IN MEANING

I like to read / I like reading

Some verbs can be followed by either an infinitive or a gerund, but THEIR MEANINGS ARE NOT THE SAME

I will remember to call her.(I will be sure to call her in the future.)

I remember calling her.

(I have the memory of calling her in the past.)

Gerunds are often used when actions are real,

concrete or completed:

I stopped smoking. (The smoking was real and happened until I stopped.)  

Infinitives are often used when actions are unreal, abstract, or future:

I stopped to smoke. (I was doing something else, and I stopped; the smoking had not happened yet.)

Summary table for (to) infinitive and gerundTo infinitive Gerund (-ing forms)

1. Use as subjectEg: To smoke is bad for

you.

1. Use as subject (more common)

Eg: Smoking is bad for you.

2. To say why we do things

(purpose)

Eg: I got up early to catch the 7am train.

2. After prepositions (on, in, before, for, without, after…etc.)

Eg: You can’t live without eating.

Eg: Thank you for listening.

3. After some verbs (expect, afford, want, need, prepare, refuse, choose, fail, learn, promise, hesitate...etc)

Eg: I expect to pass the exams.

3. After some verbs (eg: dislike, enjoy, practise, mind, avoid, consider, discuss, finish, keep, miss, suggest, keep, can’t help…etc)

Eg: I’ll finish studying in June.

Summary table for (to) infinitive and gerund

To infinitive Gerund (ing forms)4. After some adjectives

and nouns: Adj = easy, happy, glad, nice, excited, ready, difficult, dangerous ...etc; Noun = work, money to spend, something to drink, different ways to protect her.…etc)

Eg: She is ready to leave. (adj)

Eg: I am glad to see you. (adj)

Eg: I’ve got work to do. (n)

4. After phrasal verbs:

Eg: I am not good at dancing.Eg: I am not interested in

singing.Eg: John will give up smoking.

5. Some verbs can be followed by either gerund or (to) infinitive:

Eg: I love going to school/I love to go to school

5. Eg: Begin, continue, hate, love, start…etc.

Summary table for (to) infinitive and gerund

To infinitive Gerund (ing forms)6. Used in general sense

(Eg: love, like, hate, prefer..etc)Eg: I like swimming.

6. Used in particular situations

Eg: I don’t like swimming on cold days.

7. No + gerundEg: No money, no talking.

* Some words can use both to-infinitive and gerund with the same meaning. (Eg: love, like, begin, start, intend, continue..etc)

8. Stop + gerund.Eg: Stop talking, stop

writing, stop walking…etc.

* Some words can use both to-infinitive and gerund with different meaning. (Eg: remember, try..etc)