Grammar 3 gerunds and infinitives- i co-2011.

Gerunds andGerunds andinfinitivesinfinitives

Grammar IIII CO – 2011

byCarlos 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.• Human 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 keepdislike appreciate mindavoid 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 MEANINGI 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 gerundTo 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)