Gerunds & infinitives
A2 27 / 50
In short
A gerund is the -ing form of a verb used like a noun (swimming, reading); a to-infinitive is to + the base verb (to swim, to read). When one verb follows another, the first verb decides which form to use.
The rule
English has no single rule for when to use -ing and when to use to + verb. You learn it by the first verb, by prepositions, and by a few special meanings.
- Verb + -ing: some verbs are followed by a gerund: enjoy, finish, mind, avoid, suggest, keep, practise, can’t stand, give up, look forward to.
- Verb + to-infinitive: other verbs take to + base verb: want, would like, decide, hope, plan, need, promise, agree, learn, manage, offer, refuse.
- Both forms, same meaning: start, begin, continue, like, love, hate, prefer take either form with almost no change: It started raining = It started to rain.
- Both forms, different meaning: with remember, forget, stop, try, the two forms mean different things (see the table below).
- After a preposition (at, in, before, of, about…) always use -ing: good at swimming, before leaving.
- To-infinitive of purpose answers why?: I went out to buy milk (= in order to buy).
- Gerund as subject: -ing can begin a sentence: Swimming is fun.
- Verb + object + to-infinitive: want, tell, ask, need + person + to + verb: I want you to come.
- After modals (can, must, will, should…) use the bare infinitive (no to): I can swim (see lesson 17).
Forms & patterns
| Pattern | Followed by | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Verb + gerund | verb-ing | She enjoys dancing. |
| Verb + to-infinitive | to + base | They decided to leave. |
| Verb + object + to-infinitive | person + to + base | I told him to wait. |
| Preposition + gerund | verb-ing | He is interested in learning. |
| Purpose | to + base | I called to say thanks. |
| Gerund as subject | verb-ing | Reading helps a lot. |
| Modal + bare infinitive | base only | You should rest. |
Meaning changes with these four verbs:
| Verb | + -ing | + to-infinitive |
|---|---|---|
| stop | quit the activity: He stopped smoking. | pause in order to do it: He stopped to smoke. |
| remember | recall a past action: I remember locking the door. | not forget a future task: Remember to lock the door. |
| forget | forget a past action: I’ll never forget meeting her. | fail to do a task: Don’t forget to call me. |
| try | experiment, test something: Try adding more salt. | make an effort: I tried to open the jar. |
Examples
| English | Note |
|---|---|
| She enjoys cooking for friends. | enjoy always takes the gerund. |
| We decided to stay at home. | decide takes the to-infinitive. |
| He finished doing his homework. | finish + -ing. |
| I’m good at drawing but bad at singing. | -ing after the preposition at. |
| Learning a language takes time. | gerund as the subject of the sentence. |
| I went to the shop to buy bread. | to-infinitive of purpose = in order to. |
| My parents want me to study medicine. | verb + object + to-infinitive. |
| Please remember to bring your passport. | future task, so to + verb. |
Common mistakes
- I enjoy to swim -> I enjoy swimming - enjoy is always followed by -ing.
- We decided going home -> We decided to go home - decide needs the to-infinitive.
- He is good at cook -> He is good at cooking - after a preposition, use -ing.
- Swim is fun -> Swimming is fun - use the gerund as a subject, not the base verb.
- I want that you come -> I want you to come - English uses verb + object + to-infinitive, not that.
Tips
- Memorise the first verb together with its form: want to…, enjoy -ing. Learn them as fixed pairs.
- After any preposition (before, after, without, in, of, at) the verb is always -ing.
- to + verb often answers the question Why? - that is the purpose use.
- With stop / remember / forget / try, check the meaning first, then choose the form.