English Grammar for ESL learners
GERUND vs INFINITIVE
Gerund and infinitive forms of verbs in English: when to use them.
One of the difficulties of the English language is that
some verbs are followed by the gerund (ex :
doing )
and others are followed by the infinitive (ex : to do)
Below you will find some guidelines and examples to help you.
When do we use the Gerund?
(verbs ending in -ing, ex: doing)
- After verbs that express likes/dislikes :
like, love, enjoy, dislike, hate, don't mind, can't stand ...
- I really hate walking home in the rain.
- My grandmother enjoys/likes doing crossword puzzles.
- He enjoys listening to music in the car.
- After certain other verbs such as :
admit, appreciate, avoid, consider, delay, deny, finish, imagine, involve, keep (on), mention, miss, postpone, suggest ...
- The boy admitted hitting the window with the ball.
- We appreciate having a bus stop close to our house.
- My mother avoids lifting heavy loads because of her back.
- I can’t help laughing when the actor pulls a funny face!
- Would you consider doing a few extra hours?
- She delayed leaving until the ambulance arrived.
- The suspect denied breaking into the house.
- We discussed putting an advertisment in the newspaper.
- The manager finished writing the report, then left.
- My father gave up smoking last year and feels better now.
- Can you image walking such a long distance?
- The job involves making presentations and speeches.
- My parents miss living close to the shops.
- Eva mentioned going to the same college as Alex.
- Tom postponed calling home until the flight was booked.
- The tourist office recommended taking the train.
- The group resumed talking once the door closed.
- The shop assistant remembered giving her a receipt.
- Don’t risk aggravating the situation. Just leave it as it is!
- Jack suggested taking a taxi instead of walking home.
- After prepositions :
- worried/nervous/anxious about ...
- I'm a bit worried about driving in the snow.
- She's nervous about walking home alone in the dark.
- He's anxious about moving to a new country.
- Are you interested in working for us?
- Would you like to walk instead of taking the bus?
- My mother is fond of doing crossword puzzles.
- Julie is good at making cakes.
- My dad is keen on watching sports on television.
-
Before leaving the office, please turn off the lights
- After tidying the kitchen she went straight to bed.
- I look forward to meeting your friends.
- Pedro had to get used to driving on the left.
- After certain expressions :
- it's no use ...-
It's no use pleading - I won't change my mind.
-
It's no good shouting at him - he's deaf!
- There's no point in cooking food
- nobody's hungry!
-
It's no use pleading - I won't change my mind.
- The gerund can also serve as a noun:
- My father dedicated his life to teaching.
- Carla is addicted to shopping.
- Swimming is my favourite sport.
- Quarelling is a waste of time.
- We witnessed the cruel killing of seals.
When do we use the Infinitive?
(for example to do)
- After verbs that refer to a future event :
want, hope, intend, would like, promise ...
- I would like to do a course in medieval history.
- He promised to return the book after reading it.
- She hopes to find a job when she graduates.
- After certain verbs such as :
afford, agree, arrange, choose, need, fail, happen, help, learn, manage, offer, refuse, seem ...
- I agree to pay for the damage.
- Harry managed to get tickets for the match.
- We arranged to go to the party together.
- After adjectives:
- glad/happy/relieved ...: (glad to know that ...)
- pleased/delighted...... : (pleased to meet you...)
- disappointed/sorry..... : (disappointed to hear that ..)
- After 'too' and 'enough'
- It's too difficult to explain how it happened.
- It's easy enough to install. You can do it yourself.
See also: When can we use both?
Please note that British English spelling is used on this website.