Infinitive and Gerund

Infinitive and Gerund

There are certain words in English that are usually followed by an infinitive or gerund.

(Ketut Armawan)

•  Infinitive

Use:

Certain word are followed by  an infinite word with or without ‘to’

Use and Word Lists (bellow)	Example
as the subject of a clause	To know you is to love you.
after certain expressions (without ‘to’)	Why not go to the cinema?
after certain verbs (without ‘to’)	I can swim.
after certain verbs (with ‘to’)	He wants to swim.
after certain verbs with interrogatives (infinitive constructions)	They don’t know how to swim.
after certain verbs with objects (without ‘to’)	He made her swim.
after certain verbs with objects (with ‘to’)	They wanted him to swim.
after certain adjectives and their comparisons	It’s easier to swim downstream.
after nouns deriving from the verbs mentioned above	We made a promise to swim. (derived from the verb ‘to promise’)

Note:

Infinitive as the Subject of a Clause	Example: To follow his advice seemed logical. be seem appear
Infinitive after certain Expressions (without 'to')	Example: I would rather stay at home. had better would rather would sooner why not why should I/you/… [not]
Infinitive after certain Verbs (without to)	Example: We must stay at home. can dare (also with to) do help (also with to) let may must need (also with to) shall should will
Infinitive after certain Verbs (with to)	Example: He refused to pay the bill. afford agree aim appear arrange attempt be determined beg care choose claim condescend consent dare (also without to) decide demand deserve determine endeavour expect fail guarantee happen have help (also without to) hesitate hope learn long manage mean need (also without to) neglect offer ought plan prepare pretend proceed promise refuse resolve seem stop swear tend threaten trouble undertake used volunteer vow want wish would hate would like would love would prefer
Infinitive after certain Verbs with Interrogative (how, if, what, where, whether)	Example: We didn't remember where to meet. ask advise + Objekt consider decide explain find out forget know learn remember see show teach tell + object understand wonder
Infinitive after certain Verbs with an Object (without 'to')	Example: We heard him scream. let make
Infinitive after certain Verbs with an Object (with 'to')	Example: She got me to wash the dishes. advise allow ask beg cause enable encourage expect forbid force get help invite mean order permit persuade recommend remind teach tell want warn would hate would like would love would prefer
Infinitive after certain Nouns	Example: There was no need to get angry. effort agreement aim appearance arrangement attempt choice claim decision determination expectation failure guarantee hesitation hope longing need neglect offer plan preparation procedure promise refusal resolution tendency threat trouble try

• Gerund

-          Form (ing form of the verb)

-          Present Progressive - Exceptions in Spelling

a.  A single, silent e at the end of the word is dropped before ing.

example: come - coming
I am coming home. You are coming home. He is coming home.

But: ee at the end of the word is not changed

example: agree - agreeing

b. The final consonant after a short, stressed vowel is doubled before ing.

example: sit - sitting
I am sitting on the sofa. You are sitting on the sofa. He is sitting on the sofa.

c. The letter l as final consonant after a vowel is always doubled before ing.

example: travel - travelling
I am travelling around. You are travelling around. He is travelling around.

Mind: This applies only for British English; in American English there is usually only one l.

d.  An ie at the end of a word becomes y before ing.

example: lie - lying
I am lying in bed. You are lying in bed. He is lying in bed.

-            

            - Use (Certain word are followed by an ing form)

Use and Word Lists (Bellow)	Example
as the subject of a clause	Cycling is good for your health.
after certain adjectives	He’s afraid of going by plane.
after certain prepositions	Before going to bed he turned off the lights.
after certain verbs	I enjoy cooking.
after certain verbs with prepositions	I am looking forward to seeing you again.
after certain nouns	We had problems finding our way back home.

            Note:

Adjectives (with Prepositions) followed by the Gerund	Example: I am interested in visiting the museum. afraid of angry about / at bad at busy clever at crazy about disappointed about excited about famous for fond of glad about good at impressed by interested in keen on like near proud of sick of sorry about tired of worried about worth
Prepositions followed by the Gerund	Example: Instead of studying for her exams, she went out every night. about (in 'how/what about') after apart from because of before by in in spite of instead of onwithout
Verbs followed by the Gerund	Example: I enjoy enjoy cooking. admit advise allow appreciate avoid can't help can't stand consider delay deny dislike enjoy escape fancy finish go (in go swimming) imagine involve keep mention mind miss permit postpone practise reject resist risk stop suggest understand waste time / money
Verbs with Prepositions followed by the Gerund	Example: I'm looking forward to seeing you again soon. accuse of adjust to agree with apologize for approve of ask about ask for begin by believe in be used to blame for care for carry on complain about concentrate on congratulate on consist of cope with decide against decide for depend on die of dream about / of escape from feel like forgive for give up insist on keep on look forward to object to pay for prevent sb. from protect from put off rely on spend money on spend time on succeed in suspect of take part in talk about / of thank for think of use for warn against worry about
Nouns / Nouns with Prepositions followed by the Gerund	Example: There's no point in waiting any longer. advantage of alternative of chance of choice between danger of difficulty in doubt about experience in fun hope of idea of interest in opportunity of place for pleasure in point in possibility of problem reason for trouble trouble in use way of waste of money waste of time

• Words followed either by infinitive or ing-form

Use and Word Lists (Bellow)	Example
same meaning	I started to read. / I started reading.
same meaning but different use	She forbids us to talk. / She forbids talking.
different meaning	He stopped to smoke. / He stopped smoking.
infinitive or present participle	I saw him go up the stairs. / I saw him going up the stairs.

            Note:

Words with the same meaning	Example: I started to read. / I started reading. attempt begin bother cannot bear cease continue hate intend love prefer start
Words with the same meaning but different use	Word Infinitive - with an object Gerund – without an object advise I advise you to go by bus. I advise going by bus. allow / permit He allowed her to take the car. He allowed taking the car. forbid She forbids us to smoke. She forbids smoking.
Words with a different meaning	Word Infinitive meaning Gerund meaning forget / remember with regard to the future Remember to switch off the lights. with regard to the past Do you remember switching off the lights? go on start something new Go on to read. continue with the same action Go on reading. regret with regard to the future I regret to say that. with regard to the past I regret saying that. stop interrupt another action I stopped to smoke. terminate I stopped smoking. Try do something complicated Try to solve this riddle. do it and see what happens Try talking to him.
Infinitive or Present Participle	Gerund and present participle are not exactly the same. As this chapter is about when to use the infinitive and when to use the ing-form, however, we have also listed words here that can be used either with the infinitive or the present participle. Words Infinitive meaning Gerund meaning feel hear see Emphasises that the action is completed. Example: I saw him go up the stairs. Action can be completed, but not necessarily. Example: I saw him going up the stairs. go come expresses a purpose Example: She is coming to show us the pictures. in connection with activities Example: Let’s go shopping / dancing.