COLEGIO INTERNACIONAL SEK-EL CASTILLO

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Modern Foreign Languages Department

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When two verbs follow each other, the second verb may be:
1. an infinitive (to + root of the other verb). Ex: I decided to buy a motorcycle.
2. an infinitive without to (root of the verb/bare infinitive). Ex. He let us have sandwich.
3. a gerund (verb + -ing). Ex: We enjoy watching old films.

1. AN INFINITIVE (TO + ROOT OF THE VERB)

a. Verbs followed by infinitives (to + root of the verb):
Afford
Agree
Appear
Arrange
Ask
Beg
Care
Claim
Consent
Decide
Demand
Deserve
Expect
Fail
Help

Permitise
Estar de acuerdo
Aparecer
Planear
Pedir
Suplicar
Cuidar
Decir
Consentir
Decidir
Solicitar
Merecer
Esperar
Suspender
Ayudar

Hesitate
Hope
Learn
Manage
Need
Offer
Plan
Prepare
Pretend
Promise
Propose
Refuse
Seem
Struggle
Swear

Dudar
Esperar
Aprender
Arreglrselas
Necesitar
Ofrecer
Planear
Preparar
Fingir
Prometer
Proponer
Rechazar
Parecer
Luchar
Jurar

Threaten
Try
Volunteer
Wait
Want
Wish
Would like
Would prefer
Would love
Would hate

Amenazar
Intentar
Hacer de voluntario
Esperar
Querer
Desear
Gustara
Preferira
Encantara
Odiara

Ex: My son hasnt learned to read yet

b. Verbs + Noun / Pronoun + to + Infinitive:
Advise
Allow
Ask
Beg
Cause
Challenge
Convince
Enable
Encourage
Expect

Aconsejar
Permitir
Pedir
suplicar
Causar
Desafiar
Convencer
Ser capaz de
Animar
Esperar

Forbid
Force
Hire
Instruct
Invite
Need
Order
Permit
Persuade
Recommend

Prohibir
Forzar
Contratar
Instruir
Invitar
Necesitar
Pedir
Permitir
Persuadir
recomendar

Remind
Require
Teach
Tell
Urge
Want
Warn
Would like

Recordar
Pedir
Ensear
Decir
Incitar a algo
Querer
Avisar
Gustara

Ex: I asked them to come in

She wanted me to help her
c. After adjectives and adverbs:
Be easy
Ser fcil
Be difficult Ser difcil
Be happy
Estar contento/a

Too + adjective / adverb or Adjective + enough:

Ex: She is too young to get married.
My children arent old enough to walk alone at night.

Ex: Its easy to learn French.

We were very happy to see him.
d. After It is / was + adjective + of + noun / pronoun
Ex: It was very kind of you to visit us.
It was very wise of the policeman not to use his gun.
e. After adjective + for + object
Ex: Its easy for my brother to solve Maths problems.
f. After the only, the last, the first, the second, the third, etc

Ex: My father is always the first to get up.

He was the only one to realize my mistake.
g. With interrogative pronouns (except for: why + bare infinitive):
Ex: I dont know what to say.
Did they tell you where to go?.

2. AN INFINITIVE WITHOUT TO (ROOT OF THE VERB)

a. After the modal verbs: can, could, may, might, must, shall, will, should, would, neednt:
Ex: He may be at home
b. After the expressions: had better, would rather, would sooner:
Ex: Youd better go to bed
c. Let / Make:
Ex: We let them go to bed
They made me stay longer
d. Help:
Ex: We helped him (to) carry the suitcases
e. Dare:
Ex: She shouldnt dare (to) tell me off
f. After the prepositions but and except:
Ex: We cant do anything but cheer him up

3. EITHER INFINITIVE OR GERUND

Attempt
Cant bear
Continue
Begin

Intentar
No poder soportar
Continuar
Empezar

Dislike
Hate
Intend
Like

with NO difference of meaning

No gustar
Odiar
Tener la intencin de
Gustar

Love
Prefer
Start

Gustar
Preferir
Comenzar

Ex: It started to rain/raining three days ago.

Hes beginning to walk slowly.
Con el condicional:
Would like/would love/would hate/would prefer + to + infinitive.
Cuando empleamos el verbo prefer con dos acciones, utilizamos la forma ing para ambas.
Ex: I prefer reading to watching TV.
I prefer reading rather than watching TV.

4. A GERUND (VERB + -ING)

a. Verbs followed by gerunds (verb + -ing):
To admit
To anticipate
To appreciate
To avoid
To be accustomed to
To be bad at
To be good at
To be reduced to
To be resigned to
To be used to
To be worried about
To begin *
Cant/couldnt help
Cant/couldnt stand
To commerce
To confined oneself to
To consider
To contemplate
To delay
To deny
To detest
To dislike *
To endure
To enjoy

Admitir
Anticipar
Apreciar
Evitar
Estar acostumbrado a
Ser malo en
Ser bueno en
No quedar otro remedio
Resignarse a
Estar acostumbrado a
Estar preocupado por
Empezar
No puedo/pude evitar
No puedo/pude soportar
Comerciar
Limitarse a
Considerar
Contemplar
Retrasar
Negar
Detestar
Desagradar
Soportar
disfrutar

To entail
To escape
To excuse
To face
To fancy
To feel like
To feel about
To finish
To forgive
To get used to
To give up
To go on 2
To imagine
To involve
To keep on
To like 3 *
To loathe
To look forward to
To mean
To mention
To mind
To miss
To necessitate
To need 6

Obligar, suponer
Escapar
Disculpar, perdonar
Enfrentarse a
Apetecer
Apetecer
Opinar
Terminar
Perdonar
Acostumbrarse a
Dejar de
Continuar
Imaginar
Implicar
Continuar
Gustar
Aborrecer
Esperar con ansiedad
Significar, querer decir
Mencionar
Importar
Echar de menos
Necesitar
Necesitar

To object to
To oppose to
To postpone
To practise
To prefer *
To prevent (from)
To propose 1
To put off
To quit
To recall
To resent
To resign oneself to
To resist
To restrict oneself to
To risk
To spend
To start 4
To stop
To suggest 5
To tolerate
To understand
To waste

Oponerse a
Oponerse a
Posponer
Practicar
Preferir
Prevenir, evitar
Proponer
Aplazar
Eliminar
Recordar
Ofenderse
Resignarse a
Oponerse a
Limitarse a
Arriesgar
Pasar tiempo
Empezar
Dejar de
Sugerir
Tolerar
Entender
Malgastar tiempo

Expressions:
Its no good... Es intil, no sirve de nada. Its not worth No vale la pena.
How about? Qu te parece?
Its (of) no use Es intil.
Theres no point (in) No tiene sentido. What about? Qu te parece?

Ex: I gave up studying at the age of 18.

They enjoyed watching the film.
b. After prepositions:
Ex: After watering the garden, it started to rain.
c. as subject of a sentence:
Ex: Listening to music is one of my hobbies.

Va seguido de gerundio cuando el que hace la propuesta est incluido en ella: I propose going to the cinema.
Ver Either infinitive or gerund with difference of meaning.
3
Ver Either infinitive or gerund with no difference of meaning.
4
Ver Either infinitive or gerund with no difference of meaning.
5
Va seguido de gerundio cuando el que hace la sugerencia est incluido en ella: I suggest going to the cinema.
6
Va seguido de gerundio cuando el verbo que le sigue tiene significado pasivo: My car needs repairing (mi
coche necesita ser reparado).
* Los verbos prefer, love, like y hate, en el condicional van siempre seguidos de infinitivo con to:
He would like to live in Paris.
They would love to travel a lot.
2

5. EITHER INFINITIVE OR GERUND

with difference of meaning

ALLOW /PERMIT+ OBJECT + TO + INFINITIVE: cuando se menciona a la persona a la que se permite.

Ex: She doesnt allow us to smoke.
Ex: I do permit my students.
ALLOW/PERMIT + VERB + -ING: cuando no se menciona a la persona a la que se permite.
Ex: She doesnt allow smoking in the house.
* there isnt any difference in meaning in this case.
FORBID + TO + INFINITIVE: cuando se menciona a la persona a la que se prohbe.
Ex: The law forbids students to smoke in class.
FORBID + GERUND: cuando no se menciona a la persona a la que se prohbe
Ex: The law forbids smoking in class.
FORGET + TO + INFINITIVE: olvidarse de hacer algo.
Ex: Dont forget to buy some stamps.
FORGET + GERUND: olvidar haber hecho algo.
Ex: Has he forgotten watching TV?
GO ON + TO + INFINITIVE: cambio de una accin a otra diferente.
Ex: After writing the composition, they went on to count the words.
GO ON + GERUND: continuar.
Ex: They went on working until the next morning.
MEAN + TO + INFINTIVE: cuando significa tener la intencin de.
Ex: I meant to move to the North of Britain.
MEAN + GERUND: suponer (= involve). Cuando tambin significa implicar.
Ex: They offered me a job which meant moving to the North of Britain.
NEED + TO + INFINITIVE: necesitar, es necesario.
Ex: I need to pass the exam.
NEED + GERUND: tiene sentido de pasiva need to be.
Ex: My house needs repainting (needs to be repainted).
PROPOSE / SUGGEST + THAT: cuando el que hace la sugerencia no esta incluido en ella. Va seguido de that +
PRESENTE, PASADO, CONDICIONAL (este ltimo muy a menudo should).
Ex: I suggest / propose that you went / go / should go to the cinema without me.
PROPOSE / SUGGEST + VERB + -ING: cuando el que hace la sugerencia est incluido en ella.
Ex: I suggest / propose going to the cinema.
REGRET + TO + INFINITIVE: lamentar informar de algo, lamentar algo que se tiene que hacer.
Ex: I regret to tell you that you havent passed the exam.
REGRET + GERUND: lamentar haber hecho algo en el pasado.
Ex: I regret leaving school before I was 16.
REMEMBER + TO + INFINITIVE: acordarse de hacer algo.
Ex: When she went out, she remembered to buy the newspaper.
REMEMBER+ GERUND: recordar haber hecho algo.
Ex: I remember going to France every summer when I was a kid.
STOP + TO + INFINITVE: dejar de hacer una accin en movimiento para hacer otra distinta.
Ex: On the way home he stopped to visit his family.
STOP + GERUND: dejar de realizar una accin (= give up) que se haca normalmente.
Ex: Stop making so much noise!.
TRY + TO + INFINITIVE: intentar haciendo algn esfuerzo.
Ex: Try to lift the chair with both hands.
TRY + GERUND: experimentar algo para obtener un resultado.
Ex: If you want to start the car, try pushing it.
The verbs of senses: SEE, HEAR, FEEL, SMELL, WATCH,
Ex: I saw her cry
I heard the baby crying.
La diferencia entre una y otra es que la forma en infinitivo sin to se refiere, generalmente, a acciones que se percibieron de
principio a fin, es decir, acciones completas, cortas y/o con inters, mientras que la forma verbal en ing sugiere acciones que
estaban realizndose cuando fueron percibidas y que por tanto son acciones incompletas, largas y/o sin inters.