GERUNDS

vs
INFINITIVES
Improving Verb Usage

What is the common

factor?
O Reading helps you learn English.
O Her favorite hobby is reading.
O I enjoy reading.

GERUNDS
Gerunds are nouns made from verbs.
Verb + ing
Example: read +ing
I enjoy reading books.

Gerunds act like nouns

Can be the subject of a sentence:
Living well is the best revenge.
Can be the object of a verb:
I like boxing.

Negative gerunds
Gerunds can be made negative by
adding "not.
O He enjoys not working.
O The best thing for your health is not

smoking.

VERBS TYPICALLY FOLLOWED BY GERUNDS

Certain verbs are followed only by gerunds as objects.
Oenjoy quit keep
Oconsider

suggest

discuss

Oappreciate finish avoid

Omind stoppostpone

OPRACTICE
OINSTRUCTIONS: COMPLETE THE SENTENCES WITH THE GERUND OBJECT.
OI enjoy 1_______ about chemistry, but I keep 2_______ all the chemical symbols! In class, my

professor suggests 3_______ regularly. But I postpone 4_______ because I have so many other
assignments. I cant avoid 5_______ forever, though. The test is soon!
VERBS:
O
O
O

learn,

forget,

memorize,

practice, study

Other Facts about Gerunds

*Can be objects of prepositions such as with, on,
in, over, to, up, etc.
She insisted on paying for dinner.
I thank you for coming.
* Can be used with possessive adjectives:
I appreciate your agreeing with me on
this matter.
* Can be used as a subject compliment:
I feel like dying.

What is the common

factor?
O To smile is to share your

happiness with others.

O She agreed to sing at the closing

ceremony.
O I wanted to read the newspaper

today.

INFINITIVES
Infinitives are nouns made from verbs.
to +Verb
Example: to + read
I hate to read boring books.

Infinitives are nouns

Infinitives perform the same function as
nouns.
They act as subjects:
To be or not to be: that is the question.
1.

2. They act as objects:

I want to travel to France.
3. They act as subject compliment
A students goal is to pass the class.

Infinitives are used when:

The emphasis in on the action:
I like to box. (I do it myself.)
2. The action is future-oriented:
Im going to marry her.
3. It involves a commitment verb
(decide, offer, persuade, tell, etc.)
I told them to leave.
He ordered us to get out.
1.

VERBS TYPICALLY FOLLOWED BY

INFINITIVES
O need to (do something)

promise to
O seem to
O want to
O appear to
O plan to
O would like to
to

decide to
agree to
expect to
refuse to
offer

PRACTICE
INSTRUCTIONS: COMPLETE THE
SENTENCES WITH YOUR OWN INFINITIVE.

O In my physics class, I need to ________.

O Ibarra appears to ________.
O Next month, I would like to ________.
O Recently, my roommates seem to

________.

O verbs followed by gerunds or infinitives

O IDENTICAL MEANING

O The verbs below can take infinitives or gerunds as

objects. The meaning is identical.

O Verb + INFINITIVE or GERUND:

begin like

hate start love continue

I began to learn chemistry two years ago.

O I began learning chemistry two years ago.
O

O In the case that the main verb is progressive, however,

a gerund is preferred. The infinitive sounds strange:

I am beginning to enjoy chemistry more.
O I am beginning enjoying chemistry more.
O

LETS PRACTICE
What kinds of websites do you like visiting the most?
What kinds of websites do you like to visit the least?
At what age did you start learning algebra?
At what age did you start to learn biology?
What is something you love doing for others?
What is something your family members love to do?

DIFFERENT MEANINGS
O The verbs below can take infinitives or gerunds as

objects, but the meaning changes.

remember + infinitive = remember to do a task or
responsibility
remember + gerund = remember something that
happenedO in the past
What should you remember to do tomorrow?
I need to remember to call my mom tomorrow
morning.
O What is the funniest movie that you remember
seeing this past year?
I remember seeing Neighbors.

forget+ infinitive = forget to do a task or

responsibility
forget + gerund = forget something that happened
in the past
O What is the most serious thing that you forgot to
do last year?

DIFFERENT MEANINGS
O The verbs below can take infinitives or gerunds as objects, but the

meaning changes.

regret + infinitive = regret to inform someone of bad

news
regret + gerund = regret something that happened in the
past
What is some bad news that you would regret to tell someone?
O Is there anything that you regret doing this week?
O

try + infinitive = to make an effort

try + gerund = to experiment with a new or
different strategy
O Have you tried studying in the library at Yachay?
O What is something that you tried to learn, without success?

Extra Practice
(Optional Homework)
O Estefan

moved to Spain in 2001, when Ecuadors economy was in

trouble. He had to leave his friends and family behind and make new
contacts abroad. Soon, he found himself very busy and involved with his
life. After a few years of living in Spain, he lost touch with his old friends.
Later on, he regretted 1 ____________ (keep in touch, not) with them. He
and his school friends had shared many happy experiences. Estefan
remembered 2 ____________ (play) pranks together on their classmates,
and he remembered 3 ____________ (get together) to watch soccer
matches on the weekends. Sometimes he and his friends got into
disputes when their soccer team loyalties differed, but Estefan had
mostly forgotten 4 ____________ (get into) disagreements with them.

After 10 years in Spain, Estefan began planning his return home.

Before he got a new job and got busy with a new life in Ecuador all over
again, he wanted to remember 5 ____________ (see) his old friends. He
had forgotten 6 ____________ (contact) them for too long already, and it
was time to renew his old friendships.

More Practice