ge11-4.3· Unit 4: Modals, Conditionals & Non-finites· ~14 min

Gerunds and infinitives

Choosing between the -ing form and the to-infinitive after verbs, objects and prepositions.

When one verb follows another, the second verb appears either as a gerund (-ing) or as an infinitive, and the choice depends on the first verb. Some verbs are followed by the gerund (enjoy, avoid, mind, suggest, finish), while others take the to-infinitive (want, decide, hope, promise, agree). Many verbs take an object plus the to-infinitive (I want you to stay; they told him to wait). After a preposition we always use the gerund (good at swimming, interested in learning, instead of going). We use the to-infinitive to express purpose (I went out to buy bread). A few verbs change meaning with each form: 'stop doing' means to finish an activity, while 'stop to do' means to pause in order to do something. Finally, make and let are followed by a bare infinitive without 'to' (She made me wait; let me go).

Key terms

Gerund — The -ing form of a verb used as a noun, e.g. listening, swimming. It follows verbs like enjoy, avoid, finish and every preposition.
To-infinitive — The base form with 'to', e.g. to learn, to win. It follows verbs like want, decide, hope, promise, agree and expresses purpose.
Bare infinitive — The base form without 'to', e.g. go, work. It is used after make and let: She made me wait; let her go.
Object + to-infinitive — Many verbs take an object before the to-infinitive: want/tell/ask/advise/allow someone to do something, e.g. My father wants me to study.
Gerund after prepositions — After any preposition (about, at, in, of, for, without, instead of) the verb is always a gerund, e.g. good at solving, without saying, instead of watching.
Meaning-change verbs — Verbs like remember, forget, stop, try and regret change meaning depending on whether a gerund or a to-infinitive follows them.
Verb patterns: which form follows the verb
PatternVerbsExample
Verb + to-infinitivewant, decide, hope, promise, agreeShe decided to learn a new language.
Verb + gerund (-ing)enjoy, finish, avoid, suggest, mindWe should avoid driving during rush hour.
Verb + either formremember, forget, stop, try, regretPlease remember to lock the door. / I remember turning off the lights.
Meaning-change verbs: gerund vs to-infinitive
Verb+ gerund+ to-infinitive
rememberrecall a past action: I remember hearing this song.not forget a future duty: Remember to lock the door.
forgetrecall a past memory: I'll never forget seeing the Eiffel Tower.fail to do a duty: He forgot to send the email.
stopcease an activity: He stopped smoking.pause in order to do something: We stopped to buy petrol.
tryexperiment with a solution: I tried restarting the computer.make an effort at something difficult: She tried to stay awake.
regretbe sorry about a past action.be sorry for present news: We regret to inform you.
✎Choosing the form after the first verb
  1. 1Sentence: My teacher suggested ___ more books in English.
  2. 2Identify the first verb: The verb is 'suggest', which belongs to the gerund group (enjoy, finish, avoid, suggest, mind).
  3. 3Apply the pattern: A gerund-group verb is followed by the -ing form, not the to-infinitive.
  4. 4Answer: My teacher suggested reading more books in English.
✎stop doing vs stop to do
  1. 1Sentence: On the way home, we stopped ___ some petrol because the tank was nearly empty.
  2. 2Decide the meaning: 'Stop doing' means to cease an activity; 'stop to do' means to pause in order to do something else.
  3. 3Match meaning to context: Here they paused the journey in order to buy petrol, so the purpose meaning is needed.
  4. 4Answer: We stopped to buy some petrol. (compare: The doctor advised him to stop smoking = cease smoking.)
🚫Common mistake

Match the form to the first verb. Want, decide, hope, promise and agree take the to-infinitive (She decided to learn), while enjoy, finish, avoid, suggest and mind take the gerund (We avoid driving). Do not say 'suggested to read' or 'decided learning'.

⚠️Caution

'Stop doing' and 'stop to do' mean different things: 'He stopped smoking' = he gave up the activity; 'We stopped to listen' = we paused in order to listen. Choose the form from the meaning, not from habit.

🚫Common mistake

After a preposition (for, at, in, of, without, instead of) always use the gerund: good at solving, apologised for arriving, without saying, instead of watching. Never use the to-infinitive after a preposition.

💡Note

With remember and forget, the gerund recalls a past action (I remember turning off the lights) while the to-infinitive points to a duty (Please remember to lock the door). Decide whether the action is already done or still to come before you choose.

Rules

  1. 1Use the gerund (-ing) after enjoy, avoid, mind, suggest, finish, keep, practise and after every preposition (about, at, in, of, without, instead of).
  2. 2Use the to-infinitive after want, decide, hope, promise, agree, offer, plan and to express purpose (I came here to help).
  3. 3Many verbs take object + to-infinitive: want/tell/ask/advise/allow someone to do something.
  4. 4Make and let take a bare infinitive (no 'to'): make him work, let her go; but 'be allowed to' uses to.
  5. 5Meaning-change verbs: stop/remember/forget/regret/try + -ing vs + to-infinitive carry different meanings; check the meaning before choosing.

Practice

15 easy · 15 medium · 15 hard

10 random questions per test

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