Gerunds and Infinitives

...and what Precedes them

Gerunds and infinitives are forms of verbs that act like nouns.

Ali quit smoking in He just decided to quit one

1977. day.

A gerund is a verb + -ing. An infinitive is to + the verb.

In both the examples above, the gerund and the infinitive are the
objects of the verbs in the sentence. However, as noun substitutes,
gerunds and infinitives can also be the subject of a sentence.

Smoking is hard habit to To quit takes a lot of

give up. will power.

This lesson will focus primarily on verbs that precede infinitives and
gerunds when they are used as objects in a sentence. Click here for
a list of verbs that are followed by gerunds, verbs that are followed
by infinitives, and verbs that can be followed by either.

Some common verbs are always followed by a gerund:

Jeannie admitted taking the money from the desk.

The teacher considered calling the police.
Jeannie said she was so embarrassed that she felt like dying.
The teacher finally said she would recommend giving Jeannie
a light punishment.

Some verbs are always followed by infinitives.

The president said he aimed to bring down taxes.

He asked Congress to pass a tax reduction bill.
The president's party consented to lower the taxes.
However, the opposition refused to cooperate.
The president promised to fight for lower taxes in the
next term.

Some verbs can be followed by either a gerund or an infinitive.

Edina's husband, Bob, began taking cooking lessons last

month.
Soon he began to try out all his new creations on her.
Edina said she likes eating as much as Bob likes to cook.
She loves to sample his new recipes and she loves not

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 cooking herself.
However, she told me she regrets eating so much rich food.
She's going to try eating less of his great food...and, she's
going to try not to hurt Bob's feelings!

Go, go, go!

A common expression in English is

go + an activity

We go swimming,

we go shopping,

we go fishing,

we go jogging,

we go sightseeing, and

we go bar-hopping (or, so I've heard).

Not always exactly the same...

Some verbs have the same meaning when followed by an infinitive

or a gerund:

The same: I like going to the races.

I like to go to the races.
The same: I hate going to the dentist.
I hate to go to the dentist.
The same: It began raining.
It began to rain.

However, some verbs have a slightly different meaning when

followed by an infinitive as opposed to a gerund.

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 • remember, forget, stop

The difference is often in the sequence of events.

See what you think about the following pairs of sentences:

I remembered to feed the I remember feeding him his

dog this morning. favorite food.
-----first--------- second ---second----first
(I remembered and then I fed (I fed him and later I
him.) remembered the action.)

I forgot to go to the bank. I forgot going to the bank.

-----------------
(I didn't remember and I
didn't go to the bank.)
I stopped to smoke.
---first----- second
(I paused what I was doing
to have a cigarette.)
second first
(I went to the bank, but later I
forgot that I did.)
I stopped smoking.
--second-- first
(I was a smoker, but now I'm
not.)

One more difference

You can also use either an infinitive or a gerund after go on.

However, note the difference:

I told Billy to stop, but he went on putting his fingers in the

soup.
(The use of a gerund after go on indicates a continuing or
persistent activity.)
I was very proud of Billy. He went on to become a famous
chef.
(The use of an infinitive after go on indicates a noteworthy
or notorious future activity.)

Practice #1 Gerunds and Infinitives

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Complete the sentence with the correct form (infinitive or gerund)
of the verb.

1. I intend _________ to Brazil in August. (go)

2. I arranged _________ my vacation during the last two weeks.

(take)

3. I considered __________ to Venezuela or Argentina first. (go)

4. But I decided _________ them for next year. (leave)

5. The government has demanded me ________ a visa to go to

Brazil. (get)

6. That involves _________ in a long line at the consulate. (stand)

7. I didn't mind ________ the $45 fee. (pay)

8. But I hate _______ in lines. (wait)

9. I also detest _________ passport photos. (get)

10. I really want ________ the country, so I did it. (see)

11. I haven't begun _________ yet. (pack)

12. I'll start soon because I can't stand ________ in a rush. (pack)

13. I remembered _________ my neighbor to take care of my dog.

(ask)

14. He doesn't really mind _________ behind. (stay)

15. But he always loves ________ us come back! (see)

Practice #1 Gerunds and Infinitives Answer Key

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Complete the sentence with the correct form (infinitive or gerund)
of the verb.

1. I intend _to go_ to Brazil in August. (go)

2. I arranged _to take_ my vacation during the last two weeks.

(take)

3. I considered _going_ to Venezuela or Argentina first. (go)

4. But I decided _to leave_ them for next year. (leave)

5. The government has demanded me _to get_ a visa to go to

Brazil. (get)

6. That involves _standing_ in a long line at the consulate. (stand)

7. I didn't mind _paying_ the $45 fee. (pay)

8. But I hate _waiting or to wait_ in lines. (wait)

9. I also detest _getting _ passport photos. (get)

10. I really want _to see_ Brazil, so I did it. (see)

11. I haven't begun _to pack or packing_ yet. (pack)

12. I'll start soon because I can't stand _packing_ in a rush. (pack)

13. I remembered _to ask_ my neighbor to take care of my dog.

(ask)

14. He doesn't really mind _staying_ behind. (stay)

15. But he always loves _to see_ us come back! (see)

Practice #2 Gerunds and Infinitives

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Complete the sentences with the correct form (infinitive or gerund)
of the verb.

Early automobiles

Many inventors were trying ________ gas-powered, self-propelled

build

vehicles in the late 1800's. A French inventor succeeded in

________ a steam-powered tricycle in 1769. A German engineer,

create

Nikolaus August Otto, is known for _________ the four-stroke

invent

gas-powered engine in 1876. Both Gottlieb Daimler and Carl Benz

managed ________ and _______ autos in Germany in the 1880s.

build sell

By 1898 there were 50 companies responsible for ________ cars in

market

the United States alone. That number happened __________ to

expand

241 by 1908. It was in 1908 when Henry Ford started

_____ make

history. It was in that year that he managed ________ together the

put

first assembly line and _______ the price of automobiles so that

lower

everyone could buy one. He began ________ arrange

workers so that they could each do a small part of the job in

sequence. This prevented ________ repeat

a lot of unnecessary steps in the assembly process. By 1913 he

managed

________ 250,000 cars a year. His first mass-produced car, the

produce

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Model T, guaranteed ______ modest-incomed Americans decent
give

transportation for a reasonable ($500 USD!) price.

Henry Ford went on ________ the U.S. automobile industry for

lead

many years. Though he tried, he failed ________ elected to

get

the U.S. Senate in 1918. His company was started with just
$28,000

and, by 1913, managed ________ dividends of $11 million.

pay

While Ford declined _______ away more than a modest amount

give

during his lifetime, the Ford Foundation arranges ________

donate

millions of dollars each year to deserving causes.

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Practice #2 Gerunds and Infinitives Answer Key

Complete the sentences with the correct form (infinitive or gerund)

of the verb.

Early automobiles

Many inventors were trying _to build_ gas-powered, self-propelled

build

vehicles in the late 1800's. A French inventor succeeded in

_creating_ a steam-powered tricycle in 1769. A German engineer,

create

Niklaus August Otto, is known for _inventing_ the four-stroke

invent

gas-powered engine in 1876. Both Gottlieb Daimler and Carl Benz

managed _to build_ and _sell_ autos in Germany in the 1880s.

build sell

By 1898 there were 50 companies responsible for _marketing_ cars

in
market

in the United States alone. That number happened _to expand_ to

expand

241 by 1908. It was in 1908 when Henry Ford started _to make OR
making_ automotive
make

history. It was in that year that he managed _to put_ together the
put

first assembly line and _lower_ the price of automobiles so that

lower

everyone could buy one. He began _to arrange OR arranging_

workers so that they could
arrange

each do a small part of the job in sequence. This prevented

_repeating_
repeat

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a lot of unnecessary steps in the assembly process. By 1913 he
managed

_to produce_ 250,000 cars a year. His first mass-produced car, the
produce

Model T, guaranteed _to give_ modest-incomed Americans decent

give

transportation for a reasonable ($500 USD!) price.

Henry Ford went on _to lead_ the U.S. automobile industry for
lead

many years. Though he tried, he failed _to get_ elected to

get

the U.S. Senate in 1918. His company was started with just
$28,000

and, by 1913, managed _to pay_ dividends of $11 million.

pay

While Ford declined _to give_ away more than a modest amount
give

during his lifetime, the Ford Foundation arranges _to donate_

donate

millions of dollars each year to deserving causes.

Gerunds and Infinitives

Verb + Verb Be Verb + Verb

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 +Adjective
+Preposition +Preposition +Inifinitive
Gerund Infinitive
+Gerund or Gerund
+Gerund
be accustomed
acknowledge adapt to agree attempt
to
admit adjust to be afraid of aim begin
agree (with) can/can't
advise be angry about afford
on bear
can/can't
anticipate apologize for be ashamed of appear
stand
appreciate approve of be capable of arrange cease
be certain
avoid argue about ask continue
about
be concerned
consider ask about care forget
with
defend believe in be critical of choose go on
be discouraged
defer blame for claim hate
from
be enthusiastic
delay care about consent like
about
complain
deny be familiar with dare love
about
detest consist of be famous for decide neglect
discuss decided on be fond of decline prefer
dislike depend on be glad about demand regret
endure disapprove of be good at deserve propose
discourage
enjoy be happy about desire remember
from
escape engage in be interested in expect see
excuse forgive for be known for fail start
be nervous
feel like give up guarantee stop
about
finish help with be perfect for happen try
go inquire about be proud of hope
be responsible
imagine insist on intend
for
involve interfere with be sad about know
be successful
keep keep on learn
in

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 look forward
mention be suitable for manage
to
mind (object
object to be tired of need
to)
miss participate in be tolerant of offer
need
persist in be upset about plan
(passive)
omit plan on be used to pledge
postpone prepare for be useful for prepare
be worried
practice profit from pretend
about
prevent prohibit from promise
quit put off refuse
recall result from resolve
recollect succeed in seem
recommend suffer from tend
regret talk about struggle
resent take part in swear
there's no
resist volunteer
point in
resume think about wait
risk warn about want
suggest work on wish
tolerate worry about would like
understand

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