Gerund and Infinitive

1. Gerund (vb + ing) is used:

- As a noun : Reading is good
for the brain.
- After verbs expressing
feelings: love, like, enjoy,
hate, dislike, prefer
I hate waking up at 6 a.m.
- After certain verbs: suggest,
deny, imagine, avoid,
continue, keep, quit,
practice, consider (think)
I quit smoking 7 years ago.
- After expressions such as:
it’s no use, there’s no point
in, what’s the use of, can’t
 stand/bear, be busy: I can’t
stand people lying to me.
It’s no use apologizing!
- After prepositions and
expressions with
prepositions: be interested
in, at, by…
He is interested in learning
Chinese.
She’s very good at drawing.
-after the verbs: spend,
waste, lose (time or money)
: I’ve spent all my life
teaching others.
- after the verbs hear, see, watch,
notice, when they describe an
incomplete action
I saw Jane crossing the street.
2. Long Infinitive is used:
- To express purpose : He
called to announce me
about the meeting.
- After expressions such as:
would like, would prefer,
would love: I would like to
have dinner with you.
- After adjectives describing
feelings(happy, sad,
fortunate): I was happy to
 find out that you passed the
exam.
- After too/enough: This soup
is too hot for me to eat.
- After certain verbs: hope,
promise, decide, aske,
explain, want…
He promised to help me.
Why don’t you ask her to
pick you up from the
airport?
3. Short infinitive is used:
- After modal verbs (must,
can, should, would, could,
need, have to)
I must go!
- After the verbs let, see,
hear, feel, make: He makes
me laugh.
Let me go!
-after had better and would
rather : You’d better leave!
-after the vb hear, see,
watch, notice, when
speaking about a complete
action: I heard him sing.
I saw her cross the street. (I
saw the whole action.)
-vb help can be followed by
both infinitives. He helped
me (to) finish the project.
*** There are certain verbs
(remember, forget, try,
stop…) which can be
followed by both infinitive
and gerund, with a little
change of meaning.
I remember going fishing
with my grandpa. (a past
action)
Remember to lock the door!
(not to forget to do sth in
the future)
Stop talking!
He stopped to buy bread.
Try to finsh your test paper
in 10 minutes! (do your
best)
Why don’t you try using a
calculator?(do sth as an
experiment)my bitch too
foreign need a visa I don’t
need her