Infinitives worksheet

OCTOBER 25, 2016 -

Infinitives are forms like to work, to write and to sing. Some verbs can be followed by
either an infinitive or an -ing form. Some can only be followed by an infinitive.

Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the verb given in brackets.

1. Rahul …………… ……………… the letter yesterday.

forgot, posting

forgot, to post

forgot, posted

2. I ……………… him why he ........................ angry.

asked, is

asked, was

ask, was

3. The doctor ………………. the patient …………………. his medicines without fail.

advised, to take

advised, taking

Either could be used here

4. We ………………….. for someone …………….. the lawn.

look, mow

looking, to mow
are looking, to mow

are looking, mowing

5. All the students ………………. …………………. in the program.

want, to participate

want, participating

want, participate

6. I …………….. to the airport ……………… off my friend.

went, see

went, to see

went, seeing

7. The bear ……………….. up the tree ………………. the honey.

climbing, to drink

climbed, to drink

climbed, drinking

8. Last month we ……………… to Agra ……………. the Taj Mahal.

went, seeing

went, to see

went, saw

9. The teacher ……………… the students ……………. hard.

encouraging, working
encouraged, working

encouraged, to work

10. I ………………. ………………. the first prize in the quiz competition.

want, to win

am wanting, to win

want, winning

Answers
1. Rahul forgot to post the letter yesterday.

2. I asked him why he was angry.

3. The doctor advised the patient to take his medicines without fail.

4. We are looking for someone to mow the lawn.

5. All the students want to participate in the program.

6. I went to the airport to see off my friend.

7. The bear climbed up the tree to drink the honey.

8. Last month we went to Agra to see the Taj Mahal.

9. The teacher encouraged the students to work hard.

10. I want to win the first prize in the quiz competition.

1. What is the Gerund?

-ing form used as a noun
 2. Form
infinitive + -ing

3. Examples

 Gerund as Subject:

Going to parties is fun.

 Gerund as Object:

I enjoy reading.

4. Gerund after the following verbs

 admit

He admitted having driven too fast.

 avoid

They avoid going on holiday on Saturdays.

 carry on

If we carry on sleeping so badly, we may need help.

 consider

Ralph is considering buying a new house.

 delay

I delayed telling Max the news.

 deny

She denies reading the book.

 dislike

We dislike reading poems.

 can't/couldn't help

He couldn't help falling in love with her.

 enjoy

I enjoy playing chess.

 finish

They finished working in the garden.

 give up

Susan gives up playing ice-hockey.

 imagine

He imagined driving a new car.

 include

Your responsibility includes taking reservations on the phone.

 involve

The project will involve growing plants.

 justify

I cannot justify paying $100 for this ticket.

 keep (on)

They keep on running.

 mention

Did Alex ever mention playing baseball?

 mind

I don't mind sleeping on the couch.

 miss

They miss playing with their friends.

 practise

She practised playing hockey.

 regret*

Do you regret having mentioned it?

 risk

You risk catching a cold.

 suggest

She suggested flying to Cairo.

* After regret the to-infinitive is used when announcing bad news: We regret to
inform you that the flight to Munich has been cancelled.

5. Gerund after special phrases

 to be busy

He is busy reading the paper.

 don't mind

I don't mind telling them my opinion.

 feel like

We feel like having a cup of tea.

 how about

How about walking home instead of taking the car?

 it's (no) good

It's no good talking to this girl.

 it's no use

It's no use talking to the headmaster.

 spend one's time

They spend their time reading.

 there's no

There's no cheating anymore.

 there's no point

There's no point in complaining further.

 what about

What about going to the zoo?

 worth

The book is worth reading.

What Are Gerunds? (with Examples)

A gerund is a noun formed from a verb. All gerunds end -ing. For example:
 swimming
 running
 drinking
Even though a gerund is a noun, a gerund can still take a direct object (like a
verb). This is known as a gerund complement. For example:
 swimming the lake
 running a mile
 drinking a beer

More Examples of Gerunds

Below are some more examples of gerunds (shaded) with their roles as nouns
explained:
 Acting is fun.
(Gerund as the subject of a sentence)
 Playing football is fun.
(Here, football is the gerund complement of the gerund playing.)
 Acting is merely the art of keeping a large group of people
from coughing. (Sir Ralph Richardson, 1902-1983)
(Acting is a gerund as a subject. The
gerunds keeping and coughing are objects of prepositions.)
(In this example, a large group of people is the gerund complement
of keeping.)
 Generosity is giving more than you can, and pride
is taking less than you need. (Kahlil Gibran, 1883-1931)
(Two gerunds, both subject complements)
 I love acting. It is so much more real than life. (Oscar Wilde,
1854-1900)
(A gerund as the direct object of the verb love)
 You can tell a lot about a fellow's character by his way
of eatingjellybeans. (Ronald Reagan, 1911-2004)
(A gerund as the object of a preposition)
 I like to play blackjack. I'm not addicted to gambling, I'm
addicted to sitting in a semi-circle. (Mitch Hedberg, 1968-
2005)
(Two gerunds, both objects of prepositions)

Gerund Phrases
 A gerund will often appear in a gerund phrase. A gerund phrase
consists of a gerund, its object, and all modifiers. For example
(gerund phrase shaded):
 Picking rotten apples from the floor is a great way to get
stung by a wasp.
Read more about gerund phrases.

All Gerunds End -ing but So Do Present

Participles
Even though all gerunds end with the suffix -ing, not every word which
ends -ingis a gerund. The other common type of word which ends -
ing is the present participle. Like gerunds, present participles are also
formed from verbs (making them verbals), but they are not used as
nouns. They are used as adjectives or when forming verbs in
a progressive tense. For example:
 Running the tap will clear the air pocket.
(This is a gerund.)
 Can you fix the running tap?
(This is a present participle as an adjective.)
 The tap was running for an hour.
(This is a present participle used to form the past progressive
tense.)

When to Use Gerunds and Infinitives: 5 Simple

Rules for English Learners
What is your hobby?

What do you love doing?

Going to the beach? Playing video games? Hiking (walking)? Singing? Dancing?
Nice! These are all examples of gerunds.
Now, what if I ask you what you want to do every day?
Maybe you are learning to draw. Maybe all you want to do is to read comic books. Maybe you
are planning to startyour own business. Or maybe you will soon decide to travel the world!
These are also hobbies, aren’t they? But we used infinitives to describe them.
Gerunds and infinitives are very common in the English language. They can be used in many
situations. Sometimes you may use an infinitive and a gerund. Sometimes you have to choose
between the two, because using one may be completely wrong.

Does it get confusing? Yes it does!

So how do you know when to use an infinitive and when to use a gerund? Our five simple rules
are sure to help! Let’s start with explaining what infinitives and gerunds are.

What Is an Infinitive? What Is a Gerund?

An infinitive is the verb form that has “to” at the beginning. For example, “to do,” “to sleep,”
“to love” and “to create.” It is the simplest verb form that you have to modify to fit into
sentences.

For example, “She sleeps” no longer contains the infinitive of the verb “to sleep.” Instead, it has
been conjugated into the simple present third person form of the verb “to sleep”: sleeps.

Infinitives are easy!

How about gerunds?

Gerunds are formed by adding “-ing” to the verb: “sleeping,” “drawing,” “swimming.” But they
are not the “-ing” verb forms that you see in the present or past continuous tense. They look the
same, but gerunds are actually verb forms used as nouns.

Let’s take the infinitive of the verb “to sleep” and use it in two different sentences:

I am sleeping.

This is the present continuous. “Sleeping” here is part of the verb. It is not a gerund. Here’s the
second sentence:

I don’t like sleeping.

This is present simple, but it contains a gerund. “Sleeping” is the direct object of this sentence.

Now that you know the difference between infinitives and gerunds, let’s introduce the rules that
will help you use both correctly.
While the rules below will help you understand how infinitives and gerunds should be used, you
should make sure to practice them so you can use them in real life. One easy way to do this is by
learning with FluentU videos—which include movie trailers, music videos, news and other types
of fun real-world videos. FluentU videos come with interactive captions that tell you the
definition of any word, and also show you how that word can be used in a sentence.
5 Simple Rules to Master the Use of Gerunds and Infinitives
Rule 1: Gerunds can be used as a subject of a sentence.

Take a look at some examples.

Walking is good for your health.

Making friends has become more difficult since I moved to a new city.
Becoming a millionaire is a dream of many young people today.

Here, the gerunds (in bold) are part of the sentence subjects (“walking,” “making friends,”
“becoming a millionaire”). All three sentences sound like normal, everyday English.

Now read these two sentences:

“To be or not to be—that is the question.”

“To mourn a mischief that is past and gone is the next way to draw new mischief on.”

(Both sentences are quotes from William Shakespeare’s works.)

They sound formal, don’t they? They are poetic, aren’t they? Shakespeare is one of the greatest
authors of all time, but his English is famously difficult to understand. And that’s because it is
literature. It is formal and it is art.

In those two quotes, the infinitives “to be” and “to mourn” are used as the sentence subjects.

So, it is possible to use both infinitives and gerunds as subjects, but gerunds are much more
commonly used as subjects. Just pay attention to how the choice reflects on the tone and
meaning of your sentences.

Rule 2: Both gerunds and infinitives can be used as objects of a sentence.

You may say:

“I enjoy drawing.”
 You may also say:

“Yesterday, I decided to draw.”

Both sentences are correct, but one has an infinitive as the object and the other has a gerund as
the object.

What is the difference?

It’s the verbs that precede (come before) the object! Some verbs require a gerund and some will
require an infinitive. In the above examples, we can see that the formula is “enjoy” +
[gerund] and “decide” + [infinitive].

With practice, you will be able to remember which one is which.

Here are a few examples of verbs that need to be followed by an infinitive:

 agree: I agreed to go to a party with my friend.
 decide: The president decided not to participate in the discussions.
 deserve: Everyone deserves to be respected.
 expect: I expect to know my exam grade by tomorrow.
 hope: We were hoping to avoid traffic by leaving early.
 learn: He learned not to trust anyone.
 need: She needs to learn how to cook.
 offer: I offered to help my brother with homework.
 plan: We are planning to watch a movie tonight.
 promise: My friend promised to find the time to help me move.
 seem: We seem to be lost.
 wait: I cannot wait to see my family.
 want: I don’t want to go to bed yet.

There are lots of verbs that require an infinitive after. You will learn them naturally, as you
progress in your English studies.

And here are a few examples of verbs that need to be followed by a gerund:
 admit: They admitted changing the schedule.
 advise: I advise proceeding (moving forward) with caution.
 avoid: She avoided looking me in the eye.
 consider (think about): I considered staying silent, but I had to tell her.
 deny: I denied knowing about his secret.
 involve: The course involved writing three tests.
 mention (say something): She mentioned seeing my brother at a baseball game.
 recommend: I recommend practicing gerunds and infinitives.
 risk: Don’t risk losing your job!
 suggest: I suggest reading more English short stories.
Rule 3: Infinitives should be used after many adjectives.

Here are three sample sentences that will help to illustrate this rule:

It is not easy to graduate from university.

It is necessary to speak English to work in a hotel.
It is wonderful to have close friends.

When you describe something with an adjective (underlined in the examples above), an infinitive
should follow (in bold). Using gerunds here would be incorrect.

But remember! If you want to make that object into a subject (see Rule 1), a gerund should be
used:

Graduating from university is not easy.

Speaking English is necessary to work in a hotel.
Having close friends is wonderful.
How else do you know if an adjective should be followed by an infinitive? The construct “too +
[adjective]” is another way to tell!

For example:

This dress is too big to wear.

This car is too expensive to buy.
And the same is true about “[adjective] + enough”:
My child is not tall enough to ride this rollercoaster.
The course was detailed enough to widen his knowledge base.
This rule is useful enough to understand the usage of infinitives!
Rule 4: Only infinitives are used after sentence objects that are nouns or pronouns
referring to a person.
“We asked her not to go.”

In this sentence, “we” is the subject, “asked” is the verb and “her” is the objective form of the
pronoun “she.” You must use an infinitive (“to go”), never a gerund, after direct and indirect
objects referring to people.

To remember this rule, you will have to study verbs that take an object and an infinitive.

Start with these examples. The objects (nouns and pronouns) are underlined. Notice how the
underlined objects are all followed by infinitives.
 ask: Can I ask you to help me with something?
 expect: I never expected him to become famous.
 hire (give a job to someone): Did the company hire you just to sit in your office?
 invite: I invited a friend to attend the ceremony.
 order: She ordered the child to stay at home.
 remind: Please remind me to wash the dishes.
 require: The test required him to concentrate fully.
 teach: That will teach you to follow the rules!
 tell: Who told you to come here?
 urge: They urged me to continue my research.
 warn: I am warning you not to do this!
Rule 5: Only gerunds are used after prepositions (with one exception).

Consider this sentence:

I talked him out of taking that job.

Here, the gerund “taking” follows the preposition “of.”

Prepositions can follow any word, be it a noun, a pronoun, a verb or an adjective. In the
examples below, the prepositions are underlined, followed by the gerunds in bold.

A preposition that follows a noun:

Novels about growing up are popular among teenagers.
I have an interest in becoming a painter.
A preposition that follows a pronoun:
I forgive you for not telling the truth.
A preposition that follows a verb:
She is thinking about trying martial arts.
He looks forward to meeting his cousins.
A preposition that follows an adjective:
I am wary of going alone.
My mom is scared of flying.

There is one exception. Thankfully, it should be easy to remember!

The exception

“But” is a short word that connects two clauses of a sentence together. It is called a conjunction.
Sometimes, “but” can also play a role of a preposition. When “but” is used as a preposition, it is
the same in meaning as “except.”

If “but” or “except” are used like this, they need to be followed by an infinitive:
 I had no choice but to follow her.
(I had to follow her.)
Mary made no stops on the way except to get gas.
(Mary only stopped to get gas.)
There is nothing left for me to do but to collect my money and go.
(I only have to collect my money and go.)

You may not see “but” and “except” used this way often. Just follow the rule of gerunds after
prepositions, and you will get it right most of the time!

Gerunds and infinitives may be confusing, but they make your English speech more varied and
colorful. It is very useful to study them and practice using them correctly. The more you notice
gerunds and infinitives in your study of the English language, the easier it will get!

Sometimes you will be unsure if you need to use an infinitive or a gerund in a sentence. In this
situation, try changing the sentence and saying what you want to say in a different way.

Practicing is how you become more fluent. It is important to practice.

Gerund used as a subject

Complete the sentences with the gerund form of the verbs in parentheses.

1. (cook) is one of her hobbies.

2. (cycle) is fun.

3. (Get) a good job is not easy.

4. (Find) a parking space is quite difficult in this area.

5. (drive) becomes more and more expensive.

6. No (smoke) in this area.

7. (work) overtime is quite common in this company.

8. (eat) fruits and vegetables is good for your health.

9. (make) fun of other people is not nice.

10. (learn) about other cultures makes people more tolerant

INFINITIVE - EXERCISES
Fill in the Blanks with the Correct infinitive verb :

1. He will be prepared (proposing) his idea to the manager. Answer

2. He was satisfied (getting) it across. Answer

3. I am always rewarded (explaining) that difficult theory. Answer

4. They will be irritated (get) such low wages Answer

5. He was thrilled (having) the cash with him. Answer

6. He was unable (beginning) the work. Answer

7. We were ready (explaining) that action. Answer

8. He was afraid (atempting) the exam. Answer

9. She was reluctant (saying) the truth. Answer

10. He was unfit (doing) the job.

THE INFINITIVE

Definition:
Infinitive are non-finite verbs. Infinitive is formed by adding to with a verb that acts as a noun,
an adjective, or an adverb in a sentence

When a verb is in its infinitive state, it has no subject or object. It is used to define the action of the
verb without tying it to a specific person. It is a verb acting without a subject. The infinitive is the verb
in its purest form. An infinitive should be treated as a single word with a single meaning.
List of Infinitive Verbs

Infinitives in Regular Verbs

e.g.
To answer To arrive To ask To dry

To carry To clean To close To enjoy

To finish To hate To help To hope

To invite To listen To locate To look

To love To need To prefer To rain

To receive To remember To repair To repeat

To request To smoke To start To stay

To study To suggest To talk To try

To use To visit To wait To walk

To want To wash To watch To wish

To work To believe To join To reform

To express To catch To consult To present

To respect To fit To knowledge To disscuss

e.g.
They were the first to arrive, were not they?

I have to finish this book before march

 Do not hesitate to help her

They refuse to talk

Infinitives in Iregular Verbs

e.g.
To begin To buy To build To come

To bring To cut To do To drink

To drive To eat To fall To feel

To find To forget To get To give

To go To have To hear To keep

To know To learn To leave To lend

To lose To make To meet To pay

To put To read To run To say

To see To sell To send To shut

To sing To sit To sleep To speak

To spend To stand up To swim To take

To teach To tell To think To shine

To understand To wear To write

e.g.
We have to eat that we may live
 I tried to speak English

I do not know how to sing

It seems it is easy to learn English

What is a split infinitive?

Inserting a word or phrase between to and the verb creates a split infinitive
e.g.
Before the game, the team was told to warm up by running around the field.

What is an infinitive phrase?

A phrase beginning with the infinitive form of a verb that functions as a noun, an adjective, or an
adverb in a sentence.
e.g.
Cena likes to swim and to fish

Cena likes to swim and fish

Other uses of Infinitives

To express purpose or reason

e.g.
I accepted him to go to the park

I wanted to buy vegetables in the market

Adjective + Infinitive

e.g.
The concept is easy to understand

English is interesting to read

Noun or Pronoun + infinitive

e.g.
He asked my brother to stop smoking

My parents asked my friend to read well for the examinations

Too + Adjective + Infinitive

e.g.
The coffee is too hot to drink

The man is too bulky to enter the room

Infinitive can be used to replace a clause

e.g.
I know how I can solve the problem I know how to solve the problem

Generally verbs take to with them to make an infinitive but some verbs become infinitve without to .
These are also called bare infinitive or plain infinitive.
e.g.
I made him go Let him go

I saw him cross the railway track The minister helped abolish poverty

The above verbs can take ‘to’ when it is used in the passive voice.
e.g.
He was made to go by him He was seen to cross the railway track

The modal auxiliaries do not take to infinitive.

He will pay the bill I can speak English

You should work harder You must come to the office at nine
GERUND

Definition:
Gerunds are present participles that are used as nouns and end with an -ing. Gerunds can
function as the subject of a verb, the object of a verb, a predicate nominative or complement, or
the object of a preposition.

The -ing form is a general term for words called either 'gerund' or 'present participle' in traditional
approaches to grammar.
List of Gerunds

e.g.
answering arriving asking reading

carrying cleaning closing enjoying

finishing disscussing helping consulting

inviting listening watching looking

fitting joining working raining

receiving remaining walking washing

visiting smoking starting staying

studying waiting talking taking

running selling sending singing

sleeping spending eating fishing

 fixing doing coming asking for

writing wearing trying to travelling

Gerund with Examples

e.g.
Getting up

Having a bath

Having breakfast/lunch/dinner

Getting dressed

Going home/to work/to the office

Driving home/to work/to the office

Reading letters/the newspaper

Working in the office

Talking with friends

Buying the paper/cigarettes

Watching TV

Writing to a friend

Calling up a friend

Playing cards/soccer
 Walking to the park

Running across the park

Visiting a museum

Washing the car

Cooking a meal

As the subject of the sentence

e.g.
Singing is her favourite pastime

Singing is formed from the verb sing by adding -ing. We also see that it is here used as the subject of a
verb, and hence does the work of a Noun. It is therefore a Verb-Noun and is called a Gerund.
As the object of the sentence

e.g.
I like playing cricket

We have improved our speaking

As the complement of the sentence

e.g.
My only physical work is walking

His hobby is reading and painting

As the object of a preposition

e.g.
She is fond of reading books
He was prevented from meeting his friend