Gerunds and infinitives
When a verb is followed by the -ing form, when by to plus the base form, and the small group of verbs whose meaning changes with the choice.
When you use it
When one verb follows another, English has to choose a shape for the second verb: the gerund (cooking), the to-infinitive (to cook) or the bare infinitive (cook). The choice depends mainly on the first verb, not on the meaning of the second. This lesson covers the patterns you meet most often at B1 and the handful of verbs where the two forms mean different things.
How it is formed
The gerund is the -ing form used as a noun. It appears as a subject, after prepositions and after certain verbs. The to-infinitive appears after other verbs, after many adjectives and to express purpose. The bare infinitive appears after modal verbs and a few others.
| Form | Where it appears | Typical words |
|---|---|---|
| gerund (-ing) | as the subject of a sentence | Swimming is good for you. |
| gerund | after any preposition | good at, interested in, tired of, instead of, before, after, without |
| gerund | after certain verbs | enjoy, avoid, finish, mind, suggest, keep, practise, consider, miss, give up, can't stand, can't help |
| to-infinitive | after certain verbs | want, decide, hope, plan, promise, refuse, learn, offer, agree, need, manage, seem, afford, expect |
| to-infinitive | after adjectives | happy to, easy to, difficult to, ready to, surprised to |
| to-infinitive | to give a reason (purpose) | I went out to buy milk. |
| bare infinitive | after modals | can, could, may, might, must, should, will, would |
| bare infinitive | after make, let, and usually help | She made me wait. Let him go. |
Some verbs take either form. With start, begin, continue, like, love, hate and prefer the meaning is almost the same. With the verbs below the meaning changes.
| Verb | + gerund | + to-infinitive |
|---|---|---|
| stop | stop doing: end an activity | stop to do: pause in order to do something else |
| remember | remember doing: have a memory of a past action | remember to do: not forget a duty |
| forget | forget doing: lose the memory of a past action | forget to do: fail to do a duty |
| try | try doing: experiment with a method | try to do: make an effort at something difficult |
| regret | regret doing: be sorry about the past | regret to say: formal, before bad news |
Why the difference exists: the gerund behaves like a noun and names the activity as a whole, while the to-infinitive points forward, towards an action that has not happened yet. That is why remember to lock the door looks ahead and remember locking the door looks back.
Examples
- I enjoy cooking at the weekend.
- Anna decided to move to Berlin.
- Swimming is good for your back.
- Tom is interested in learning Spanish.
- We stopped to buy coffee on the way, then she stopped buying coffee to save money.
- I forgot to lock the door, but I will never forget seeing the sea for the first time.
- You can't leave now.
- He made me wait for an hour.
Common mistakes
- ✗ I want go home.
✓ I want to go home.
The Ukrainian and Russian infinitive is a single word (йти, идти) and needs no particle. In English to is part of the infinitive after most verbs, and dropping it is one of the most visible learner errors. - ✗ I enjoy to read in the evening.
✓ I enjoy reading in the evening.
After enjoy, avoid, finish, mind and suggest only the gerund is possible. Ukrainian and Russian would use an infinitive after some of these (закінчити робити, закончить делать), so there is nothing to translate from; the list has to be learnt. - ✗ She suggested to go to the cinema.
✓ She suggested going to the cinema.
Russian предложила пойти uses an infinitive, and the pattern transfers directly. Suggest takes a gerund or a that-clause (She suggested that we go), never a to-infinitive. - ✗ I'm good in cooking. / ✗ I'm good at cook.
✓ I'm good at cooking.
After a preposition the only possible verb form is the gerund. Slavic languages use a noun in a case form here (Russian хорош в готовке) or simply a verb (Ukrainian я добре готую), which is why the English preposition and the -ing ending both tend to go missing. - ✗ He must to work on Sunday.
✓ He must work on Sunday.
Modal verbs take the bare infinitive. Learners who have just mastered want to, need to and have to often carry to over to must, can and should, where it is wrong.
Try it
- I can't stand ___ (wait) in queues.
- Tom promised ___ (call) me tonight.
- Anna is thinking of ___ (change) her job.
- Don't forget ___ (send) the report before five.
- They let us ___ (use) the kitchen.