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Grammar Goblins

Using Gerunds & Infinitives

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GERUNDS

INFINITIVES

Gerunds or Infinitives - NO Change In Meaning

Gerunds or Infinitives - BIG Change In Meaning

Part 1. Using GERUNDS

1.1. A gerund is an -ing form of a verb that is used as a noun rather than as a verb. Because it is used as a noun, it can appear in any sentence position that any noun can occupy.

Examples:

GERUND = swimming	SENTENCE POSITION
Swimming is good exercise.	SUBJECT of the sentence
She likes swimming every day.	DIRECT OBJECT of the VERB like
She is crazy about swimming in the ocean.	OBJECT of the PREPOSITION about

1.2. Many common verbs are followed by gerunds. These verbs may be one-word verbs or two-word verbs.

Examples:

GERUND = swimming	VERB TYPE
She investigated swimming with the team.	One-word investigated
She looked into swimming with the team.	Two-word looked into

List of Common Verbs Followed By Gerunds
admit	enjoy	regret
advise	finish	remember
anticipate	forget	resent
appreciate	keep	resist
avoid	mention	risk
complete	mind	stop
consider	miss	suggest
delay	postpone	tolerate
deny	practice	understand
discuss	quit
dislike	recommend

1.3. Many common adjectives (and prepositions) are followed by gerunds. Make note of the preposition that follows each adjective.

Examples:

GERUND = joining	PREPOSITION
She is interested in joining the team.	in
She is excited about joining with the team.	about

List of Common Adjectives Followed By Gerunds
accustomed to	done with	limited to
afraid of	envious of	patient with
angry at	excited about	prepared for
annoyed with	exposed to	proud of
aware of	familiar with	related to
bored with	filled with	relevant to
capable of	finished with	remembered for
committed to	fond of	responsible for
concerned about	grateful for	satisfied with
connected to	guilty of	scared of
content with	innocent of	terrified of
convinced of	interested in	tired of
crowded with	involved in	upset with
dedicated to	jealous of	used to
disappointed in	known for	worried about

1.4. In the negative form, the word not comes before the gerund.

Examples:

GERUND = cycling	VERB TYPE
She considered cycling up the mountain.	affirmative
She considered not cycling up the mountain.	negative

Part 2. Using INFINITIVES

2.1. An infinitive is the word to and the SIMPLE/BASE/DICTIONARY form of a verb.

Examples:

INFINITIVE = to swim

It is good to swim every day.

She likes to swim in the morning.

2.2. Many common verbs are followed by infinitives.

List of Common Verbs Followed By Infinitives
agree	fail	prepare
appear	forget	pretend
ask	hesitate	promise
beg	hope	refuse
care	learn	regret
claim	manage	remember
consent	mean	seem
decide	need	threaten
demand	offer	wait
deserve	plan	wish
expect	prepare	want

2.3. Many verbs that are followed by an infinitive may take a noun or pronoun between them.

Examples:

INFINITIVE = to join	NOUN OR PRONOUN
She convinced him to join the team.	PRONOUN him
She convinced Bob to join the team.	NOUN Bob

List of Common Verbs Followed By Noun/Pronoun and Infinitive
advise	expect	permit
allow	forbid	persuade
ask	force	remind
beg	hire	require
cause	instruct	teach
challenge	invite	tell
convince	need	urge
dare	order	want
encourage		warn

2.4. In the negative form, the word not comes before the infinitive.

Examples:

INFINITIVE = to cycle	VERB TYPE
She promised to cycle up the mountain.	affirmative
She promised not to cycle up the mountain.	negative
She promised us not to cycle up the mountain.	pronoun + negative

Part 3. Using GERUNDS or INFINITIVES - no change in meaning

3.1.Some verbs can be followed by either a gerund or an infinitive, with little or no change in meaning.

List of Common Verbs Followed By Gerunds or Infinitives - Same Meaning
afford	(can't) bear
begin	cease
commence	continue
dread	hate
like	loathe
love	neglect
prefer	propose
(can't) stand	start

Part 4. Using GERUNDS or INFINITIVES - big change in meaning

4.1.Some verbs can be followed by either a gerund or an infinitive, with A BIG change in meaning.

Examples:

VERB FOLLOWED BY:	SENTENCE	MEANING
INFINITIVE	I forgot to eat lunch.	I DID NOT eat lunch today.
GERUND	I forgot eating lunch.	I DID eat lunch today. I just did not remember at the time you asked me.

List of Common Verbs Followed By Gerunds or Infinitives - Different Meaning

attempt

forget

mean

regret

remember

try

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