The grammar of a foreign language always seems to be something complex and incomprehensible. Therefore, very often those who study English encounter the problem of using the infinitive and gerund.
When is it worth using one or the other? What is the difference between gerund and
infinitive in English? A table with words and grammatical forms may not always help. Unfortunately, a clear basic rule does not exist. However, here you can find the necessary tips.
Gerund for beginners
What kind of construction is this, you ask? Gerundium is a verb form close to a noun that is formed by adding the ending -ing. For example, the word read in gerund will sound like reading. This form of the verb can act as a subject or a complement in a sentence.
For instance:
- Reading helps you study - subject.
- She likes reading - addition.
This form of the verb can be in negative form, if you add to it not.
Some verbs need gerund after using them (see the full list of these verbs below).
For instance:
- She suggested eating at a cafe.
- Nancy keeps complaining about her issues.
Infinitive for beginners
The infinitive is the initial form of the verb with the addition of the particle to. So, the word learn in the infinitive will sound like to learn.
Like gerund, the infinitive can act as a subject or complement.
For instance:
- To learn is important - subject
- The most valuable thing is to learn - expansion pack
The infinitive can also take a negative form when adding a not particle.
As in the case of gerund, after a certain group of verbs, you should put the initial form of the verb (see the full list below) .
For instance:
- She wants to visit her Grandma.
- Lucy needs to cool down.
When to choose this or that design?
Both the infinitive and the gerund in English can be used as a subject or in a sentence. However, the second in this case sounds like plain spoken English. The infinitive, in turn, seems a bit abstract.
That is, gerund sounds more naturally and is more common in colloquial speech. The infinitive emphasizes the possibility or potential of something and sounds somehow philosophical. If this explanation has confused you, then just remember that in 90% of cases, gerund is the subject and complement in the sentence.
For instance:
- Learning is important.
- To learn is important.
- The main thing is learning .
- The main thing is to learn .
It can be difficult to understand whether you want to choose -ing as a subject or an infinitive. In such cases, both designs are not mutually interchangeable. Usually the predicate determines what is needed in the sentence.
For instance:
- She enjoys singing .
- She wants to sing .
Enjoy requires the use of gerund after itself, and want is an infinitive.
For more advanced students
Now it’s worth moving on to complicated cases where you need a gerund and an infinitive in English. The explanation table below will help you figure this out.
Gerund | Infinitive |
It can often be used with possessive pronouns and word forms. Thus, the performer of the action becomes clear: - I enjoyed them dancing - they danced, not me.
- She understood his saying no to the offer - he refused.
- Sam didn't like Debbie being late for dinner - Debbie came late.
| After certain verbs you need to use a combination of noun. + the initial form of the verb. Sometimes it is optional, in other cases without a noun in any way: - The officer ordered the robber to put his arms in the air - needed.
- Emy asked (him) to go - optional.
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After a certain list of verbs, you need gerund, but you can also put a noun + infinitive. In the second case, the subject who performs the action usually changes: - My friend advised talking to the manager - at in common.
- My friend advised him to talk to the manager - for someone specific.
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Now you should understand how to use gerund and infinitive in English. The table with examples shows only common cases.
Private examples of the -ing form
When describing a lesson in any sport, the following combination is often used: go + v-ing:
- I go jogging every morning.
This form is also used after prepositions. All words are difficult to remember, but the main thing is not to forget the structure of "verb + preposition". Usually in this case, the gerund goes further.
For instance:
- My brother made up for forgetting my birthday.
- She is thinking about moving abroad.
In cases of "adjective / noun + preposition" gerund should also be used. If you do not know the lists of such constructions, it’s not scary. Just remember that after the preposition comes gerund:
- She is scared of sleeping in the dark - adjective + preposition.
- His desire of becoming an actor was well known - noun + preposition.
More complex use cases
Sometimes both gerund and the infinitive can be set, but the meaning in each option will be different:
- Lucy remembered writing down the address. “Lucy has memories of how she wrote down the address.”
- Scott remembered to take umbrella with him. “Scott didn't forget to bring an umbrella.”
Sometimes the infinitive and gerund in the English language after the verbs may have a small difference in translation:
- She likes dancing . - She likes dancing.
- She likes to dance . - She likes dancing.
Although in this case the result is almost identical in meaning, there is still a difference. Gerund suggests that you are talking about real actions and experiences. The infinitive, however, indicates that you are talking about potential or possibilities. It is because of this small difference in meaning that it is not always possible to interchange gerund and infinitive in English. Table - help! Ask her for help! You can find the following examples in it:
- The writer likes living in California. - The writer likes life in California.
- The writer likes to live in California whenever he comes to the United States. “The writer likes the opportunity to live in California when he comes to the United States.”
Many be + adjective combinations are used before the infinitive:
- He was anxious to start.
- She was happy to get such good critiques.
There are also nouns after which it is usually used:
- It was a wonderful decision to start anew.
- Hana's desire to work amazed me.
Some verbs before gerund
There is a separate list of words for each case. It should be noted that sometimes you can alternate between each other gerund and infinitive in English. The table contains words that are suitable for both cases. Therefore, be careful. Sometimes the meaning does not change with such a replacement; in other cases, the use of one form or another can completely change the translation of the sentence. Also note that you should not always translate words in the -ing form into Russian as a noun. Look for equivalents that are more suitable for our speech in sentences that use gerund and infinitive in English. The table with the translation, which you see below, names the main ones.
admit | She admitted being wrong. She admitted that she was mistaken. |
advise | The lawyer advised keeping silence for a while. The lawyer advised to temporarily remain silent. |
allow | This bar doesn't allow smoking. No smoking in this bar. |
anticipate | I anticipated going to the concert. I was waiting for a trip to the concert. |
appreciate | I appreciated him being concerned about me. It was dear to me that he was worried about me. |
avoid | She avoided getting in trouble. She avoided trouble. |
begin | I began studying chemistry. I began to study chemistry. |
can't help | She can't help worrying about exams. She can't stop worrying about exams. |
can't stand | He can't stand her yelling for nothing. He cannot stand when she screams for no reason. |
complete | Angy completed writing her novel. Angie finished writing her novel. |
consider | He considered accepting the offer. He was thinking about accepting the offer. |
continue | She continued hoping. She continued to hope. |
delay | Sarah delayed applying for a job. Sarah hesitated in applying for a job. |
deny | She denied being married. She denied her marriage. |
discuss | They discussed going to the party. They discussed going to the party. |
don't mind | We don't mind giving you shelter. We are not against sheltering you. |
enjoy | I enjoy snowboarding. I enjoy snowboarding. |
forget | She forgot telling you the address. She forgot to tell you the address. |
hate | I hate watching TV-show. I hate watching TV shows. |
imagine | He imagines dating that girl. He imagines how he will date that girl. |
keep | I kept explaining the problem. Did I keep explaining? what is the problem. |
like / love | We love swimming. We love to swim. |
mention | She mentioned passing the exam. She mentioned that she had passed the exam. |
miss | He missed going fishing with his father. He misses fishing trips with his father. |
need | The cat needs feeding. The cat needs to be fed. |
practice | He practiced playing the piano. He practiced playing the piano. |
prefer | She prefers eating at home. She prefers to eat at home. |
quit | He quit smoking last week. He quit smoking last week. |
recommend | I recommend going by bus. I recommend taking the bus. |
regret | He regretted fighting with her. He wished he had a falling out with her. |
remember | Judy remembered putting the keys in her pocket. Judy remembered putting the keys in her pocket. |
risk | She risked losing her reputation. She risked losing her reputation. |
start | He started learning Japanese. He began to learn Japanese. |
stop | The clock stopped working days ago. The watch stopped working a few days ago. |
suggest | Mary suggested staring anew. Mary suggested starting over. |
try | I tried knocking on the door. I tried to knock on the door. |
understand | We understand her quitting. We understand why she quit. |
Does the table on the gerund and infinitive help in understanding the English language? Photo information on a blackboard at school can always be done.
However, this material is poorly remembered; it is best to write it in a notebook by hand.
When is it better to use the initial form?
Among these words, there may also be a gerund, and an infinitive in English. The table of verbs is not limited to this list; only an abridged version is presented here.
Agree | I agreed to show the way. I agreed to show the way. |
ask | He asked to get some help. He asked for help. |
begin | She began to tell the tale. She began to tell a story. |
can't stand | Igrit can't stand to stay home alone. Gambles can not stand alone at home. |
care | She cares to call every day. She takes care to call every day. |
choose | We chose to stay. We decided to stay. |
continue | She continued to talk. She continued to speak. |
decide | He decided to propose to her. He decided to make her an offer. |
expect | They expect to arrive early. They expected to arrive early. |
forget | She always forgets to bring her homework. She always forgets to bring homework. |
happen | Helen happened to be at the bank when it was robbed. Elena accidentally was in the bank when he was robbed. |
hate | She hates to go to the summer camp. She hates going to summer camp. |
hesitate | Sonya hesitated to tell me the problem. Sonya doubted whether to tell me the essence of the problem. |
hope | We hope to graduate this year. We hope to graduate this year. |
learn | He learned to sing at the music school. He learned to sing at a music school. |
like / love | Jessica likes to dance. Jessica likes to dance. |
manage | She managed to pass the test. She was able to pass the test. |
need | You need to work out more. You need to do more sports. |
offer | Jack offered to give us a lift home. Jack offered to bring us home. |
plan | I plan to go abroad this summer. I plan to go abroad this summer. |
prefer | She prefers to listen rather than talk. She prefers to listen rather than talk. |
pretend | Anna pretended to care about him. Anna pretended to be indifferent to her. |
promise | He promised to come back later. He promised to return later. |
refuse | The criminal refused to admit his guilt. The criminal refused to confirm his guilt. |
regret | We regret to tell you that your letter was lost. We are sorry to inform you that your letter has been lost. |
start | Joane started to run really fast. Jeanne began to run very fast. |
threaten | She threatened to call the police. She threatened to call the police. |
try | Hiyori tried to talk to the person in charge. Hiyori tried to speak with the person in charge. |
want / wish | I want to travel around the world. I want to travel the world. |
What is it represent gerund and infinitive in English? The table of verbs will help to understand the design even for a beginner.
Of course, here are only the main verbs, but you have enough of them with your head for the first time.