Gerunds and infinitives are verb forms that can function as nouns. A gerund is a verb form ending in "-ing" that can follow adjectives, verbs, and prepositions. An infinitive is "to + verb" and can be the subject or object of a sentence. Both gerunds and infinitives can be subjects, direct objects, or objects of prepositions. Certain verbs like "begin" and "want" can be followed by either gerunds or infinitives.

2. Gerunds and infinitives are forms of verbs that act like nouns. They
can follow adjectives and other verbs. Gerunds can also follow
prepositions.
A gerund (often known as an -ing word) is a noun formed from a verb
by adding –ing. Not all words formed with -ing are gerunds.
An infinitive is to + the verb.
e.g. I enjoy searching the Internet.
e.g. To enter the university is my dream.

3. I enjoy playing the guitar.
Sara is dreaming of becoming a teacher.
My father has recently thought of traveling abroad.
verb + ing = gerund
To form negative gerunds, use not + gerund
e.g. Not speaking Hebrew well is my biggest problem in this country.

4. There are some words that look like gerunds. However, they are NOT.
Which ones are gerunds here?
1. Nir is going to the cinema this afternoon.
2. I enjoy reading books in the evening.
3. The movie was really boring.
4. We talked about moving to a new apartment.
5. The family is planning to go to Eilat in the summer.

5. All gerunds can be the subject of a sentence.
e.g. Breathing is necessary.
Driving a car requires good vision.
Helping other people makes me feel good.
A gerund can be a direct object.
e.g. Daniel gives swimming all of his energy and time.
e.g. Daniel enjoys swimming more than spending time with his
friends.
A gerund can be an indirect object.
A gerund can be used as an object of preposition
e.g. The police arrested him for speeding.

6. admit delay imagine practice
advise deny involve reject
allow dislike keep resist
appreciate enjoy mention risk
avoid escape mind stop
can’t help fancy miss suggest
can’t stand finish permit understand
consider go (swimming) postpone waste (time)
Stop shouting!
Jim admitted robbing the bank.
Do you enjoy playing tennis?
She couldn’t help laughing.

7. admit to approve of apologize for argue about
be accused of be excited about be used to believe in
blame for care about complain about concentrate on
confess to count on depend on disapprove of
discourage
from
dream about feel like forget about
famous for insist on instead of interested in
keep from look forward to object to plan on
prevent from profit from refrain from succeed in
take care
about
talk about think about worry about

9. I want to eat lunch after class.
I would like to visit Eilat in two weeks.
The pupils have to present their projects tomorrow.
to + base form of the verb
To form negative infinitives, use not + base form of the verb
e.g. He decided not to go to the party.

10. Infinitives and infinitive phrases can be both subjects and objects
in sentences. Take a look at these examples:

11. agree consent have offer start
aim continue hesitate ought stop
appear dare hope plan strive
arrange decide hurry prefer swear
ask deserve intend prepare threaten
attempt detest leap proceed try
be able dislike leave promise use
beg expect like propose wait
begin fail long refuse want
care forget love remember wish
choose get mean say
condescend happen neglect shoot

12. advise choose have love remind
allow command hire motivate require
ask dare instruct order send
beg direct invite pay teach
bring encourage lead permit tell
build expect leave persuade urge
buy forbid let prepare want
challenge force like promise warn
e.g. Everyone expected her to win.
Note: Some of these verbs are included in the list above and may be used
without an object.

13. When more than one verb follows the above verbs, only
the first verb needs to.
e.g. When I go to Eilat this summer, I hope to visit many interesting
places, go swimming and surfing, and generally have an unforgettable
time.
After the verbs seem, appear, and pretend we can use
to be + V-ing or to have+V3
e.g. She pretended to be reading.
She seemed to have disappeared.

14. After certain verbs we can use either a gerund or an infinitive.
These verbs are: begin, continue, hate, not stand/bear, intend,
like, love, remember, start, stop, try.
e.g. As soon as we left, the baby began to cry.
As soon as we left, the baby began crying.
Remember! After the following verbs we can use either the infinitive
or object + infinitive
want ask expect help
would likemean=intend would prefer
e.g. I want to be home early tonight. I wanted Gil to help me.
I would like to drink a cup of coffee. I would like my friends to visit me.

15. After the following verbs we can us either object + infinitive or gerund.
allow permit advise encourage
e.g. They don’t allow people to smoke in here (verb + object + infinitive)
They don’t allow smoking in here (verb + gerund)
After “suggest” we use a gerund or a that… construction:
e.g. I suggest going there.
I suggest that you go now.

16. Need + Infinitive = “it is necessary to…”
Need + Gerund = “need to be done”
Needn’t + base form is used as a modal
e.g. The students need to do these exercises.
e.g. The car is broken. It needs fixing.
e.g. You needn’t hurry up. You don’t have to hurry up.

17. We use the base form (the infinitive without to):
After the verbs make (force), let (allow) and have (get(.
Note that make, let and have are followed by object+ base
form whereas force, allow and get are followed by object +
infinitive (to + base form)
e.g. They let us go home early.
They allowed us to go home early.
The teacher made the students stay after classes.
He forced then to clean the classroom.