To infinitive and gerund íng

1. TO INFINITIVE/ GERUND-ING
M. GARRIDO
ESL COACH

2. GERUND –ING IS USED
• After most of the preopositions(después de la mayoría de
preposiciones):
I am not very good at cooking
She’s thinking of coming back home soon.
I’m not used to hearing that voice. (to as a preposition)

3. GERUND –ING IS USED
• Subject/Object
(Nominalizamos los verbos en inglés añadiendo –ing)
Listening to music is good for everyone.
I hate studying Maths.

4. GERUND –ING IS USED
• After these verbs:
admit confesar
appreciate apreciar
avoid evitar
consider considerar
delay retrasar
deny negar
detest detestar
enjoy disfrutar
escape escapar
finish terminar
suggest sugerir
understand comprender
• She has admitted having an affair with rock singer.
• He appreciates getting a cruise as a present.
• I avoid eating fatty foods.
• My mother considers evading Robert
• I enjoy listening to music.
• May I suggest going to the cinema?

5. GERUND –ING IS USED
• After these forms/expressions
F. Verbal Traducción
can´t help no poder evitar
can´t stand no soportar
don´t mind no importar
would mind importaría
be used to
estar
acostumbrado a
get used to acostumbrarse a
feel like apetecer
it´s no use
ser inútil, no valer
la pena
look forward to tener ganas de
• I can’t stand losing you.
• I don’t mind doing it.
• I am used to studying at night.
• I feel like going for a bike ride.
• I’m looking forward to hearing back from you

6. TO INFINITIVE
• After an adjective. It gives a reason for the adjective.
• It’s difficult to find an asnwer
An answer for the interrogative adverb ‘why’ to express purpose
como respuesta de ¿por qué? Para expresar finalidad
• Why did you do it? To enjoy much more

7. TO INFINITIVE
• After these forms and verbs (especially verbs of thinking/ feeling and saying) :
Verbo Traducción
would like gustaría
want querer
need necesitar
decide decidir
hope esperar
pretend pretender
expect esperar
learn aprender
offer ofrecer
afford asumir
prepare preparar
mean significar
agree estar de acuerdo
• I would like to visit those places this year.
• I want to be a doctor
• I’ve decided not to go there anymore
• I expect to get an answer from you as soon as
possible.
• I can afford to pay my bills.
• I don’t mean to be rude
• I agree to supervisie this student on the
Project.
EXAMPLES

8. GERUND AND TO INFITINIVE
• Vebs such as 'begin', 'continue' o 'start'.
Verbos como ‘comenzar’, ‘continuar’ o ‘empezar’
• It started to snow/ It started snowing
Cuando estos verbos van en forma continua se usará el infinitivo.
• It’s starting to rain

9. GERUND AND TO INFINITIVE
• After vebs such as 'like', 'dislike', 'hate', 'love', 'prefer‘. In AmE to
infinitive is used and in BrE the gerund is used, but there’s no difference.
Verbos como ‘like’, ‘dislike’, ‘hate’, ‘love’, ‘prefer’. En inglés americano se prefiere to
infinitive, y en el inglés británico se usa con –ing.
• I dislike cleaning the house
• I don’t like to be here
In conditional sentences, however, to infinitive is preferable.
En las oraciones en condicional I would like/love/prefer se prefiere el infinitivo con ‘to’
I’d like to come back home

10. GERUND AND TO INFINITIVE changes in meaning
Remember/forget (recordar/olvidar)
-ing form refers to what happened in the past I remember turning off Tv when I left home.
-to infinitive refers to remember/ to forget something that will happen Remember to turn off TV when you
leave home
Stop (parar)
-ing form means ‘stop doing something’ I stop making noise
-to infinitive means ‘stop doing something to do another thing’ I stop to make noise.
Try (intentar)
-ing form means ‘experiment’ Why don´t you try sending her flowers?
-to infitive ‘doing something with effort’ I tried to change the battery but I couldn´t.
Go on (continuar)
-ing form means ‘keep doing something’ My boss went on discussing the new project.
-to infinitive means ‘change of activity’ My boss went to discuss the new project.

11. GERUND AND TO INFINITIVE
changes in meaning
 Regret (lamenatar)
-ing form means to be sorry for something that happened.
I regret saying that.
-to infinitive is used to communicate a bad new.
I regret to inform you that the meeting has been called off.
 Sorry for/ about (sentir)
-ing form refers to something that happened.
I am sorry for having offended you.
-to infinitive refers to something that will happen in the future.
I am sorry to disturb you.
 Need (necesitar)
-ing form to express the necessity of doing something.
He needs sleeping.
To infinitive expresses obligation to do something.
I need to be there at 8.00.

12. PRACTICE
• http://a4esl.org/q/h/9801/el-to-ing.html
• http://www.eslgamesplus.com/ing-gerunds-infinitive-spin/
• http://www.englishexercises.org/makeagame/viewgame.asp?
id=5788

13. www.mayenglishcorner.blogspot.co.uk
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