This document provides information on the use of infinitives and gerunds in English. It discusses when to use the bare infinitive, infinitive with "to", and gerund. Some key uses include the bare infinitive after modal verbs and certain active verbs, the infinitive after verbs like decide and want, and the gerund as the subject of a sentence, after prepositions, and as the direct object of certain verbs. It also notes cases where verbs can be used with either the infinitive or gerund with the same meaning, and cases where the meaning differs depending on which is used. Examples are provided to illustrate the different uses.

1. USE OF THE INFINITIVE AND GERUND
BARE INFINITIVE (INFINITIVE WITHOUT TO) (go)
 After modal verbs:
o I must go now.
o He shouldn’t speak so loud.
 After some verbs (let, make, see, watch, hear, help, etc.) in the active:
o Let me continue now.
o I saw her steal the books.
o Could you help me unload the tractor?
INFINITIVE (to go / not to go)
 After some verbs such as: decide, want, promise, hope, pretend, refuse, offer, agree, seem, appear, choose, expect,
learn, plan, wish, allow, would like, etc.
o I decided to buy another mobile phone.
o She wants to finish her exams as soon as possible.
o They didn’t promise to come with us.
o He refused to leave the car in the street.
o I offered to buy another computer for her.
o I agreed to choose a present for him.
o They seemed to be happy.
 After some adjectives such as: easy, happy, sad, lucky, hard and nice.
o It was hard to find her dog in the forest.
o I’m happy to volunteer.
o They were lucky to pass their exam.
o It was nice to win so much money in the lottery.
GERUND (going)
 As the subject of a sentence when speaking in a general way about something:
o Visiting London was a great experience.
o Dancing is a way of exercising.
o Smoking is dangerous for everyone.
 After a preposition:
o She is good at dancing tango.
o I am looking forward to seeing you.
o After having lunch we’ll play cards.
o Before going to bed I always have a glass of hot chocolate.
 As a direct object after some verbs, such as: finish, enjoy, avoid, miss, recommend, suggest, imagine, regret, keep,
mind, etc.:
o They decided to keep us waiting for over an hour.
o We enjoy eating Mexican food.
o My mother suggested travelling to Switzerland next summer.
o I regret wasting so much time.
o My mother doesn’t mind cooking on Sundays.
 After some expressions: can’t stand, don’t mind, feel like, it’s no use, look forward to, etc.
o He can’t stand waiting in a queue.
o I don’t mind walking to school.
o I feel like sleeping until noon.
o It’s no use crying over spilt milk.
o We are looking forward to hearing from you (in a letter).
INFINITIVE OR GERUND KEEPING THE SAME MEANING
 Some verbs have the same meaning whether followed by a gerund or an infinitive: like, love, hate, prefer, begin, start,
continue, etc.
o I like to dance. = I like dancing.
o They continued studying after the match. = They continued to study after the match.
INFINITIVE OR GERUND WITH A DIFFERENT MEANING
 Other verbs have a different meaning if they are followed by a gerund or by an infinitive:
o Remember:
 remember + infinitive: remember something that will be done later:
 I have to remember to lock the house.
 remember + gerund: remember something that was done earlier:
 I remember speaking to Susan on the day of the accident.
o Forget:
 forget + infinitive: not remember something that will be done later:
 Don’t forget to phone your parents tonight.
 forget + gerund: not remember something that was done earlier:
 I’ll never forget studying at CPI Tino Grandío.
o Stop:
 stop + infinitive: stop so that you can do something:
 I stopped to speak to my parents.
 stop + gerund: end an action:
 I stopped dancing because I was very tired.

2. Complete the following sentences with the verb in the right form: bare infinitive, infinitive or
gerund:
1. Please, stop ________________ (ask) me questions!
2. I don’t enjoy ________________ (drive) very much.
3. Has it stopped ________________ (rain) yet?
4. It was a very sunny day but suddenly it began ________________ (rain).
5. I can’t stand ________________ (eat) Padrón peppers. They are too hot for me.
6. The teachers offered ________________ (let) us take a second test.
7. It was difficult ________________ (find out) the truth about the event.
8. Will you let us ________________ (go) with your team?
9. Rick is very stubborn. He keeps ________________ (make) the same mistake with all his
girlfriends.
10. Do you mind ________________ (travel) at night? You might get a much cheaper flight.
11. We’ll go to bed after ________________ (wash) all the dishes that have been used.
12. Please, remember ________________ (lock) the door when you leave.
13. My sister can’t stand ________________ (wait) for trains.
14. I bought a new bicycle instead of ________________ (go) away on holiday.
15. The president doesn’t want ________________ (resign) this month.
16. They shouldn’t ________________ (be) so rude with us.
17. She was late so we decided ________________ (not / wait) for her.
18. Someone must have taken my green pen. I clearly remember ________________ (put) it on
my desk.
19. ________________ (eat) so much fat is definitely bad for your health.
20. My father will never let me drive the car before ________________ (get) the driving licence.
21. Your friends helped us ________________ (mow) the lawn yesterday morning.
22. The lecturer refused ________________ (answer) any more questions that morning.
23. My cat loves ________________ (sleep) in the sun.
24. ________________ (read) books is my passion.
25. The exercise wasn’t difficult ________________ (do).
26. While we were on holidays my brother forgot ________________ (water) the plants so they
died.
27. The baby learned ________________ (use) the dummy.
28. I can’t ________________ (spend) so much money on that.
29. The salesperson suggested ________________ (drive) the car around the city.
30. They stopped ________________ (phone) the emergency service because Julia was having a
heart attack.
31. Are you good at ________________ (swim)? You might take part in the competition.
32. They always avoid ________________ (speak) to him when he is so angry.
33. It’s no use ________________ (ask) for help. Everyone is in a hurry this week.
34. My parents miss ________________ (have) a baby. They will have to wait until they become
grandparents!
35. Would you like ________________ (have) chips or boiled potatoes with your fish?
36. This knife is only for ________________ (cut) cheese.