This document provides an introduction to gerunds and infinitives in English. It explains that gerunds end in "-ing" and refer to an activity in general, while infinitives use "to" followed by a verb and refer to a specific intention or moment. Examples are given to illustrate the differences. Common errors with each structure are also discussed. Finally, certain verbs that can take either a gerund or infinitive but with a change in meaning are explained.

1. Introduction to
gerunds and
infinitives

2. Consider the differences in meaning
between the following sentences:
• Watching a lot of tv is not good for you!
• I want to watch The Simpsons at 8.
• Saving money is hard.
• My parents want to save 2000 euros this
year.
• I love playing football.
• We are going to play football tomorrow

3. What is a gerund and what is an
infinitive?
• A gerund is a word that ends with –ing
• An infinitive is combination of to + verb
• For example to buy, to show, to find etc

4. Consider the differences in meaning
between the following sentences:
• Watching a lot of tv is not good for
you!
• Reference to the
activity
• Specific intention
• I want to watch The Simpsons at 8.

5. Consider the differences in meaning
between the following sentences:
Saving money is hard.
Reference to the
activity
• Specific intention
• My parents want to save 2000 euros
this year.

6. Consider the differences in meaning
between the following sentences:
I love playing football.
Reference to the
activity
• Specific intention
• We are going to play football
tomorrow

7. What is a gerund?
• A gerund = a reference to the activity.
• A gerund is a word with –ing that refers to
an activity in general NOT a specific
moment or intention. Examples:
• I love travelling!
• Buying a house is complicated.
• Getting up early is not easy.

8. What is an infinitive?
• An infinitive= a verb + to= to go, to buy
• An infinitive= a specific intention to do an
action at a specific moment.
• We need to buy the ticket tomorrow.
• I need to show you something now.
• What do you want to do tomorrow?

9. Important rules for the infinitive
• Exceptions for the infinitive= MUST + CAN
• Must or can never take “to”
• Examples:
• I can do it never I can to do it
• We can’t find it never I can’t to find it
• We must show her never we must to show her

10. Important rules for the infinitive
• Look at the following incorrect sentences
• I came for to tell you the news
• For to go there, you need a car
• I am here for to show you what to do.

11. Important rules for the infinitive
• The infinitive is already two words in
English. To go, to buy etc.
• When you are speaking about a logical
progression of events it is not necessary to put
for in front of the infinitive= for to go there.
• I came to tell you the news
• To go there, you need a car
• I am here to show you what to do.

12. Important rules for the infinitive
• The infinitive is already two words in
English. To go, to buy etc.
• When you are speaking about a logical
progression of events it is not necessary to put
for in front of the infinitive= for to go there.
• I came to tell you the news
• To go there, you need a car
• I am here to show you what to do.

13. A word that ends in ING.
It can be three things
Adjective
Describing
characteristics
Verb
Continuous tenses
Gerund
A reference to the activity
Interesting
Boring
Depressing
Confusing
I am teaching
I am buying a car
I was walking
Drinking beer is cool!
Getting up early is a pain!
Travelling is so much fun.

14. Common errors with gerunds
• I love sleep!
• Travel is amazing!
• My friend really likes drink beer

15. The 6 most common verbs with ING
• To love/ to like
• To hate
• To mind (used in the negative or
questions) don’t mind
• To avoid
• To enjoy

16. To mind
To avoid
To enjoy
• To mind (used in the negative) don’t mind
• To avoid
• To enjoy
• ALWAYS take gerund
• I don’t mind cleaning the house
• I avoid walking in the rain
• I enjoy going to the cinema

17. The 6 most common verbs with ING
• To mind (used in the negative) don’t mind
• To avoid
• To enjoy
• ALWAYS take gerund
• I don’t mind cleaning the house
• I avoid walking in the rain
• I enjoy going to the cinema

18. To love
To like
To hate
• To love/ to like
• To hate
• These verbs can take gerund and infinitive
with almost no difference in meaning.
• Native speakers tend to prefer the gerund in speaking
I love doing it 70% I hate doing it 70 %
I love to do it 30% I hate to do it 30%

19. A more complete picture
to Love /like To Hate I Don’t mind To Avoid To enjoy
I love reading
I love to read
I hate washing
clothes
I hate to wash
clothes
I don’t mind
working extra
hours
I avoid paying
taxes!
I enjoy
listening to
music.

20. Stop and check!
Try to find the mistakes in these sentences.
You will see the answers in the next slide.
• I don’t mind to go
• We can to go there tomorrow if you
want
• She came to Ireland for to study
• It must to be ready for tomorrow
• Do you mind to help with me
tomorrow?
• We chose do that because it was an
important thing do.
• I promise doing that for you
tomorrow.
• It’s going taking a long time for to do
that.
• I couldn’t to find it yesterday I
looked for it everywhere.

21. Stop and check!
Find the mistakes.
• I don’t mind to go
– I don’t mind going
• We can to go there tomorrow if you
want
– We can go there tomorrow if you want
• She came to Ireland for to study
– She came to Ireland to study.
• It must to be ready for tomorrow
• It must be ready for tomorrow
• Do you mind to help with me
tomorrow?
– Do you mind helping me tomorrow?
• We chose do that because it was an
important thing do.
– We chose to do that because it was
important thing to do
– I promise doing that for you
tomorrow.
– I promise to do that tomorrow
• It’s going taking a long time for to do
that.
– It’s going to take a long time to do that
• I couldn’t to find it yesterday I
looked for it everywhere.
– I couldn’t find it yesterday I looked for it
everywhere

22. What about you?
• Finish the sentences yourself with gerunds.
• Example:I love watching sport, I hate washing clothes.
• What are some things you enjoy doing everyday?
• What do you always avoid doing until the last minute?
• Name something that a friend of yours hates doing
• What is something your mother or father love doing?
• What is something you love doing but don’t have enough
time for?
• What is something you plan to do soon?
• Is there anything specific you would like to learn?

23. It’s + adjective+ infinitive
• One common pattern in English is :
• It’s + adjective+ infinitive
• Examples:
• It’s impossible to sleep in this heat
• It’s difficult to find a new apartment
• It’s important to eat well
• Avoid the common error with this pattern:
• Is impossible sleep in this heat
• Is difficult find a new apartment
• Is important eat well.

24. It’s + adjective+ infinitive
• We can rephrase these sentences and use the gerund.
• It’s impossible to sleep in this heat
• Sleeping in this heat is impossible
• It’s difficult to find a new apartment
• Finding a new apartment is difficult
• It’s important to eat well
• Eating well is important

25. It’s + adjective+ infinitive
• Essentially there is no difference in meaning.
• It’s impossible to sleep in this heat
» Specific intention
Reference to the
Activity
• Sleeping in this heat is impossible

26. Over to you
practise these structures
It’s important to____________
____________ is important.
It’s boring to ____________
____________ is boring
It’s tiring to ____________
____________ is tiring
It’s stressful to ____________
____________ is stressful
It’s annoying to ____________
____________ is annoying.

27. Verbs that can take infinitive or gerund
but with a change in meaning.
Some common verbs take infinitive or gerund and change
meaning.
To stop
To forget
To remember
To try

28. Verbs that can take infinitive or gerund
and finally
Consider differences in meaning with the following
sentences
To stop to talk to someone
To stop talking to someone
I can’t stop to talk
I can’t stop talking

29. Verbs that can take infinitive or gerund
and finally
Consider the differences in meaning in the following
sentences:
I stopped to talk to my friend
the reason why you stopped
Ending the action
I stopped talking to my friend

30. Verbs that can take infinitive or gerund
and finally
Consider the differences in meaning in the following
sentences:
I can’t stop to talk
the reason why you stopped
Ending the action
I can’t stop talking

31. Verbs that can take infinitive or gerund
and finally
Consider differences in meaning with the following
sentences
To remember to do the laundry
To remember doing the laundry
I forget to say it to him
I forget saying it to him

32. Verbs that can take infinitive or gerund
and finally
Consider the differences in meaning in the following
sentences:
To remember to do the laundry
Something you are supposed to do
A memory of the past
To remember doing the laundry

33. Verbs that can take infinitive or gerund
with a change in meaning
To remember or to forget to do something=
something you are supposed to do
To remember or forget doing something is
A memory of a past event.
To remember to do the laundry
To remember doing the laundry
I forget to take my vitamins
I will never forget taking my vitamins

34. Verbs that can take infinitive or gerund
and finally
Consider the differences in meaning in the following
sentences:
I never remember to buy a tv license
An obligation or something
You are supposed to do
memories of a past event
I remember talking to him

35. Verbs that can take infinitive or gerund
with a change in meaning
To try to do something
To try doing something
Try + gerund = an experiment or to see if something works
To try looking for a job in the newspaper
Try+ infinitive = you want to do it but you do not succeed
To try to open the door

36. Verbs that can take infinitive or gerund
and finally
Consider the differences in meaning in the following
sentences:
I tried learning Japanese last summer
An experiment to see if I liked it
something you wanted to do but
did not succeed
I tried to open the door

37. What about you?
What is something you’ll never forget seeing for the first time?
Tell me something that you sometimes forget to do before you leave
the house in the mornings.
What is something crazy/silly you remember doing when you were a
teenager?
What is something you need to remember to do this week?
What is something you try doing when you can’t sleep at night?
What is something you tried to learn but couldn’t?
What will you never stop doing?
What is something you miss doing?
What do you miss most about your country?
What are you thinking about doing next year?
Name one thing you are looking forward to doing?

38. Important expressions with gerund
After – before- by
After starting something
Before starting something
To manage to do something by doing something
Adjective+ preposition
To be afraid of doing something
To be good or bad at doing something
To be interested in doing something
To be sick of doing something
To be sorry for doing something
To be worried about doing something

39. Important expressions with gerund
What is something you always do before going to bed?
What is the first thing you do after getting up in the
morning?
Name something one of your friends is afraid of doing?
What are you good at doing ?
What is something you are interested in doing this year?
What is something you are sick of doing ?
What are you thinking about doing this year?
What are you planning to do this year?