ING OR INFINITIVE

1. ING OR INFINITIVE
Use infinitive...
after adjectives, for example:
 disappointed, glad, happy, pleased, relieved, sad, surprised
This includes "too + adjective" and "adjective + enough". Look at these example sentences:
 I was happy to help them.
 She will be delighted to see you.
 The water was too cold to swim in.
 Is your coffee too hot to drink?
 He was strong enough to lift it.
 She is rich enough to buy two.
After certain verbs (See list below)
To express the “reason” or “purpose” for doing something:
 You use your phone to checkthe bills on line.
Use -ing...
When the word is the subject of a clause:
 Swimming isgoodexercise.
 Doctors say that smoking is bad for you.
After a preposition:
 They left without saying goodbye.
After certain verbs (See list below)
As you watch the video, look at the examples of verbs + ing (the gerund) and verbs + infinitive.
They are in red in the subtitles.
http://learnenglishteens.britishcouncil.org/grammar-vocabulary/grammar-videos/verb-ing-or-verb-
infinitive
VERBS FOLLOWED BY INFINITIVE
Agree Estar de acuerdo en hacer algo,
acordar
Appear Parecer
Arrange Acordarhaceralgo
Ask Pedir
Be about to Estar a punto de
Beg Rogar
Cannot afford No poder permitirse el lujo de
Choose Decider, escoger
Claim Reclamar, pretender
Consent consentir
Convince/persuade Convencer/persuadir
Dare atreverse
Decide Decider

2. Decline Declinar, negarse
Demand Exigir
Deserve Merecer
Determine Decidir
Expect Esperar
Fail No conseguir, dejar de
HappenI happened to see him in London Resultar (porcasualidad)
Help
2 options: I helped him to cut the grass
I helped him cut the grass
ayudar
Hesitate Dudar
Hope esperar
Know how to Saber
Learn ( how to) Aprender
Manage Lograr,arreglárselas para hacer
algo
Need
Need+ infinitive: something that is necessary
I need to wash my car.
Need +ing: we want to talk about something that is necessary
for someone to do.
We don't have to say who is going to do it. It is a very
special passive structure.
My car needs washing.(=HAY QUE LAVAR EL
COCHE)HACER FALTA ALGO
=IT NEEDS TO BE DONE.
Eg. The batteries in the radio need changing (They need to
be changed)
Eg. Do you think my jacket needs cleaning? (….needs to be
cleaned?)
Offer ofrecer
Prepare Prepararsepara
pretend fingir
Promise Prometer
Refuse Rehusar, negarse a
Seek buscar
swear Jurar
Teach (how to) Enseñar
Threaten Amenazar
Trouble Molestarse en
Undertake Encargarse de
Want querer
Wish desear
VERBS FOLLOWED BY - ING
Advise aconsejar
Allow permitir
Cease Dejar de
Continue continuar
dread
Exception: I dread to think what can happen to
Siria with Trump.
temer

3. Forbid prohibir
Hate odiar
Intend Proponerse, tener la intención de
Like gustar
Love Amar,encantar
Prefer preferir
Can´t bear No podersoportar
recommend recomendar
After advise, recommend, forbid and allow, 2 structures are possible:
Vb+ing (without an object) VB+OBJECT+TO
I wouldn´t advise/recommend staying in that
hotel.
I wouldn´t advise/recommend ANYBODY tostay
in that hotel.
They don´t allow parking in front of the building. They don´t allow PEOPLEtopark in front of the
building.
They forbid parking in front of the building. They forbid PEOPLEtopark in front of the
building.
Verbs that change their meaning when they are followed by a Gerund or an Infinitive
forget
GERUND INFINITIVE
looks back in the past (olvidar haber hecho algo) looks into the future (olvidarse de hacer algo)
He'll never forget spending so much money on
his first computer.
Don't forget to buy her a present.
Go on
GERUND INFINITIVE
to continue with the same thing to change the activity, do something new
Go on reading the text.
After talking about the economy, the president
then went on to talk about foreign policy.

4. mean
GERUND INFINITIVE
sth. has to be done to get a result (significar,
implicar)
intend to do sth.(querer)
The new orders mean working overtime.
I meant to phone your mother, but my mobile
didn't work.
regret
GERUND INFINITIVE
you did sth in the past and you are not happy
about it (lamentar haber hecho algo)
to tell bad news and you are not happy about it
(lamentar informar de algo)
I regret being late for school.
We regret to inform you that the flight has been
delayed for another two hours.
remember
GERUND INFINITIVE
looks back in the past (recordar haber hecho algo) looks into the future (acordarse de haceralgo)
I remember switching off the lights when I went Remember to switch off the lights when you go

5. GERUND INFINITIVE
looks back in the past (recordar haber hecho algo) looks into the future (acordarse de haceralgo)
on holiday. on holiday.
stop
GERUND INFINITIVE
to stop with an activity(cese de actividad o acción) to stop in order to do sth else. (propósito)
I stopped smoking. I stopped tosmoke.
try
GERUND INFINITIVE
to test sth. (experiment) to do sth. that is not easy
I tried taking an aspirin but it didn't help. Try to be quiet when you come home late.
Verbs followed by a gerund or infinitive with little to no change in meaning:
begin can’t stand hate love start
can’t bear continue like prefer
It started to rain/It started raining.

6. LIKE/LOVE/HATE
When you talk about repeated actions, you can use –ing or TO after these verbs:
I love reading long novels. (British English or American English)
I love to read long novels. (American English)