This document discusses the differences between gerunds and infinitives. Gerunds are verb forms ending in "-ing" that can function as nouns, subjects, or objects of prepositions. Some verbs like "enjoy" and "go" only take gerunds. Infinitives use "to" before the base verb form and can be subjects, objects of prepositions, or express purpose. While gerunds often follow verbs indicating simultaneous action, infinitives follow verbs indicating potential future action. Both gerunds and infinitives can act as nouns, taking singular verbs when subjects.

1. GERUNDS VS.
INFINITIVES

2. GERUNDS
Gerunds used as Some verbs only
subject of the take gerunds:
sentence: He enjoys working
Dancing is fun. with children.
Gerunds used as go + gerund
object of the Recreational
preposition: activities:
I am thinking about I will go fishing with
taking the children you tomorrow.
to Europe.

3. VERBS THAT TAKE ONLY GERUNDS
 Appreciate  Keep
 Avoid  Mention
 Delay  Mind
 Deny  Miss
 Discuss  Postpone
 Dislike  Quit
 Enjoy  Recall
 Excuse  Recommend
 Finish  Resent
 understand  suggest

4. GERUNDS
By + gerund
You get good grades by
studying hard.
doing your homework.
practicing every day.

5. GERUNDS
Special expressions are used with
gerunds:
Be busy: I am busy sewing
Can’t help: I can’t help feeling this way
Have fun: Tommy has fun jumping on the
rocks
It’s no use: It’s no use crying over it.
It’s not worth: It’s not worth thinking
about it.

6. INFINITIVES
to + base form of the
verb
I want to dance

7. INFINITIVES
Infinitives in the Adjectives followed by
subject position: infinitives:
 To live in England is my
dream Afraid, amazed, anxious, ashame
 It is my dream to live in d, careful, delighted, eager, f
the United States. ortunate, glad, happy, lucky,
pleased, ready, sad, sorry.
Infinitive with too and enough
too + adjective or adverb +
infinitive Infinitive of purpose:
I’m too crazy to stop
She is too young to vot I came here in order to
Adjective or adverb + enough + learn.
infinitive
I’m crazy enough to continue

8. VERBS THAT TAKE INFINITIVES
Verb + infinitives – agree, appear, decide
hope, intend, learn, offer, plan, seem, tend, wait
, can afford
She agreed to wait for us.
Verb + Noun phrase + infinitive –
cause, convince, force, invite, order, persuade,
remind, tell, trust, warn, advise, encourage
She encouraged us to make it ourselves.

9. Gerunds and infinitives
can function as:
NOUNS
(subjects, objects, subject
complements).
He spent hours mapping the place.
 As subjects, they take a singular verb.
Mapping places is boring.
Only Gerunds can be object of the
preposition.
I thought about letting you go.

10. Gerunds often follow verbs that indicate
that an action is happening or has
happened.
The action expressed by the verb comes at
the same time or after the action
expressed by the gerund.
We enjoy going to concerts.
(you can only enjoy things you are doing
or have done –
not things you haven’t done yet.)

11. Infinitives often follow verbs that
indicate that an action will or could
happen.
The action expressed by the verb
comes before the action expressed by
the infinitive.
We hope to go to the concert.
(You can hope for things that could
happen
not things that have already
happened)

12. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Gerunds and Infinitives. 24th Oct, 2010
<webhome.broward.edu/~ydaniel/.../Gerunds
%20and%20Infinitives.ppt >