Gerunds vs Infinitives
- Rule Title
- Gerunds vs Infinitives
- Category
- Sentence Structure
- Rule Explanation
Gerunds vs. Infinitives
Gerunds and infinitives can both function as nouns, but they are used in different contexts following certain verbs or prepositions.
Gerund (V-ing as a noun)
- Used after prepositions:
- Example: good at swimming
- Used after certain verbs:
- enjoy, avoid, consider, deny, mind, suggest, finish, keep, practice, risk, admit, imagine, postpone, regret
Infinitive (to + V1)
- Used after certain verbs:
- want, wish, hope, plan, decide, refuse, agree, manage, offer, promise, seem, appear, afford, learn, pretend, threaten
Both Possible (with meaning change)
Some verbs can be followed by either a gerund or an infinitive, but the meaning changes:
- remember doing (past action) vs. remember to do (future task)
- stop doing (cease an activity) vs. stop to do (pause in order to do something else)
- try doing (experiment with an action) vs. try to do (attempt to achieve something difficult)
- Used after prepositions:
- Correct Example
- I enjoy swimming. (Gerund after 'enjoy')
- She decided to leave. (Infinitive after 'decide')
- He remembered locking the door. (Past action)
- Incorrect Example
I enjoy to swim.('Enjoy' typically takes a gerund)She decided leaving.('Decide' typically takes an infinitive)