Verbs Followed by Gerunds or Infinitives

Verbs Followed by Gerunds or Infinitives

Some verbs in English can be followed by either a gerund (verb + -ing) or an infinitive (to + verb). However, the meaning of the sentence can change depending on which form is used. Understanding these differences is crucial for proper sentence construction.

1. What Are Gerunds and Infinitives?

• A gerund is a verb in its -ing form that functions as a noun. (e.g., swimming, reading, dancing)

• An infinitive is the base form of a verb preceded by "to". (e.g., to swim, to read, to dance)

2. Verbs Followed by Gerunds

Some verbs are always followed by gerunds, never infinitives.

Common Verbs Followed by Gerunds:

• Enjoy → She enjoys reading books.

• Admit → He admitted stealing the money.

• Avoid → They avoid talking about politics.

• Consider → I am considering moving to a new city.

• Discuss → We discussed buying a new car.

• Keep → She keeps asking questions.

• Suggest → He suggested going for a walk.

3. Verbs Followed by Infinitives

Some verbs are always followed by infinitives and not gerunds.

Common Verbs Followed by Infinitives:

• Agree → He agreed to help me.

• Decide → We decided to leave early.

• Plan → She plans to study abroad.

• Refuse → They refused to pay the bill.

• Promise → He promised to call later.

• Want → I want to learn Spanish.

• Need → You need to finish your work.

4. Verbs That Can Be Followed by Either a Gerund or an Infinitive (With No Change in Meaning)

Some verbs can be followed by both a gerund or an infinitive without changing the meaning.

Examples:

• Begin → She began singing. / She began to sing.

• Start → They started working. / They started to work.

• Love → I love reading. / I love to read.

• Hate → He hates waiting. / He hates to wait.

• Continue → We continued talking. / We continued to talk.

5. Verbs That Change Meaning Depending on Whether They Are Followed by a Gerund or Infinitive

Some verbs take both gerunds and infinitives, but the meaning changes.

Examples:

• Stop

  • I stopped smoking. (I quit smoking.)

  • I stopped to smoke. (I paused what I was doing to have a cigarette.)

• Remember

  • I remember locking the door. (I have a memory of locking it.)

  • I remembered to lock the door. (I didn’t forget to lock it.)

• Try

  • Try eating healthy food. (Experiment with eating healthier.)

  • Try to eat healthy food. (Make an effort to eat healthier.)

• Forget

  • She forgot meeting him before. (She doesn’t remember their past meeting.)

  • She forgot to meet him. (She didn’t go to meet him.)

6. Common Mistakes:

❌ Mistake 1: Using an Infinitive Instead of a Gerund
Incorrect: She enjoys to swim.
Correct: She enjoys swimming.
Explanation: "Enjoy" is always followed by a gerund, not an infinitive.

❌ Mistake 2: Using a Gerund Instead of an Infinitive
Incorrect: He decided going to the park.
Correct: He decided to go to the park.
Explanation: "Decide" is followed by an infinitive, not a gerund.

❌ Mistake 3: Forgetting That Some Verbs Change Meaning
Incorrect: I stopped to watch TV. (Meaning: I quit watching TV, but that’s incorrect.)
Correct: I stopped watching TV. (Meaning: I quit watching TV.)

❌ Mistake 4: Using the Wrong Form After "Remember"
Incorrect: I remembered locking the door, so I went back and checked.
Correct: I remembered to lock the door, so I went back and checked.
Explanation: "Remember to do" means you did the action; "remember doing" means you recall the action.

7. Exercises on Gerunds and Infinitives

✔ Exercise 1: Fill in the blanks with the correct gerund or infinitive form.

1. She enjoys ______ (dance) in the rain.

2. They decided ______ (move) to another city.

3. I hate ______ (wake) up early.

4. He promised ______ (call) me later.

✔ Exercise 2: Choose the correct sentence.

1. a) She suggested to go to the beach.
   b) She suggested going to the beach.

2. a) They agreed paying the bill.
   b) They agreed to pay the bill.

3. a) I stopped to smoke.
   b) I stopped smoking.

4. a) He plans to study abroad.
   b) He plans studying abroad.

✔ Exercise 3: Correct the mistakes in these sentences.

1. I enjoy to play soccer. → Correct it: __________

2. He refused going out. → Correct it: __________

3. She stopped to eat junk food. → Correct it: __________

4. I forgot locking the door. → Correct it: __________

✔ Exercise 4: Write sentences using both gerunds and infinitives with the following verbs.

1. Try

2. Stop

3. Remember

4. Forget