Gerunds vs Infinitives

Choosing between verb + -ing and verb + to + base

intermediate

When to Use

•Gerund after: enjoy, finish, avoid, suggest, mind, keep, consider, practice.
•Infinitive after: want, need, decide, plan, hope, agree, refuse, learn.
•Both (same meaning): start, begin, continue, like, love, hate, prefer.
•Both (different meaning): stop, remember, forget, try, regret.
•After prepositions: always gerund (interested in learning, good at swimming).

How to Form

Affirmative (+)

Verb + gerund (verb-ing) OR Verb + infinitive (to + base verb)

Negative (-)

Verb + not + gerund; Verb + not + to + base verb

Question (?)

Do you enjoy + gerund? Do you want + infinitive?

💡 After prepositions, always use gerund. Some verbs change meaning with gerund vs infinitive.

Examples

✓I enjoy reading.

✗I enjoy to read.

Enjoy takes gerund.

✓She wants to leave.

✗She wants leaving.

Want takes infinitive.

✓I stopped smoking.

✗I stopped to smoke (different meaning).

Stop + gerund = quit; stop + infinitive = pause to do something.

Common Mistakes

💡 Practice Tips

• Memorize common verbs: enjoy/avoid/finish → gerund; want/need/decide → infinitive.
• After prepositions: always gerund.
• Stop/remember/forget/try change meaning: learn both uses.
• When unsure, check if there's a preposition → gerund.

present-continuous infinitives prepositions-place 📝 gerunds-intermediate 📝 gerunds-infinitives-quiz

Gerunds vs Infinitives

Choosing between verb + -ing and verb + to + base

intermediate

When to Use

•Gerund after: enjoy, finish, avoid, suggest, mind, keep, consider, practice.
•Infinitive after: want, need, decide, plan, hope, agree, refuse, learn.
•Both (same meaning): start, begin, continue, like, love, hate, prefer.
•Both (different meaning): stop, remember, forget, try, regret.
•After prepositions: always gerund (interested in learning, good at swimming).

How to Form

Affirmative (+)

Verb + gerund (verb-ing) OR Verb + infinitive (to + base verb)

Negative (-)

Verb + not + gerund; Verb + not + to + base verb

Question (?)

Do you enjoy + gerund? Do you want + infinitive?

💡 After prepositions, always use gerund. Some verbs change meaning with gerund vs infinitive.

Examples

✓I enjoy reading.

✗I enjoy to read.

Enjoy takes gerund.

✓She wants to leave.

✗She wants leaving.

Want takes infinitive.

✓I stopped smoking.

✗I stopped to smoke (different meaning).

Stop + gerund = quit; stop + infinitive = pause to do something.

Common Mistakes

💡 Practice Tips

• Memorize common verbs: enjoy/avoid/finish → gerund; want/need/decide → infinitive.
• After prepositions: always gerund.
• Stop/remember/forget/try change meaning: learn both uses.
• When unsure, check if there's a preposition → gerund.

present-continuous infinitives prepositions-place 📝 gerunds-intermediate 📝 gerunds-infinitives-quiz

Gerunds vs Infinitives

When to Use

How to Form

Examples

Common Mistakes

💡 Practice Tips

Related

Gerunds vs Infinitives

When to Use

How to Form

Examples

Common Mistakes

💡 Practice Tips

Related

When to Use

How to Form

Examples

Common Mistakes

✗I avoid to eat sugar.

✗She decided going.

✗I'm interested to learn.

💡 Practice Tips

Related

When to Use

How to Form

Examples

Common Mistakes

✗I avoid to eat sugar.

✗She decided going.

✗I'm interested to learn.

💡 Practice Tips

Related