Gerund or Infinitive explanation sheet

THE USE OF THE INFINITIVE AND THE GERUND

I.       The Infinitive

A.      Use the infinitive after impersonal expressions:

          It's + adjective or adjective/noun

(Ex.) It's important to recycle trash.

         It's a good idea to see movies in English.

B.      Use the infinitive after too + adj.

(Ex.) This water is too cold to swim in.

They are too young to ride their bikes to school.

If there is a personal indirect object, express it after the preposition "for" before the infinitive.

(Ex.)  This lake is too wide for me to swim across.

This problem was too difficult for us to solve.

C.   Use the infinitive after the following verbs, which in

    general express some kind of intention or purpose

    afford                             forget                                 prefer

    agree                              hope                                   pretend

    ask                                 intend                                 promise

    attempt                           learn                                   refuse

    beg                                 manage                               remember

    can't wait                        mean                                  threaten

    claim                              need                                   try

    decide                            offer                                   want

    expect                            plan                                    would like

    fail

II.        THE USE OF THE GERUND

A.      Use the gerund as the subject of a sentence.

(Ex.)  Recycling trash is important.

Living in a big city can be stressful.

B.      Use the gerund as a predicate nominative (a complement of

the verb "be" or verbs with a similar meaning, like “mean”)  

(Ex.) Happiness is knowing you have good friends.

            Love means never having to say "I'm sorry."

C.  Use the gerund after all prepositions and all adjective/preposition and verb/preposition combinations.

(Ex.) before eating, without talking,(to be) tired of            studying, good at drawing, excited about going, to think about going, to insist en staying, to talk about traveling, etc.

D.  Use the gerund after the following verbs, which are divided into four basic categories:

1.       Verbs of liking and disliking

appreciate                      dislike                                              like*

avoid                             enjoy                                               love*

can't stand                     feel like                                           (don't) mind

detest                             hate*                                                prefer*

* These verbs can be followed by either the gerund or the infinitive.

 2.  Verbs of stopping, starting and continuing                                                                                           

                        begin*                                         keep (on)                       quit

                        continue*                                    practice                          start*

                        finish                                           postpone                        stop

                        give up                                        put off

*These verbs can also be followed by either the gerund or the infinitive.

3. Verbs of recommending

consider     recommend     risk      suggest

              try    (when it means "probar" but not when it means "intentar")

    (Ex.)You should consider taking this course.

   I recommend reading this book.

         He suggested buying a new car.

         Try washing your clothes with this detergent!

4.  Verbs that express an action which is subsequent in time

    (happens after) the action of the verb that follows.

(Ex.)  He admitted/confessed (to)/ denied  killing his wife.

(First he killed his wife.  Then admitted, confessed  or  denied doing it.)

    I miss seeing your face. (I saw your face in the past.  Now I miss it.)

 I regret not studying more when I was in high school. (I didn’t study enough in the past. Now I regret it.)

  

* The verb remember can be followed by either the gerund or the infinitive.  It depends on whether or          not the action of the following verb occurs before or after the act of remembering.

Examples: He remembers hearing someone enter.

First, he heard someone enter.  Later, he remembers it.

But: "Children remember to brush your teeth after meals.

(They must remember first in order to do it.)

I remembered to turn off the gas before I left.

(First I remembered and after that, I turned off the gas.)

D Use the gerund after the following expressions:

can't help   have trouble    it's no use   it's (not) worth

Examples: I can't help falling in love with you.

               I had trouble understanding this.

It's no use complaining.

It's not worth worrying about.