This article is part of our English Grammar Learning Hub — explore tenses, verb forms, clauses, and more.
Choosing between a gerund and an infinitive is one of the trickiest challenges for English learners at B1 level and beyond. There is no single universal rule — instead, the choice depends on the main verb, the context, and sometimes the meaning you want to express. This guide breaks everything down into clear, manageable categories so you can make the right choice with confidence.
What Are Gerunds?
A gerund is the -ing form of a verb used as a noun. It can function as the subject of a sentence, as an object, or as the complement of a preposition.
- Subject: Swimming is excellent exercise.
- Object: She loves cooking Italian food.
- After a preposition: He is good at remembering names.
Because a gerund functions as a noun, it can be modified by a possessive pronoun: I appreciate your helping me (formal) or I appreciate you helping me (informal).
Gerunds are especially common when talking about activities in general, ongoing habits, or things completed in the past. They give speech a slightly more descriptive, vivid quality compared to infinitives.
What Are Infinitives?
An infinitive is the base form of the verb, usually preceded by to: to run, to eat, to decide. It can function as a subject, an object, or an adverbial phrase expressing purpose.
- Subject: To learn a new language takes patience.
- Object: They decided to leave early.
- Purpose: She went to the library to study.
Infinitives frequently appear in contexts involving future plans, intentions, possibilities, and hypothetical situations. They tend to feel more forward-looking than gerunds.
There is also the bare infinitive — the base form without to — used after modal verbs (can, will, must, should) and after verbs of perception followed by an object: I heard him leave.
Verbs Followed by a Gerund
Some verbs must be followed by a gerund. Learning these verbs as a group is the fastest way to build reliable habits. Practice them in our free grammar exercises.
- enjoy
- avoid
- finish
- consider
- suggest
- practise
- admit
- deny
- imagine
- keep
- miss
- risk
- quit
- postpone
- delay
- mind
- can't help
- can't stand
Examples:
- I enjoy reading before bed. (not: enjoy to read)
- She avoids making eye contact when nervous.
- Have you finished writing your essay?
- He admitted taking the last biscuit.
Think of gerund verbs as describing activities that are real, concrete, or already happening. Enjoyment, avoidance, and completion all relate to tangible actions.
Verbs Followed by an Infinitive
Other verbs must be followed by a to-infinitive. These typically involve decisions, plans, wishes, and mental states relating to the future.
- want
- need
- hope
- plan
- decide
- promise
- agree
- refuse
- offer
- manage
- expect
- intend
- fail
- learn
- choose
- pretend
- seem
- tend
Examples:
- She wants to travel to Japan next year.
- They agreed to meet at noon.
- He failed to submit his assignment on time.
- I managed to find a parking space.
Some verbs in this group require an object before the infinitive: ask, tell, encourage, remind, warn, invite, allow, force, teach. For example: She told him to wait outside.
Test yourself with our interactive grammar quiz to see how quickly you can identify the correct form.
Verbs That Take Both Forms
A number of very common verbs can be followed by either a gerund or an infinitive. In many cases, the meaning is the same or very similar.
| Verb | + Gerund | + Infinitive |
|---|---|---|
| like | I like swimming. | I like to swim. |
| love | She loves cooking. | She loves to cook. |
| hate | He hates waiting. | He hates to wait. |
| start | It started raining. | It started to rain. |
| continue | They continued talking. | They continued to talk. |
| begin | She began singing. | She began to sing. |
When using a stative verb or when the main verb is in a continuous form, the infinitive is usually preferred: I was starting to feel tired (not: starting feeling).
When the Meaning Changes
With some verbs, the choice between gerund and infinitive completely changes the meaning. These are the pairs that most frequently appear in grammar tests and need special attention.
Remember
- remember + gerund = recall a past event: I remember locking the door. (I have a memory of doing it.)
- remember + infinitive = not forget to do something: Remember to lock the door. (Don't forget.)
Stop
- stop + gerund = quit an activity: He stopped smoking.
- stop + infinitive = pause in order to do something else: He stopped to smoke. (He paused what he was doing in order to have a cigarette.)
Try
- try + gerund = experiment with something to see if it works: Try adding more salt.
- try + infinitive = make an effort to do something difficult: She tried to open the window.
Forget and Regret
- I forgot meeting her. (I have no memory of it.) vs I forgot to meet her. (I didn't meet her because I forgot.)
- I regret saying that. (I'm sorry I said it.) vs I regret to say that... (I'm sorry to inform you — formal.)
For remember, forget, regret, stop: the gerund looks back (past action), while the infinitive looks forward (future action or purpose).
Gerunds After Prepositions
Whenever a verb form follows a preposition, it must be a gerund — never a to-infinitive. This is one rule with no exceptions.
- She is interested in learning Arabic.
- He apologised for being late.
- I'm looking forward to seeing you. (to here is a preposition, not part of the infinitive)
- They succeeded in finishing on time.
- Are you good at remembering faces?
The phrase look forward to catches many learners off guard because to looks like an infinitive marker. It is not — it is a preposition, so the gerund always follows.
Deepen your understanding of verb patterns by exploring our grammar practice section and the grammar quiz.
- Gerunds (-ing form) act as nouns; infinitives (to + base) express intentions, plans, or possibilities.
- Verbs like enjoy, avoid, finish, practise are always followed by a gerund.
- Verbs like want, decide, promise, manage are always followed by an infinitive.
- Verbs like like, love, start, begin can take either form with little meaning change.
- Remember, stop, try, forget, regret change meaning depending on which form follows.
- A gerund always follows a preposition — never a to-infinitive.
- The phrase look forward to uses a preposition, so it takes a gerund: looking forward to seeing.
Ready to test yourself?
Put gerunds and infinitives into practice with our free interactive exercises.
Start Practising NowFrequently Asked Questions
A gerund is the -ing form of a verb used as a noun (e.g. Swimming is fun). An infinitive is the base form preceded by 'to' (e.g. I want to swim). Both can act as subjects or objects, but different verbs require one form or the other.
Common verbs followed by a gerund include: enjoy, avoid, finish, consider, suggest, practise, admit, deny, imagine, and keep. Example: She enjoys reading every evening.
Common verbs followed by an infinitive include: want, need, hope, plan, decide, promise, agree, refuse, offer, and manage. Example: He decided to leave early.
Yes. Verbs like like, love, hate, start, begin, and continue can be followed by either form with little or no change in meaning. However, remember and stop change meaning depending on which form follows.
Yes. Remember doing refers to a memory of a past action (I remember meeting her). Remember to do means not to forget a future task (Remember to call her).
Stop doing means to quit an activity (He stopped smoking). Stop to do means to pause in order to do something else (He stopped to buy a coffee).
A gerund is used as the subject when talking about activities in general: Running every morning improves your health. Using an infinitive as subject is grammatically correct but more formal and less common.
A bare infinitive is the base form of a verb without 'to'. It is used after modal verbs (can, will, should, must) and after verbs of perception with an object (I saw him leave). It is also used after make and let.
Yes — a gerund must follow a preposition without exception. Examples: I am good at cooking. She is interested in learning Spanish. He apologised for being late. Never use a to-infinitive directly after a preposition.
LexFizz offers free interactive grammar exercises including gap-fill and multiple-choice activities that focus on verb patterns with gerunds and infinitives. Regular practice with real examples is the fastest way to build accurate habits.