- A gerund is the -ing form of a verb used as a noun: Swimming is relaxing.
- An infinitive is the base form of a verb with "to": I want to swim.
- Some verbs always take a gerund, some always take an infinitive, and some take both — with or without a meaning change.
- After prepositions, always use the gerund, never the infinitive.
- Learning the most common verb + gerund/infinitive patterns is more efficient than memorising rules.
Gerunds and infinitives are one of the most frequently tested areas of English grammar for good reason — the rules are numerous, the exceptions are real, and even advanced learners make errors. Native English speakers acquire the patterns unconsciously through thousands of hours of exposure; non-native speakers must learn the patterns explicitly. The good news is that the system is learnable, and once you understand the key principles and memorise the most common verb patterns, accuracy improves dramatically.
This guide takes a practical approach: rather than listing every possible rule, it focuses on the patterns that appear most frequently in everyday English writing and speech, with clear examples and explanations of the meaning differences that matter most.
1. What Are Gerunds?
A gerund is the -ing form of a verb used as a noun. Because it functions as a noun, it can occupy noun positions in a sentence: as a subject, an object, or after a preposition.
- Subject: Running is good exercise. / Cooking is my favourite hobby.
- Object: I enjoy reading. / She avoided mentioning the problem.
- After a preposition: I am interested in learning. / She left without saying goodbye.
- After a possessive: I appreciate your helping me. (formal)
After any preposition, you must always use the gerund, never the to-infinitive. This applies to: good at doing, interested in going, think about moving, without saying, before leaving, after arriving. This rule has no exceptions.
2. What Are Infinitives?
An infinitive is to + the base form of the verb: to go, to eat, to understand. Infinitives can function as nouns, adjectives, or adverbs, making them versatile but sometimes confusing.
- As noun (subject): To err is human. (formal / literary)
- As noun (object): She wants to travel. / He decided to leave.
- As adjective: I need something to eat. / She has a report to write.
- As adverb (purpose): I went to the shop to buy milk. (= in order to buy)
The bare infinitive (without "to") is used after modal verbs (can, could, must, should, will, would, might, may) and after certain verbs like let, make, help in active voice: Let me help. Make him stop. She helped carry the boxes.
3. Verbs Followed by a Gerund
These verbs must be followed by the -ing gerund form when they precede another verb. Learning these as fixed patterns is the most efficient strategy.
| Verb + gerund | Example |
|---|---|
| admit | He admitted taking the money. |
| avoid | Try to avoid making eye contact. |
| consider | Are you considering moving abroad? |
| deny | She denied knowing him. |
| enjoy | I enjoy cooking at weekends. |
| finish | Have you finished writing the report? |
| keep | Keep practising every day. |
| mind | Do you mind waiting outside? |
| miss | I miss living near the sea. |
| suggest | She suggested taking a different route. |
4. Verbs Followed by an Infinitive
These common verbs take the to-infinitive when followed by another verb:
| Verb + infinitive | Example |
|---|---|
| afford | I can't afford to buy a new laptop. |
| agree | They agreed to meet at noon. |
| decide | She decided to study medicine. |
| expect | I expect to finish by Friday. |
| hope | We hope to visit you soon. |
| manage | Did you manage to fix the problem? |
| offer | He offered to help with the move. |
| plan | We are planning to renovate the kitchen. |
| refuse | She refused to sign the contract. |
| want | I want to learn Portuguese. |
5. Verbs Taking Both — Same Meaning
Some verbs can be followed by either a gerund or an infinitive with no significant difference in meaning. With these verbs, both forms are correct:
- begin / start: It started raining / started to rain.
- continue: She continued reading / continued to read.
- hate / love / like / prefer: I love cooking / love to cook. (In British English, a subtle difference exists: the infinitive may suggest a more specific preference in a given moment.)
- intend: I intend leaving / intend to leave early.
6. Verbs Taking Both — Different Meaning
These verbs change meaning depending on whether a gerund or infinitive follows them. These meaning differences are among the most important — and most tested — aspects of English grammar at B2-C1 level.
remember / forget
- Gerund = an action in the past (you are remembering / forgetting something that already happened):
I remember meeting him before. (= I have a memory of that meeting)
I'll never forget seeing the Northern Lights. - Infinitive = a task in the future (you remember / forget to do something you need to do):
Remember to lock the door. (= don't forget this task)
I forgot to call her. (= I didn't make the call)
stop
- Gerund = the action itself stops: She stopped smoking. (= she no longer smokes)
- Infinitive = stopping in order to do something else: She stopped to smoke. (= she paused what she was doing in order to have a cigarette)
try
- Gerund = experiment with a possible solution: Try adding more salt. (= experiment — maybe that will help)
- Infinitive = make an effort, attempt: I tried to open the jar but couldn't.
7. Special Patterns and Practical Tips
Verb + Object + Infinitive
Many verbs that take an infinitive also take an object before the infinitive: ask/tell/want/invite/encourage/allow/expect + someone + to do. For example: She asked me to help. He told them to leave. They want us to decide.
It + be + adjective + infinitive
A very common English pattern uses the infinitive after adjectives: It is important to practise regularly. It was difficult to understand his accent. It would be great to meet you. The gerund version (Practising regularly is important) is also correct but sounds more formal and is less common in everyday speech.
Go + gerund for activities
In English, "go + gerund" describes leisure and sporting activities: go swimming, go shopping, go hiking, go skiing, go fishing, go dancing. This structure is fixed — you cannot say "go to swim" in this context.
Practise Gerunds and Infinitives
Test your knowledge with LexFizz interactive grammar exercises designed for B1-C1 learners.
Start Practising →Frequently Asked Questions
What is the easiest way to remember whether to use a gerund or infinitive?
The most practical strategy is to learn common verbs in groups: verbs that take gerunds (enjoy, avoid, finish, mind, suggest, consider, keep, miss, deny, admit) and verbs that take infinitives (want, decide, hope, plan, agree, refuse, manage, offer, expect, afford). Rather than trying to learn abstract rules, practise using these verbs in example sentences until the pattern feels natural. Exposure through reading and listening also builds intuition gradually. For the verbs that change meaning (remember, forget, stop, try), learning the meaning difference directly is the most efficient approach.
Is "I enjoy to play football" correct English?
No — this is a very common error. "Enjoy" always takes the gerund, never the infinitive. The correct form is "I enjoy playing football." The same applies to the related verbs like, love, hate, and prefer, though these can take either form (with a slight meaning nuance in formal British English). The error "I enjoy to play" is heard frequently from speakers of languages where the infinitive is the standard complement form, including Spanish, French, Italian, and many other European languages. This is one of the high-frequency patterns worth drilling with vocabulary practice exercises.
What is the difference between "I stopped smoking" and "I stopped to smoke"?
"I stopped smoking" means I no longer smoke — the act of smoking has ceased. "I stopped to smoke" means I paused whatever I was doing in order to have a cigarette — smoking is the reason for stopping. The gerund describes the activity that ended; the infinitive describes the purpose of stopping. This is one of the clearest examples of how gerund versus infinitive creates a genuine meaning difference. A similar pattern applies to "remember": "I remembered locking the door" (I have a memory of doing it) versus "I remembered to lock the door" (I didn't forget to do it).
Why do prepositions always take gerunds in English?
Prepositions in English require a noun or noun phrase to follow them, and the gerund is the verb form that functions as a noun. Since the to-infinitive is not a noun, it cannot follow a preposition. This explains patterns like: "interested in learning" (not "interested in to learn"), "good at speaking" (not "good at to speak"), "before leaving" (not "before to leave"), "without saying" (not "without to say"), "look forward to meeting" (not "look forward to meet"). Note that "look forward to" contains the preposition "to" — which means the following verb must be the gerund, NOT the infinitive: "I look forward to hearing from you" (not "to hear").
How do I use "like," "love," and "hate" with gerunds and infinitives?
Like, love, and hate can be followed by either a gerund or an infinitive in most everyday English contexts. "I love cooking" and "I love to cook" are both correct and broadly equivalent. However, in British English a subtle distinction exists: the infinitive after like/love/hate can suggest a specific preference or choice in a particular situation, while the gerund suggests a general enjoyment. "I like to get up early on Sundays" (I tend to do this / I choose to do this) vs "I like getting up early" (I enjoy this in general). In American English, this distinction is largely ignored and both forms are used interchangeably. In conditional structures, British English strongly prefers the infinitive: "I would love to go" (not "I would love going").
What is the difference between "try to do" and "try doing" in English?
"Try + infinitive" means to make an effort or attempt, often implying difficulty: "I tried to open the window but it was stuck." The attempt may or may not succeed. "Try + gerund" means to experiment with an action as a possible solution: "Have you tried turning it off and on again?" The gerund form suggests the action is a strategy worth testing. Instructors and advisers typically use the gerund form when suggesting possible solutions: "Try taking a different route," "Try adding less salt," "Try speaking more slowly." The infinitive form is used when describing an attempt: "I tried to explain but she wouldn't listen."
What does "I regret to inform you" mean, and how is it different from "I regret telling you"?
"I regret to inform you" uses the infinitive and refers to a present or future action — it is a formal phrase meaning "I am sorry to tell you this (now)." It is followed by bad news: "I regret to inform you that your application has been unsuccessful." "I regret telling you" uses the gerund and refers to something in the past — it means "I am sorry that I told you (previously)." This past-vs-future distinction follows the same logic as "remember" and "forget": gerund = past action, infinitive = current or future action. The regret + infinitive pattern is almost exclusively used in formal written English, particularly in business and official correspondence.
Can a gerund be used as the subject of a sentence?
Yes — using a gerund as the subject is one of the most natural ways to start a sentence in English. Examples: "Swimming is excellent exercise." "Learning a language takes time and effort." "Making mistakes is a natural part of learning." The gerund subject is common in both formal and informal English. An alternative is to use the structure "It + be + adjective + infinitive": "It is excellent exercise to swim." "It takes time and effort to learn a language." Both structures are correct, but the gerund subject is often more direct and emphatic. In academic writing, infinitive subjects can sound slightly more formal.
What is the "perfect gerund" and when do I use it?
The perfect gerund is formed with "having + past participle": "having done," "having seen," "having eaten." It is used when the gerund action occurred before the action of the main verb. "Having finished the report, she went home" (the finishing happened first). "He denied having taken the money" (the taking supposedly happened before the denial). The perfect gerund is more common in formal writing than in everyday speech. In conversation, the simple gerund is often used even when referring to a prior action: "He denied taking the money." Both forms are grammatically acceptable, but the perfect gerund makes the time sequence explicit.
How do modal verbs affect the choice between gerund and infinitive?
Modal verbs (can, could, must, should, will, would, might, may, shall) are always followed by the bare infinitive — the base form without "to." This overrides the gerund/infinitive question entirely. You say "I can swim" (not "I can to swim" or "I can swimming"), "She should leave" (not "She should to leave"), "They must be careful." After modal phrases like "ought to" the same rule applies: "ought to go." Modals that combine with "have" take "have + past participle": "She should have called." Understanding modals is closely connected to understanding infinitives, and both are covered in detail in the LexFizz grammar section.