Gerunds vs Infinitives

Mastering the choice between gerunds (the -ing form of a verb functioning as a noun) and infinitives (the to + base verb form) is a hallmark of advanced English fluency. While native speakers absorb these patterns naturally, learners must navigate a seemingly irregular set of rules. This distinction isn't just grammatical trivia; using the wrong form can make your speech sound awkward, confuse your listener, or even change the meaning of your sentence entirely. By understanding the patterns and exceptions, you can communicate with greater precision and confidence.

Defining the Forms and Their Core Functions

Before diving into which verbs govern which forms, you must understand what these structures are. A gerund is created by adding -ing to the base verb (e.g., running, thinking, discussing). It acts as a noun in a sentence. You can use it as a subject ("Swimming is fun"), an object ("I enjoy swimming"), or after a preposition ("I am tired of swimming").

An infinitive is the base form of a verb preceded by to (e.g., to run, to think, to discuss). It can also function as a noun, taking the role of a subject ("To err is human") or an object ("I want to leave"). However, the infinitive often carries a sense of potential, intention, or future action, whereas the gerund often feels more like an activity or real experience. This subtle difference in feeling underpins many of the rules that follow.

Verbs Followed Only by Gerunds

Certain verbs are almost always followed directly by a gerund. These often describe activities that are experienced, avoided, or considered. A reliable way to remember many of these is with the acronym "MISS DARPOMA" or similar devices, which represent common verbs in this category.

• Mind, Miss: Would you mind helping me?
• Involve: The job involves writing reports.
• Suggest, Stop: She suggested leaving early.
• Delay, Deny: He denied taking the money.
• Avoid: Try to avoid making noise.
• Risk, Recommend: I recommend seeing a doctor.
• Practice, Postpone: You need to practice speaking.
• Only followed by -ing (a placeholder for others like enjoy, finish, consider): Did you enjoy watching the film?
• Mention, Admit: He admitted cheating on the test.

Other crucial verbs in this category include appreciate, can't stand, dislike, imagine, and resist. The pattern is simple: verb + gerund. There is no to before the -ing form.

Verbs Followed Only by Infinitives

Another group of verbs consistently demands an infinitive. These frequently relate to wishes, plans, demands, or attempts.

• Agree, Afford, Appear: We agreed to meet at six.
• Decide, Demand: She decided to apply for the job.
• Hope, Hesitate: Don't hesitate to ask questions.
• Intend, Learn: I intend to finish this today.
• Manage, Mean (intend): He managed to fix the car.
• Offer, Plan: They offered to help us move.
• Pretend, Promise: She promised to call.
• Refuse, Seem: He refused to answer.
• Threaten, Want, Would like: I would like to go now.

Verbs like expect, need, prepare, and wait also belong here. The structure is verb + to + base verb.

Verbs That Can Take Both (With and Without Meaning Change)

This is where precision becomes critical. Several common verbs can be followed by either a gerund or an infinitive, sometimes with a drastic change in meaning. You must memorize these key pairs.

Remember, Forget, Regret

• With a gerund, these refer to a memory or feeling about a past action.
• "I remember closing the door." (I have a memory of performing the action.)
• "I regret telling him the secret." (I am sorry now about what I did in the past.)
• With an infinitive, they refer to something that happens after the main verb.
• "Remember to close the door." (Don't forget to perform this future action.)
• "I regret to inform you that your application was denied." (I am sorry about what I am about to say.)

Try

• "Try + gerund" means to experiment with a method to solve a problem.
• "My back hurts. I tried sleeping on the floor." (This was my experimental solution.)
• "Try + infinitive" means to make an effort or attempt, often with difficulty.
• "I tried to sleep, but the noise was too loud." (I made an effort to fall asleep.)

Stop

• "Stop + gerund" means to quit an activity.
• "He stopped smoking." (He quit the habit of smoking.)
• "Stop + infinitive" means to pause one activity in order to do another.
• "He stopped to smoke." (He paused his journey or task in order to have a cigarette.)

Other verbs, like like, love, hate, and prefer, can take both forms with little difference in meaning ("I love cooking" / "I love to cook"). However, the gerund often suggests a general enjoyment, while the infinitive can hint at a specific preference or habit.

Position Rules: Gerunds and Infinitives as Subjects and Objects

Beyond following verbs, gerunds and infinitives have specific roles in sentence structure. As mentioned, both can act as the subject of a sentence. Gerunds are more common as subjects in everyday English ("Finding a parking spot is difficult"). Infinitive subjects often sound more formal or philosophical ("To find happiness is the goal of life").

As objects, they follow the verb rules already outlined. However, remember that if the verb requires a direct object and then an infinitive, you often need the structure: verb + object + infinitive.

• "She asked me to leave." (Not "She asked to leave me," which changes the meaning.)
• "I advised him to study." (Not "I advised to study him.")

Common verbs in this pattern include advise, allow, ask, encourage, invite, order, persuade, remind, tell, warn, and want.

Common Pitfalls

1. Using an infinitive directly after a preposition: Prepositions (of, about, for, with, etc.) are always followed by a gerund, never a bare infinitive.

• Incorrect: I am excited about to go on vacation.
• Correct: I am excited about going on vacation.

1. Using a gerund after modal verbs: Modal verbs (can, could, will, would, should, must, might) are always followed by the base verb without to.

• Incorrect: You must studying harder.
• Correct: You must study harder.

1. Confusing the object + infinitive structure: Forgetting to include the object pronoun or noun can create nonsense sentences.

• Incorrect: She told to call later.
• Correct: She told me to call later.

1. Misusing "need": When "need" expresses necessity with a passive meaning, it can be followed by either a gerund or a passive infinitive.

• Correct: The car needs washing. (Gerund, active form, passive meaning)
• Also Correct: The car needs to be washed. (Passive infinitive)
• Incorrect: The car needs washing by someone. (Don't add an agent.)

Summary

• A gerund (-ing form) functions as a noun and typically follows verbs that describe experiences or activities (e.g., enjoy, avoid, suggest).
• An infinitive (to + verb) also functions as a noun but often implies intention or future action, following verbs related to decisions, plans, or desires (e.g., want, decide, promise).
• Key verbs like remember, stop, and try change meaning depending on whether they are followed by a gerund (relating to past/activity) or an infinitive (relating to future/effort).
• Prepositions can only be followed by gerunds, and modal verbs are never followed by to or a gerund.
• Pay close attention to verbs that require an object before the infinitive (e.g., tell, advise, invite).