GERUNDS AND INFINITIVES

-ING OR INFINITIVES?
1. ING forms are often used in similar ways to infinitives.
2. There is no easy way to decide which verbs are by
infinitives, and which are followed by-ing forms.
3. Verbs that can be followed by ing forms (gerund), but not
normally an infinitive:
* Admit
* Appreciate
* Avoid
* Burst out

* consider

* detest

* contemplate
* delay
* deny

* dislike

* endure
* enjoy

* Escape * keep (on)

* (Cant) stand

* Excuse * Leave off

* Suggest

* Face
* Fancy

* Mention * Understand
* Mind

* Feel like* Miss

* Finish

* Postpone

* Forgive * Practise
* Give up * Put off
* (Cant) help

* Resent

* Imagine

* Resist

* Involve * Risk

Verb + object + -ing form

Some of the verbs listed above can be followed by: object +
-ing form ; i.e. I cant imagine him working in an office.
Stop (in an informal style) and prevent are often followed
by: object + from + -ing: Try to stop/prevent them (from)
finding out
-ING form with passive meaning
After deserve, need and require, the ing form has a
passive sense; I dont think his article deserves reading (=
deserves to be read)

-ING FORM OR INFINITIVE

After some verbs, either an ing form or an infinitive can be used.
These include:
Advise

Go Go on

Stop

Allow Hate Hear Try

Cant bear

Intend Like

Watch

BeginLove Permit
Continue Prefer Propose
Forbid

Regret

Forget

See

Remember

Start

-ING FORMS OR INFINITIVES

With some of these verbs there is a difference in meaning:
1. REMEMBER & FORGET:
- Remember / forget + -ing form looks back at the present, at
things that one did: I still remember buying my bike.
-Remember / forget + to infinitive looks forward in time, at
things that one still has or still had at the moment of
remembering or forgetting: You must remember to fetch Lewis
from the station tomorrow.

2. GO ON
Go on + -ing form: means continue: She went on talking about
her illness until we all went to sleep.
Go on + infinitive refers to a change of activity: she stopped
talking about that and went on to describe her other problems.
3. REGRET
Regret + -ing form looks back at the past at something that
one is sorry that one did: I regret leaving school at 14 it was a
big mistake.
Regret + infinitive is used mostly in announcements of bad
news: We regret to say that we are unable to help you.

4. ADVISE, ALLOW, PERMIT & FORBID

- In active clauses after these verbs, we can use an ing form
if there is no object. If there is an object we use an
infinitive.
Examples:

I wouldnt advise taking the car / I wouldnt advise you to

take the car

We dont allow /permit smoking in the lecture room. / We

dont allow / permit people to smoke in the lecture room.
The headmistress has forbidden singing in the corridors. /
The heamistress has forbidden children to sing.

5. SEE, WATCH & HEAR

The difference between object + -ing form and object + to
infinitive is like the difference between progressive and simple
tenses.
With ing forms the verbs suggest that one pays attention to
events or actions that are already going on.
Infinitives usually refer to complete events/ actions which are
seen/ Heard from beginning to end.
* These verbs are followed by the infinitive without to.
I looked out of the window and saw Mary crossing the road.
I saw Mary cross the road and disappear into the post office.
As I passed his house I heard him practising the piano.
I once heard Brendel play all the Beethoven concertos.

6. TRY
Try + -ing: to talk about making an experiment doing
something: I tried sending her flowers, writing her letters,
giving her presents, but she still wouldnt speak to me.
Try + infinitive / try + -ing: to talk about making an effort to do
something difficult: I tried to change the Wheel, but my hands
were too cold or I tried changing the wheel.

7. MEAN
Mean in the sense of involve, have as a result can be followed
by ing form: If you want to pass the exam it will mean studying
hard.
Mean in the sense of intend, mean is followed by an infinitive: I
dont think she means to get married for the moment.
8. LEARN & TEACH
These verbs are followed by ing forms mostly when we are
referring to lessons or subjects to study: she goes to college
twice a week to learn typing.
Infinitives are preferred when we talk about the result of the
study about successfully learning a skill: she learnt to read
German at school, but she learnt to speak it in Germany.

9. LIKE, LOVE, HATE & PREFER

After these verbs, both infinitives and ing forms can often be
used without a great difference of meaning: I hate working / to
work at weekends.
Like + infinitive is used to talk about choices and habits.
- I like climbing/ to climb mountains ( I enjoy climbing)
- When I pour tea I like to put the milk in first ( I choose to, its
my habit).
After: would like, would love, would prefer, would hate;
infinitives are more often used: I would like to tell you
something.

10. BEGIN & START

Both verbs can be followed by infinitives or ing forms: she
began playing/ to play the guitar when she was six.
After progressive forms of begin and start, infinitives are
preferred: Im beginning to learn Karate.
Infinitives are also preferred with: understand, realice and know
I began to undertand..
He started to realice that
11. ATTEMPT, INTEND, CONTINUE, CANT BEAR, BE
ACCUSTOMED TO, BE COMMITTED TO
After these words and expressions we can generally use either
an ing form or an infinitive without much difference of
meaning.

12. STOP
Some verbs that are followed by ing forms can also be
followed by an infinitive of purpose. Stop is an example.
- I stopped running
- I stopped to rest (in order to rest)