Gerunds and Infinitives: A Practical Guide

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Many English learners know that some verbs are followed by a gerund, while others are followed by an infinitive. A gerund is the -ing form used as a noun: reading, swimming, waiting. An infinitive is 'to' plus a base verb: to read, to swim, to wait. The challenge is remembering which pattern each verb takes. Fortunately, common patterns can be learned with practice.

Some verbs usually take a gerund: enjoy, finish, avoid, suggest, mind, and practice. For example, 'I enjoy reading before bed.' 'She finished writing the report.' 'They avoided answering the question.' Other verbs usually take an infinitive: decide, hope, plan, want, need, and promise. For example, 'He decided to leave early.' 'We hope to see you soon.' 'She promised to help.' A few verbs can take both forms with little or no change in meaning, such as begin, start, like, and love: 'It began to rain' and 'It began raining' are both correct.

However, certain verbs change meaning depending on the form. 'Remember to lock the door' means you should not forget to do it. 'Remember locking the door' means you have a memory of doing it. 'He stopped smoking' means he no longer smokes. 'He stopped to smoke' means he paused in order to smoke. 'Try calling her' suggests an experiment; 'try to call her' suggests effort. To master these patterns, read example sentences aloud, group verbs by pattern, and write your own examples. With regular practice, the choice becomes natural.