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Gerund or Infinitive – English Verb Patterns

Infinitive or gerund.

• Lingolia Plus English

Introduction

Verb patterns in English grammar tell us whether to use the infinitive or the gerund after certain words. The infinitive is the basic form of the verb. Depending on the verb, adjective or noun it follows, we can use the infinitive with or without to e.g. (to) be, (to) have, (to) do . The gerund is the -ing form of a verb. It acts as a noun in a sentence and follows certain verbs, prepositions and adjectives.

Learn when to use the gerund and when to use the infinitive in English grammar with Lingolia’s grammar lesson. Then, practise verb patterns in English grammar with our interactive exercises.

The infinitive is the basic form of the verb. We use the infinitive:

• after certain adjectives Example: It was impossible to go back.
• after certain nouns Example: There was no need to get angry.
• after certain expressions Example: I would rather stay at home.
• after certain verbs (with or without an object) Example: We might stay at home.
• after certain verbs + question words Example: We didn’t remember where to meet .

to express purpose or to answer the question why...?

List of words followed by the infinitive

The infinitive follows certain adjectives, nouns, verbs and expressions either with or without “to”. Click on the links below to see a list of words followed by the infinitive.

List of adjective followed by the infinitive with “to”

List of nouns followed by the infinitive with “to”

List of verbs followed by the infinitive without “to”

List of verbs followed by the infinitive with “to”

List of verbs + object followed by the infinitive without and without “to”

List of verbs + question word followed by the infinitive without “to”

List of expressions followed by the infinitive without “to”

The gerund is also called the ing -form of a verb and is conjugated in the same way as the present participle . We use the gerund:

• as the subject of a sentence Example: Cycling is good for your health.
• after certain prepositions Example: Instead of studying for her exams, she went out every night.
• after certain adjectives with a preposition Example: I am interested in visiting the museum.
• after certain nouns with or without a preposition Example: There’s no point in waiting any longer.
• after certain verbs with or without a preposition Example: I enjoy cooking.

List of words followed by the gerund

The gerund is used after certain prepositions, adjectives + prepositions, nouns, verbs and verb + preposition patterns. Click on the the one of the links below to see a list of words followed by the gerund.

List of prepositions followed by the gerund

List of adjectives + preposition followed by the gerund

List of nouns followed by the gerund

List of verbs followed by the gerund

List of verbs + preposition followed by the gerund

Sometimes a word can be followed by either an infinitive or a gerund, but there is often a change in meaning.

No Change in Meaning

The following verbs can be followed by either the infinitive or the gerund without changing their meaning.

• cannot bear

Same Meaning, Different Usage

The meaning of the following words also remains unchanged. The only difference is that we use the infinitive in sentences with an object, and the gerund in sentences without an object.

Change in Meaning

We can use the infinitive or the gerund after the following verbs, but the meaning changes.

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Infinitives and Gerunds

Both infinitives ( to + verb ) and gerunds ( verb + -ing ) can function as nouns in sentences. Here are three ways they are used differently:

• The infinitive is more formal and literary than a gerund as the subject of a sentence ( To dream is easy ), while the gerund sounds more natural in everyday usage ( Dreaming is easy ).
• Some verbs can take only the infinitive as object ( I want to win ); some can take only the gerund ( I have finished eating ). Other verbs can be followed by infinitives and gerunds interchangeably ( I like to dance / dancing ).
• The gerund is generally used as the object of a preposition ( Thanks for coming ).

Infinitive vs. gerund as subject

Both infinitives and gerunds can function as the subject of a sentence, just like nouns. (The subject is whom or what the sentence is about.) The infinitive form ( to + verb ) sounds more formal and literary than the gerund ( verb + -ing ), which is seen more often in everyday usage.

• Infinitive: To travel is to broaden the mind. Gerund: Traveling broadens the mind.
• Infinitive: To see is to believe. Gerund: Seeing is believing.
• Infinitive: To be happy is a state of mind. Gerund: Being happy is a state of mind.

Here are some more examples from literature. Note the slightly solemn tone that the infinitive as subject lends to the sentence.

• To want is to have a weakness. — Margaret Atwood , The Handmaid’s Tale , 1985
• To attack the first is not to assail the last. — Charlotte Brontë , Jane Eyre , 1847
• To touch her face was that always new experience of opening your window one December morning . . . — Ray Bradbury , Dandelion Wine , 1957

Infinitive vs. gerund as object of verb

Infinitives and gerunds can be used interchangeably as the object of some verbs, such as start , begin , continue , love , like , prefer , hate . (The object is what usually follows the verb in a sentence and is affected by it.)

• Infinitive: Lulu started to sing . Gerund: Lulu started singing .
• Infinitive: Tumkin began to dance . Gerund: Tumkin began dancing .
• Infinitive: Anita continued to read . Gerund: Anita continued reading .
• Infinitive: Nesbit loves to tinker with technology. Gerund: Nesbit loves tinkering with technology.
• Infinitive: Maya likes to drink tea. Gerund: Maya likes drinking tea.
• Infinitive: Rita prefers to drink beer than to sip on tea. Gerund: Rita prefers drinking beer to sipping on tea.

However, with some verbs, an infinitive can act as an object, but a gerund cannot. These include want , intend , plan , hope , agree , need , promise , claim , hesitate , learn , wish , neglect , expect , and prepare .

• Farley wants finding / to find gold in the mountains.
• Poco intends firing / to fire all his employees today.
• Nesbit plans buying / to buy a new laptop next month.
• Tumkin hopes traveling / to travel to Fiji someday.
• Lulu agreed meeting / to meet me at the party.
• Anita needs adopting / to adopt another cat.
• Maya promised buying / to buy me an island for my birthday.

In contrast, gerunds but not infinitives can act as the object of certain verbs, such as suggest , recommend , discuss , consider , finish , mention , risk , avoid , keep , delay , deny , recall , and resist .

• Tumkin suggests punishing / to punish anyone who burns a book.
• Poco recommends buying / to buy a new house in another city.
• Anita and I discussed reorganizing / to reorganize the staff allocation.
• Would you consider hiring / to hire Rita for the job?
• Lulu has finished eating / to eat all the candy.
• Nesbit mentioned seeing / to see strange lights in the sky.
• Maya risks losing / to lose her reputation if she publishes this story.
• Farley narrowly avoided crashing / to crash his car into the wall.
• Poco keeps calling / to call me all day long.

Whether an infinitive or a gerund should be used as the object differs from one verb to another. When in doubt, refer to a learner’s dictionary (like Oxford or Britannica [ Merriam-Webster ]) that contains examples indicating whether to use the infinitive or the gerund with a verb.

Some verbs can mean different things when used with infinitives and with gerunds. Try and stop are two such verbs.

• With infinitive: I’ll try to complete the report by tomorrow, but I can’t promise you anything. try + infinitive = attempt to do something difficult With gerund: Have you ever tried drinking tea instead of coffee? try + gerund = experiment with something new
• With infinitive: We stopped to admire the view. stop + infinitive = cease moving With gerund: Stop talking ! stop + gerund = cease doing something With gerund: I have stopped drinking coffee in the morning. stop + gerund = abandon a habit

Infinitive vs. gerund as object of preposition

While gerunds can act as the object of a preposition ( in , on , of , from , for , into , etc.), infinitives usually cannot. (The object of a preposition is what follows it to form a prepositional phrase and is referenced or affected by the preposition.)

• Can someone stop Farley from acting / to act the fool?
• Poco is thinking of buying / to buy a new car.
• Thanks for inviting / to invite me to your party.

Prepositions that are exceptions are except and but , which take an infinitive instead of a gerund as object.

• Poco would not stop yelling except catching / to catch his breath.
• Farley had no choice but eating / to eat the deadly berries.

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The verb expect can take an infinitive as its object but not a gerund.

The verb deny can take a gerund as its object but not an infinitive.

The verb stop can take either an infinitive or a gerund as its object, depending on meaning.

The verb like can take either a gerund or an infinitive as its object without any change in meaning.

The object of most prepositions (such as about ) is a gerund, not an infinitive.

The word but is an exception. Unlike other prepositions, it takes an infinitive instead of a gerund as its object.

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When to Use Gerunds and Infinitives: 5 Simple Rules for English Learners

Gerunds and infinitives are very common in the English language.

But how do you know when to use an infinitive and when to use a gerund?

The five simple rules below are sure to help!

What Is an Infinitive? What Is a Gerund?

5 simple rules to master the use of gerunds and infinitives, rule 1: gerunds can be used as a subject of a sentence., rule 2: both gerunds and infinitives can be used as objects of a sentence., rule 3: infinitives should be used after many adjectives., rule 4: only infinitives are used after certain verbs followed by nouns or pronouns referring to a person., rule 5: only gerunds are used after prepositions (with one exception)., and one more thing....

Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)

An infinitive is the verb form that has “to” at the beginning. For example, “to do,” “to sleep,” “to love” and “to create.” It is the simplest verb form that you have to modify to fit into sentences.

For example, “She sleeps” no longer contains the infinitive of the verb “to sleep.” Instead, it has been conjugated into the simple present third person form of the verb “to sleep”: sleeps.

Infinitives are easy!

How about gerunds?

Gerunds are formed by adding “-ing” to the verb: “sleeping,” “drawing,” “swimming.” But they are not the “-ing” verb forms that you see in the present or past continuous tense . They look the same, but gerunds are actually verb forms used as nouns .

Let’s take the infinitive of the verb “to sleep” and use it in two different sentences:

I am sleeping .

This is the present continuous. “Sleeping” here is part of the verb. It is not a gerund. Here’s the second sentence:

I don’t like sleeping .

This is present simple , but it contains a gerund. “Sleeping” is the direct object of this sentence.

Now that you know the difference between infinitives and gerunds, let’s introduce the rules that will help you use both correctly.

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Take a look at some examples.

Walking is good for your health.

Making friends has become more difficult since I moved to a new city.

Becoming a millionaire is a dream of many young people today.

Here, the gerunds (in bold) are part of the sentence subjects (“walking,” “making friends,” “becoming a millionaire”). All three sentences sound like normal, everyday English.

Now read these two sentences:

“ To be or not to be—that is the question.”

“ To mourn a mischief that is past and gone is the next way to draw new mischief on.”

(Both sentences are quotes from William Shakespeare’s works.)

They sound formal, don’t they? They are poetic, aren’t they? Shakespeare is one of the greatest authors of all time, but his English is famously difficult to understand. And that’s because it is literature. It is formal and it is art.

In those two quotes, the infinitives “to be” and “to mourn” are used as the sentence subjects.

So, it is possible to use both infinitives and gerunds as subjects, but gerunds are much more commonly used as subjects. Just pay attention to how the choice reflects on the tone and meaning of your sentences.

You may say:

“I enjoy drawing .”

You may also say:

“Yesterday, I decided to draw .”

Both sentences are correct, but one has an infinitive as the object and the other has a gerund as the object.

What is the difference?

It’s the verbs that precede (come before) the object! Some verbs require a gerund and some will require an infinitive. In the above examples, we can see that the formula is “enjoy” + [gerund] and “decide” + [infinitive] .

With practice, you will be able to remember which one is which.

Here are a few examples of verbs that need to be followed by an infinitive:

• agree: I agreed to go to a party with my friend.
• decide:  The president decided not to participate in the discussions.
• deserve:  Everyone deserves to be respected.
• expect:  I expect to know my exam grade by tomorrow.
• hope:  We were hoping to avoid traffic by leaving early.
• learn:  He learned not to trust anyone.
• need:  She needs to learn how to cook.
• offer:  I offered to help my brother with homework.
• plan:  We are planning to watch a movie tonight.
• promise:  My friend promised to find the time to help me move.
• seem:  We seem to be lost.
• wait:  I cannot wait to see my family.
• want:  I don’t want to go to bed yet.

There are lots of verbs that require an infinitive after. You will learn them naturally, as you progress in your English studies.

And here are a few examples of verbs that need to be followed by a gerund:

• admit: They admitted changing the schedule.
• advise: I advise proceeding (moving forward) with caution.
• avoid: She avoided looking me in the eye.
• consider (think about) : I considered staying silent, but I had to tell her.
• deny:  I denied knowing about his secret.
• involve: The course involved writing three tests.
• mention (say something) : She mentioned seeing my brother at a baseball game.
• recommend: I recommend practicing gerunds and infinitives.
• risk: Don’t risk losing your job!
• suggest: I suggest reading more English short stories.

Here are three sample sentences that will help to illustrate this rule:

It is not easy to graduate from university.

It is necessary to speak English to work in a hotel .

It is wonderful to have close friends.

When you describe something with an adjective (underlined in the examples above), an infinitive should follow (in bold). Using gerunds here would be incorrect.

But remember! If you want to make that object into a subject (see Rule 1), a gerund should be used:

Graduating from university is not easy.

Speaking English is necessary to work in a hotel.

Having close friends is wonderful.

How else do you know if an adjective should be followed by an infinitive? The construct “ too + [adjective] ” is another way to tell!

For example:

This dress is too big to wear .

This car is too expensive to buy .

And the same is true about  “[adjective] + enough” :

My child is not tall enough to ride this rollercoaster.

The course was detailed enough to widen his knowledge base.

This rule is useful enough to understand the usage of infinitives!

“We asked her not to go.”

In this sentence, “we” is the subject, “asked” is the verb and “her” is the objective form of the pronoun “she.” You must use an infinitive (“to go”), never a gerund, after certain verbs followed by nouns or pronouns referring to people.

To remember this rule, you will have to study verbs that take an object and an infinitive in this context .

Start with these examples. The objects (nouns and pronouns) are underlined. Notice how the underlined objects are all followed by infinitives.

• ask:  Can I ask you to help me with something?
• expect: I never expected him to become famous.
• hire (give a job to someone) : Did the company hire  you   just to sit in your office?
• invite: I invited a friend to attend the ceremony.
• order: She ordered the child to stay at home.
• remind: Please remind me to wash the dishes.
• require: The test required him to concentrate fully.
• teach: That will teach you to follow the rules!
• tell: Who told you to come here?
• urge: They urged me to continue my research.
• warn: I am warning you not to do this!

Consider this sentence:

I talked him out of taking that job.

Here, the gerund “taking” follows the preposition “of.”

Prepositions can follow any word, be it a noun, a pronoun, a verb or an adjective. In the examples below, the prepositions are underlined, followed by the gerunds in bold.

A preposition that follows a noun:

Novels about growing up are popular among teenagers.

I have an interest in becoming a painter. 

A preposition that follows a pronoun:

I forgive you for not telling the truth.

A preposition that follows a verb:

She is thinking about trying martial arts. 

He looks forward to meeting his cousins.

A preposition that follows an adjective:

I am wary of going alone.

My mom is scared of   flying .

There is one exception. Thankfully, it should be easy to remember!

The exception

“But” is a short word that connects two clauses of a sentence together. It is called a conjunction. Sometimes, “but” can also play a role of a preposition. When “but” is used as a preposition, it is the same in meaning as “except.”

If “but” or “except” are used like this, they need to be followed by an infinitive:

I had no choice but to follow her. (I had to follow her.)

Mary made no stops on the way except   to get gas. (Mary only stopped to get gas.)

There is nothing left for me to do but to collect my money and go. (I only have to collect my money and go.)

You may not see “but” and “except” used this way often. Just follow the rule of gerunds after prepositions, and you will get it right most of the time!

Gerunds and infinitives may be confusing, but they make your English speech more varied and colorful. It is very useful to study them and practice using them correctly. The more you notice gerunds and infinitives in your study of the English language, the easier it will get!

Sometimes you will be unsure if you need to use an infinitive or a gerund in a sentence. In this situation, try changing the sentence and saying what you want to say in a different way.

Practicing is how you become more fluent. It is important to practice.

Happy studying!

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• Transcription

Gerunds and infinitives: the essentials

First, some definitions:

• They take direct objects, just like verbs so we can have, e.g.:     I enjoy reading detective novels where the gerund, reading , has a direct object, detective novels , just like many other verbs.
• We can also use an adverb to modify a gerund (not an adjective as would be the case if it were a pure noun) so we allow, for example:     I enjoy strolling aimlessly around the town where the word aimlessly is an adverb modifying the gerund strolling .
• They cannot take a a direct object so we do not allow, e.g.:     *The painting the village was beautiful because, although painting looks like a verb or a gerund, we cannot add the object to it because it is a noun.  This means it has to be treated as a noun and modified with a prepositional phrase as in:     The painting of the village was beautiful
• They are modified by adjectives, not adverbs so we do not allow, e.g.:     *The beautifully painting but need to use an adjective and have:     The beautiful painting
• They can be made plural as in e.g.:     There were lots of paintings of the village and we cannot to that with a gerund so we do not allow:     *I do a lot of walkings
• An infinitive Also simply put, an infinitive in English is the base form of the verb and it can also act as the object of another verb.  In the example above there are two infinitives: to try and to grow .  Infinitives in English can appear with and without to before them, so, for example:     I prefer to wait     She can go both contain infinitives.  In the first case we call it the to- infinitive and in the second, the bare infinitive. There is more on the use of the infinitive linked from the list of related guides at the end.

The issue in English is fourfold:

• In English, the bare infinitive takes the same form as the verb operating as a finite form.  For example, in both:     We work in London and     You should work harder the function of the verb work is indistinguishable by looking at its form.  In many languages that would not be the case because there would be an ending on the verb to show the person and the number.  This does happen in English but the system is greatly reduced and only the third-person singular carries an ending as in, e.g.:     He work s in London vs.     He should work harder
• We saw above that the infinitive in English can take two forms and that is a slightly unusual phenomenon.  It is not always a simple matter to select the to- infinitive or the bare infinitive.  We have, for example:     I let him go which contains the bare infinitive following the verb let and we also have a parallel structure:     I permitted him to go which carries more or less the same meaning but contains the to- infinitive. In many languages (at least those that have an infinitive form of some kind) only one form is possible.  This leads to errors such as:     *I can to do it     *I ought go     *She will to be there etc.
• The gerund form in English looks exactly the same as something called the present participle and that can be confusing sometimes for learners.  For example, in:     She is reading and     She enjoys reading the form of reading looks the same but in the first sentence, it is functioning as a verb and in the second as a noun (albeit a noun with verb-like characteristics as we saw at the beginning).
• The final issue, with which this guide is mostly concerned, is that verbs in English can be followed by either the infinitive or the gerund.  The technical terms is that verbs colligate with one form of the other and it is not always easy to decide which form to use.  For example, it is not obvious why:     I promised to drive and     I enjoy driving are correct, while     *I promised driving and     *I enjoy to drive are not. The problem is compounded by the fact that, in many languages, only one verb form is permissible in this kind of construction so learners may select the one they are most comfortable with, often the infinitive, and use it indiscriminately.

There's a bit more on some of this below.

Some verbs are followed by a gerund, some by an infinitive (the base form of the verb with to before it).

The technical term for verbs operating like this in chains is catenation (from the Latin for a chain ).  There is a much fuller guide to catenation in the in-service section of the site (linked below in the list of related guides). If you would like the PDF document concerning catenative verbs which includes considerations of to- infinitives and gerunds following verbs, click here .

Here are some examples:

Did you see the pattern? The following is not a hard-and-fast rule by any means but:

You can see the rule working clearly with the class of verbs which take either the gerund or the infinitive but with a change of meaning. Compare:     He remembered to post the letter in which the remembering comes before the posting with     He remembered posting the letter in which the posting comes before the remembering. The verb forget works similarly:     I forgot to tell him in which the forgetting came before the non-event of telling him     I forgot telling him in which the telling occurred but was later forgotten. And the verb regret also has the same characteristics:     They regretted telling me in which regretting comes after telling with     They regretted to tell me . in which regretting comes immediately before telling.

Although not to do with the ordering of events, the verb try changes its meaning when followed by an infinitive or a gerund:     I tried taking an aspirin means I experimented with this as a cure, but     I tried to take an aspirin means I attempted to take an aspirin (and probably failed).

If you would like a single document with the two tables above combined, one is available here .

Some verbs do not conform to the two patterns set out above.  In that sense they break the rule but it is, in any case, only a rule of thumb. These verbs include two which should, if the rule is followed, take a gerund because they refer back in some way, but are usually followed by an infinitive: claim, deserve. The following verbs usually take a gerund although the rule above would suggest they should take an infinitive because they refer forward: avoid, consider, contemplate, defer, delay, escape, evade, (can't) help, keep on, postpone, put off, resist, risk.

There is a problem in English which makes life quite difficult for learners, and, alas, a number of teachers.  It is this: The - ing form of a verb in English signals four possible grammatical functions . Here is what is meant:

• She enjoys running in which running is the object of the verb enjoys and could be replaced, for example, by a more recognisable noun such as chocolate or her garden etc.
• I objected to his criticising me in which it is less easy to replace the - ing form with a simple noun because it clearly has an object ( me ) so we will have to rephrase the whole sentence as something like: I objected to his criticism of me
• The professor was writing a letter when the 'phone rang in which the verb form ( was writing ) suggests that this was an an action in progress when the telephone rang and interrupted him
• I am taking the bus to work these days in which it is clear that the speaker is not actually on a bus (probably) but is referring to a continuous background event which is probably, not certainly, temporary
• I am seeing Mary tomorrow in which the speaker is using the same sort of tense form to talk about a current arrangement for a future event
• Mary is extremely irritating which could be rephrased as Mary irritates people habitually
• It's a frightening film which means The film frightens people
• It's part of the aging process in which the adjective describes the process just as something more adjective-like, such as, mechanical could be used instead.
• A verbal noun Verbal nouns are unlike gerunds in that they have lost all verb-like qualities.  They do not take objects (direct or otherwise), they can be made plural in the normal way of nouns and they are modified by adjectives, not adverbs.  Many are formed by the addition of the -ing suffix but there are other ways to form nouns from verbs (as in the last two of these examples).  Here are some examples:     The old master paintings were stolen from the gallery     The buildings are complete     The discovery of a new entrance was a surprise     Her flat refusal took everyone by surprise

In this guide, we are concerned with whether we use a gerund or an infinitive after certain verbs but it is important for teachers to be clear whether we are actually dealing with a gerund or some other use of the - ing form of the verb. To check that you can do this, try a little test .

When it comes to teaching, of course, it is very important that learners are alert to the patterns so we need to set the language in a context .  Here's an example of the sort of text one might use to get students to notice the forms and perhaps work out the pattern for themselves with a little help.  With a group at B1 or B2 level getting them to notice the words in italics and try to see what they have in common would be a good place to start.

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List of Verbs Followed by Gerunds or Infinitives

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Verbs that are followed by other verbs can take either the gerund or the infinitive . A gerund is a verb ending in "ing" that functions as a noun . An infinitive is the basic or root form of a verb, typically preceded with "to." Understanding how these words function is a crucial step in developing your English skills . The following lists of verbs followed by other verbs will help you practice using gerunds and infinitives within simple sentences. Note how the gerund and infinitive verbs ( italicized ) are used within the sample sentences .

Verbs Followed by the Gerund

Verbs followed by the infinitive, additional resources.

Want additional practice or a chance to show off your new skills? Test your knowledge of gerunds and infinitives with this reference chart .

• Verbs Followed by Infinitive
• Verbs Taking Gerund or Infinitive With a Change in Meaning
• An Introduction to Using Gerunds
• Parts of Speech: What Are Verbs?
• Master Verb Tenses With This Sentence Structure Chart
• Impersonal Subjects Using Gerund and It + Infinitive
• Understanding and Using the Simple Present Tense
• Essential Basic English Lessons
• Top Vocabulary Building Books
• Advanced English Grammar Review Quiz
• Reporting Verbs for English Language Learners
• Past-Tense Regular Verb Pronunciation
• Become a Better English Student With These Study Tips
• ESL: Learning, Teaching Direct Objects
• How Many Verb Tenses Are There in English?
• English Test Options for ESL Students

Gerund or infinitive – verb patterns

Choose the correct gerund or infinitive form for each gap below..

1 To fish Fish Fishing used to be my favourite hobby at your age.

2 We talked about to travel travel travelling together next summer.

3 I remember being to be be here when I was a child

4 I think I didn't remember to lock lock locking the door when we left.

5 If she doesn't answer, try call to call calling her mobile.

6 I tried to keep keep keeping my eyes open, but I eventually fell asleep.

7 My mum doesn't let me come coming to come with you.

8 Your hair needs to cut cutting cut . It's too long.

9 I'd prefer take taking to take my own car if you don't mind.

10 They had trouble finding find to find our house.

When to use gerund or infinitive

Download full-size image from pinterest, verbs that take gerund or infinitive with a change of meaning.

Forget to do something : Used to talk about things that we need to do, and we forget to do them.

• I think I forgot to lock the door when we left. 
• Don’t  forget to call me when you finish.

Forget doing something : It’s normally used in negative sentences. Used to talk about memories, normally about things that we did in the past and that we will not forget.

• I’ll never forget walking on that amazing beach for the first time. 

Remember to do something : You remember first and then you do something. Used to talk about things we need to do.

• He didn’t remember to turn off the heating after class. 
• Please, will you remember to close the windows if you leave?

Remember doing something : Used to talk about memories. We remember things from the past.

• I remember eating on this same chair the day I graduated. 
• I remember mentioning the issue to Elisabeth last week.

Try to do something : When we try to do something, we make an effort to achieve something that maybe we will or will not accomplish.

• Could you please try to be a bit less rude?
• I’ll try to convince him , but I’m not sure that’s going to change anything. 

Try  doing something : Used when we want to achieve something and try something as an experiment to see if it help us achieve what we want. We try a method (one of the many we could try) in order to achieve something.

• A: “I need to sleep but I can’t.” B: “Why don’t you try drinking a glass of hot milk?”
• I can’t contact Jane. I ‘ve tried calling her home number and also on her mobile, but nothing. 

Stop to do something : Used when we stop doing an activity so as to start doing a different one.

• We had been driving for hours, so we had to stop to eat something and go to the toilet. 

Stop  doing something : It means to finish doing something that we are doing.

• Could you stop biting your nails? 
• I need to stop smoking once and for all. 

Need to do something : It’s necessary to do something

• I need to see you immediately.

Something needs doing : It has a passive meaning. It means that something needs to be done.

• Your car needs cleaning .  (=Your car needs to be cleaned.)

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Verbs Followed by Gerunds and Infinitives

In English, if you want to follow a verb with another action, you must use a gerund or infinitive. For example:

There are certain verbs that can only be followed by one or the other, and these verbs must be memorized. Many of these verbs are listed below.

Common verbs followed by a gerund:

Example: He misses playing with his friends.

• acknowledge
• can’t help
• discontinue
• give up (stop)
• keep (continue)
• mind (object to)
• necessitate

Common verbs followed by an infinitive:

Example: She threatened to quit if she didn't get a raise.

• can/can’t afford
• can/can’t wait

Verbs followed by a gerund or infinitive with little to no change in meaning:

Example: It started to rain . / It started raining .

• can’t stand

Verbs followed by a gerund or infinitive with a change in meaning:

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Breakout English

Gerunds and Infinitives List

I’m a big fan of lists. Shopping lists, to do lists, meal plan lists, hopes and dreams lists, and even lists about lists. When teaching or learning English, lists aren’t the type of fun communicative task that modern language teaching thrives on, but lists get the job done. That’s why I spent time developing this gerunds and infinitives list. Gerunds and infinitives are a big deal in English grammar, coming up anywhere from A2 level onwards. However, it’s at B2 level where gerunds and infinitives become essential. You’ll need to know the rules (and the exceptions) to speak or write well at this level. You also see gerunds and infinitives in transformations exercises if you are doing the B2 Cambridge First exam.

Gerunds and infinitives rules

We use gerunds (verb+ing):

• After prepositions – I was exhausted after working all day.
• As the subject or object of a sentence – Doing regular exercise is an essential part of a healthy lifestyle.
• After certain verbs (see list) – Leire enjoys listening to music in the car.

We use infinitives with to (to + verb):

• After most adjectives – It’s not always easy to break a bad habit.
• To indicate purpose – Sarah left her job to start a business.
• After certain verbs (see list) – Jimmy promised to do his homework after dinner.

We use the bare infinitive (verb without “to”):

• After modal verbs – She can’t believe her luck!
• After “why” expressions – Why bother if it’s all for nothing?
• After certain verbs (see list) – My parents never let me stay out late.

Gerunds and infinitives list

Here’s a lovely downloadable gerunds and infinitives list. Use it wisely. Share it with your students, use it in combination with games, grammar exercises, communicative tasks or conversation questions like these ones here: Gerunds and Infinitives – Conversation Questions .

Verbs followed by gerund (verb+ing)

anticipate – We didn’t anticipate winning this match. avoid – Let’s avoid being late. can’t help – I can’t help counting those calories. complete – He completed baking the apple pie. consider – She never considered moving to England. delay – We delayed moving to the new house until spring. deny – He will deny stealing that car. despise – She despises asking for favours. discuss – We discussed buying a bigger apartment. dislike – She dislikes cooking and baking. enjoy – She enjoys reading. fancy – I fancy having chicken for dinner. finish – She finished eating before everyone else. forgive – Can you forgive me for not fixing the car? imagine – Can you imagine living on the moon? involve – The new project involves writing many reports. keep – She keeps coming late! mention – I never mentioned meeting him. mind – Will he mind switching rooms? miss – I miss chatting with you. postpone – Let’s postpone going out of town. practise – He practises playing the guitar daily. recommend – The doctor recommends resting in bed. report – They reported seeing her leave with a stranger.  resent – He resents doing it all by himself. resist – I can’t resist liking him. resume – They resumed talking after the teacher left. risk – Would you risk losing everything? suggest – I suggest not taking him too seriously. tolerate – We can’t tolerate being screamed at.  understand – He couldn’t understand her leaving so suddenly. worth – It’s worth visiting the cathedral if you have time.

Verbs followed by infinitive (with “to”)

afford – He has no money so he can’t afford to buy a car. agree – They agreed to give him a try. appear – He appeared to know everything. arrange – I have arranged to meet him on Monday. ask – She asked to see her doctor. choose  – We chose to ignore it. claim – He claims to be an expert. decide – She decided not to go to the party. demand – I demand to see the person in charge! deserve – He deserves to win the contest. expect  – He expected to be home sooner. fail – They failed to follow the instructions. get – It’s not fair that she gets to see him first. happen – I happened to pass by, so we had a chat. hesitate – Don’t hesitate to call. hope – I hope to see you soon. intend – She didn’t intend to hurt you. learn – He learned to speak Spanish very quickly. manage – We managed to finish everything on time. offer – He offered to go for a walk. prepare  – We were preparing to leave when he arrived. pretend – She pretended not to hear a word. promise – She promised to take us with her next time. refuse – I refuse to cooperate. seem – It seems to be broken. swear – He swore to take revenge. tend – These plants tend to grow slowly. threaten  – He has threatened to hurt us. wait – The runners were waiting to start. want  – I want to speak with you in private. wish  – I wish to change my address. would like  – I would like to make a comment

Verbs followed by bare infinitive (without “to”)

can – I can help you if you have any problems. could – When I was young I could play the piano. had better – You had better finish your homework before it’s too late. let (+object +verb) – My parents never let me go out late when I was young. make (+object +verb) – The boss made her employees stay late. may – I may go to the party, but I’m not sure. might – They might make money with the new business plan. must – You must renew your passport before travelling abroad. should – You should try the new restaurant in the centre. would rather – I would rather cook at home than eat out.

Verbs followed by both gerund and infinitive with no change in meaning

can’t stand

She can’t stand sitting in the sun when it’s hot. She can’t stand to sit in the sun when it’s hot.

He continued talking when I asked him to stop. He continued to talk when I asked him to stop.

We prefer eating dinner early. We prefer to eat dinner early.

She started working at the company in May. She started to work at the company in May.

Verbs followed by both gerund and infinitive with different meaning

He forgot lending me the money. (He has no memory of lending the money.) He forgot to lend me the money. (He forgot to complete the intended action.)

I remember locking the storage. (I have a memory of locking the storage.) I must remember to lock the storage. (I must remember to complete the intended action.)

The house needs cleaning. (Passive voice, we don’t know who will clean.) We need to clean the house. (Active voice, the subject does the action.)

I regret going to your wedding. (I went, and now I regret it.) I regret to tell you I can’t go to your wedding. (I feel bad that I plan to tell you that I won’t go.)

She stopped chatting. (She was chatting, and then she stopped.) She stopped to chat. (She was doing something, then she stopped and chatted.)

They tried using bleach to clean the stain. (They experimented with bleach as an option.) They tried to use bleach to clean the stain. (The attempt to use bleach was a failure.)

Gerund and infinitive – different meaning

Verbs change their meaning when they are followed by a gerund or an infinitive.

Some verbs have different meanings when they are follwed by a gerund or an infinitive .

The following words are a little more tricky.

I like read ing books. = I like to read books. There is normally no difference in meaning.

• Use the Gerund when like is used in the sense of 'enjoy'. Example: I like rid ing my bike.
• Use the Infinitive when you do sth. in the sense of a habit. Example: I like to do my homework in the afternoon. (I think, it is good to do my homework in the afternoon).

Mind the following examples:

• I like watch ing films.
• I would like to watch the film.

Use the Gerund when you worry about sth.

• I'm afraid of hav ing an accident.

In other cases there is no difference in meaning whether we use Gerund or Infinitive.

• I'm afraid to go by bike on this road. = I'm afraid of go ing by bike on this road.

If we use a Gerund after need, then the sentcene has a passive meaning:

• The window needs clean ing .

The form to be used to + Gerund means that the person is familiar with sth.

• He is used to smok ing . (He still smokes.)

The form used to + Infinitive means that the person did sth. in the past.

• He used to smoke . (He does not smoke any more.)
• He is used to smoke . (This sentence is wrong.)
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• Apr 28, 2023

Gerunds and Infinitives: Conversation Practice Questions (100+ Discussion Questions)

Updated: May 19, 2023

This page is intended to be a resource for English learners and teachers . You can practice answering these gerund and infinitive discussion questions by yourself or with a partner. You can also write the answers in a notebook, in a digital document, or in the comments section below. To help learners feel more confident and to develop grammatical accuracy, the warm-up questions have some suggested answer beginnings, which make them ideal for beginner or intermediate learners. For more challenging questions, move on to the "Let's go!" section.

Recommended levels: Intermediate for "Warm-up" questions; mix of upper intermediate and advanced levels for majority of "Let's go!" questions.

In English, if you would like to follow a verb with another action or activity, you need to use a gerund (verb+ing) or a "to"-infinitive ("to"+infinitive verb).

Some verbs can only be followed by a gerund:

"I enjoy dancing ."

Some verbs can only be followed by a "to"-infinitive:

"I wanted to buy it."

Some verbs can be followed by both without a significant change in meaning:

"I love to play badminton."

"I love playing badminton."

Some verbs can be followed by both with a change in meaning:

"I didn't remember to lock the door." (I didn't lock the door.)

"I didn't remember locking the door." (I didn't have a memory of locking the door. I wasn't sure if I locked it or not.)

Gerunds refer to an activity or topic. They are verbal nouns. "To"-infinitives refer to an act itself. For a list of verbs that are followed by gerunds and "to"-infinitives, go here .

This page is about gerund and infinitive discussion questions. Answer the questions below to help you practice and become more comfortable with these forms, and to practice your English speaking and conversation skills.

What do you want to do today?

Today, I want to...

What would you like to have for dinner tonight?

I would like to have...

What is something you need to do this week?

This week, I need to...

What do you enjoy doing on weekends?

I enjoy [gerund/gerund phrase] on weekends.

What's a book you would like to read or a movie you would like to see ?

I'd like to read/see...

What do you miss about being a kid?

I miss...[gerund/gerund phrase] .

What's something you can't afford to buy right now, but that you'd like to buy in the future? ("can't afford" means you don't have enough money to buy/do something)

Right now, I can't afford to buy...

What do you like to do in your free time?

In my free time, I like...[gerund or infinitive. Both are possible.]

Do you plan to visit anyone in the near future?

Yes, I do. I plan to visit... / No, I don't plan to visit anyone in the near future.

What is something that you loved to do when you were younger?

When I was younger, I loved...[gerund or infinitive. Both are possible.]

Picture time

Alex is daydreaming. What's he daydreaming about ? (To daydream means to have thoughts that distract you from the present. In other words, to "dream" during the day while you are awake.) Remember: preposition + gerund.

Hint: "He's daydreaming about playing..."

Do you ever daydream? What do you daydream about?

Let's go!

What's something that you've always wanted to have ?

What's something that you would like to learn to do in the future?

What's something that you have always intended to do , but you have never found the time to do?

What is one thing you hope to achieve in the next 5 years?

Hint: "I hope to..."

Why did you decide to open this page?

What's a house chore that you avoid doing for as long as possible?

Have you ever quit doing something because it wasn't your thing? (If something "isn't your thing," it's not for you--you don't enjoy it.)

What was the last thing you discussed with someone? ("discuss" + gerund)

Example: "We discussed changing the date of the party."

If you could choose to live anywhere in the world, where would you choose to live ?

Verbs that can followed by a gerund or an infinitive

There is a list of verbs that can be followed by a gerund or infinitive without a significant difference in meaning. However, even with these verbs, we typically use the gerund form to discuss a hobby or activity--or when we mention the period when we started doing that hobby or activity--and an infinitive to discuss the physical action. You can reference the verb list in the middle of this page to see the full list of verbs for this section. Follow the verbs in bold with a gerund or infinitive in your answer.

Have you ever started working on something but you didn't finish it for some reason? What happened?

What is something that you can't stand to see? (If you "can't stand" something, you don't have the resilience, fortitude, or physical or emotional ability to handle it. You detest it and have a strong negative reaction to it.)

What is something that you started doing a long time ago and that you have continued doing until now?

What's a food that you hated eating when you were a kid, but that you don't mind eating now?

What type(s) of music do you love to listen to these days?

Do you prefer drinking coffee or tea?

If you had the ability to build a new school in your area, where would you propose building it?

What are three hobbies or activities that you really like to do?

Verb + Noun/Pronoun + "to"-Infinitive Structure

Some verbs can be followed by an object (a noun or pronoun) and a "to"-infinitive. Note the common examples below. Bonus grammar note: The verb "say" is not one of these verbs. For instance, you can't say "She said me." In this case, you are probably trying to say "She told me," "She said ["that" clause]," "She said to me ["that" clause]," or maybe "She said that to me."

Has anyone ever persuaded you to buy something?

Have you ever persuaded anyone to buy something?

Did your parent(s) or caregivers ever force you to do chores when you were a kid?

What did your teachers get you to do when you were in school? ("get someone to do something" means to instruct, direct, or convince someone to do something.)

Who taught you to read ?

Has an app or website ever crashed when you needed it to work ?

Complete the Sentences:

My boss told me to ...

His mom asked him to ...

He asked her to ...

Did she tell you to ...?

I want you to ...

The government expects people to ...

I need you to ...

Gerunds and Prepositions

Prepositions (for, at, with, in, to, by, etc.) are followed by gerunds, not infinitives. Answer these questions by using a gerund after the prepositional phrase. Of course, other grammatical options are possible, but for the purpose of practice, try to use a gerund.

What is something you've been thinking about lately?

Lately, I've been thinking about...[+gerund]

What is something you don't like dealing with ? ("deal with" means "handle" or "manage")

What's something that you're proud of having finished?

What did you dream of becoming when you were a kid?

I dreamt/dreamed of becoming...

Do you get anxious about speaking in public?

What's a subject that you'd like to learn more about ?

What's an activity that you'd like to try out ? ("try out" means "try" or "sample")

What is something you complained about when you were a kid?

Have you ever thought about starting a new life in a brand new place?

Have you ever been accused of doing something that you didn't do?

What's something that you'd like to be better at ?

Think of someone famous. What are they best known for ?

Example: "Keanu Reeves is best known for making action movies."

Are there any songs that you're tired of hearing these days?

Adjectives and "to"-Infinitives

It is common to follow adjectives with a "to"-infinitive phrase. For example, "It's good to see you." Answer the questions below to practice this construction.

What's something that is common to see in your city/town/village/province/country?

Hint: "It's common to see..."

What is something that you were relieved to hear ?

Hint: "I was relieved to hear (about/that/the news about)..."

What is something that you feel lucky to have done or experienced ?

Hint: "I feel lucky to have [past participle verb]."

What's a movie that looks too scary to watch for you?

Do you feel too tired to do something right now?

Is it warm enough to wear a T-shirt outside today?

What's something that's difficult to do for you?

Possible structures: "X is difficult to do for me." / "X is difficult for me to do." / "It's difficult for me to..."

Nouns + "to"-Infinitives

Depending on the context, you can follow nouns with "to"-infinitives.

What's a sport that requires a lot of energy to do ?

When's the best time to call you?

What's the best place to get a cheap lunch in your neighbourhood?

Was it your choice to do this activity, or did someone ask you to do it?

Infinitives of Purpose

You can replace the phrase "in order to" with "to" in many situations. For example, if you call a restaurant to reserve a table for the evening, you can say "I'm calling to make a reservation ." You can replace "to make a reservation" with "in order to make a reservation" or "for the purpose of making a reservation" in your mind . Basically, in many cases, if you can ask the question "Why?" or "For what purpose?" after a clause (such as "I'm calling"), you can follow it with a "to"-infinitive to mean "in order to." Some grammar books call these infinitives of purpose .

Why are you doing this activity?

Hint: "I'm doing this activity to..."

Why are you studying English?

Hint: "I'm studying English to..."

Why do people join gyms?

"People join gyms to..."

Why do people read books?

"People read books to..."

Why do people buy smartphones?

"People buy smartphones to..."

What do you need to do in order to find a job ? (or "... to find a job ?")

"In order to find a job, you need to..." / "To find a job, you need to..."

What websites do you use to practice English?

"I use [name(s) of site(s)] to practice English." / "To practice English, I use..."

Who do you usually call to ask for advice ?

"I usually call [person] to ask for advice."

When Gerunds and Infinitives Change the Meaning of a Sentence

There is a short list of verbs whose meanings change if they are followed by a gerund or a "to"-infinitive. Check the bottom of this list for these verbs.

Do you regret anything you did in the past? (Use "regret" + gerund to say you feel bad about something in the past.)

What's something that you don't regret doing in the past? (Something you don't feel bad about doing in the past.)

Example: "I don't regret going to college." / "I don't regret having gone to college." ("having gone" makes it clearer that this happened in the past, but it's not necessary when the context is clear.)

What is something that you stopped doing in the past?

Example: "I stopped taking karate classes when I was 12 years old."

Do you ever forget to wash your face?

Do you always remember to make your bed in the morning? (If you "make your bed," you make it tidy after you wake up.)

What is something that you remember from your childhood? ("remember" + gerund = past memory)

Example: "I remember visiting my grandparents every weekend."

What is something you will never forget ? ("forget" + gerund = past memory)

Example: "I will never forget taking piano lessons with Mister Diaby."

Do you know anyone who always goes on talking and doesn't know when to stop?

Imagine that your friend wants to learn English. What methods should they try ? ("try" + gerund = options/methods)

What do you think would happen if you tried to jump out of a moving train?

Complete the sentences:

I regret to inform you that...

We had to stop at the gas station to ...

He's really proud of his sister. After she graduated, she went on to ...

You should quit [+gerund].

He quit his job [+infinitive]. (This usage is an infinitive of purpose, as seen above. Remember: "He quit in order to...")

Passive Practice

The questions below use passive constructions. Answer them with the same constructions in order to practice the various forms.

What is something you were always reminded to do by your parents or teachers?

"I was always reminded to..."

Have you been told to do anything recently?

"Recently, I have('nt) been told to..."

Were you asked to do this activity by someone, or did you choose to do it?

What is something you don't like being told to do ? (or "...to be told to do.")

Do you think kids should be forced to go to school?

Have you ever been chosen to be the leader of a team or project?

What is something that you have been praised for ? (Remember: preposition + gerund)

The finish line

To finish, complete the sentences below.

I grew up wanting to be ... (This means "When I was a child, I wanted to be" or "I dreamed of being...")

I still need to ...

Now that I'm done answering these questions, I feel like ...(+gerund. "Feel like" means "I want to" or "I am inclined to" in this context.)

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Activities for Teaching Gerunds & Infinitives (ESL)

Language Focus : Verbs followed by gerunds and/or infinitives

English Level : Intermediate, upper-Intermediate

Jump to a section

• Stories for Gerunds and Infinitives (directly below)
• Warm-up Questions
• Clarifying Questions Activity

Some rules in English just need to be memorized. Among these are which verbs (and adjectives and adverbs) should be followed by a gerund , which by an infinitive , and which can be followed by either. Giving your students a list of verbs that match each category can be useful, but some students learn best through story . And the more interesting the story is, the more likely they are to remember it.

Below are some short stories I have written with common verb + infinitive / verb + gerund collocations. Choose one that suits your level and give it a shot with your students.

My Teaching Method for Teaching Gerunds & Infinitives with a Story

I use a story (see samples below) as a springboard for my lesson. This is how I begin.

• Read the story aloud to the class. Then read it again.
• Briefly explain that in English, often verbs are followed by another action. In these cases, we have to choose to use either an infinitive or a gerund. Give them the example of "I want to go" vs. "I enjoy going"
• On the white/chalkboard, write "Verb + infinitive" on the left side, and "Verb + Gerund" on the right.
• Reread your story for a third time. This time, pause after each verb, and let the students elicit the verb that follows (in infinitive or gerund form) from the story. You'll be surprised that many will remember it (especially if the story is interesting).
• As you elicit the verb forms, write the main verbs on the board in either the verb + infinitive or verb + gerund column. (Note that you are writing the main verb, e.g. enjoy in the phrase "He enjoyed eating")
• When finished, tell your students to try to retell the story to a partner from their memory. They should be able to look at the verbs on the board for cues about the story (and because the list is chronological, they'll be able to start from the top and work their way through it). Tell them to do their best; it doesn't have to be perfect.

Afterwards, if I'm teaching a 1.5-hour lesson, I usually begin my more formal lesson with a controlled worksheet, and then a semi-controlled speaking activity (e.g. discussion questions (there are some below)). As a productive activity, I typically do this activity with verbs followed by gerunds and infinitives. (Note: it requires having some pictures cut up, but it could be done without pictures).

• At the end of class, I give my students the story I had read them at the beginning with blanks in it (see 'cloze paragraphs' below).  This is a great way to bring the lesson full circle, and they usually do a good job of remembering the collocations.

Story #1: Verb + Gerund or Infinitive? (+ Cloze Paragraph)

My friend Bernardo liked to eat McDonald's hamburgers. But he had a problem. He was gaining weight. He decided to go on a diet. He stopped eating fast food and started buying more fruit and vegetables. After a month, he had lost a few pounds. But he wanted to lose more. I suggested joining a gym. Bernardo disliked exercising , but he agreed to try it. Now he exercises every day and he looks better. He's looking forward to losing more weight.

My friend Bernardo liked _________________  (eat) McDonald's hamburgers. But he had a problem. He was gaining weight.. He decided _________________ (go) on a diet. He stopped _________________ (eat) fast food and started _________________  (buy) more fruit and vegetables.  After a month, he had lost a few pounds. But he wanted _________________  (lose) more. I suggested _________________ (join) a gym. Bernardo disliked _________________ (exercise), but he agreed _________________  (try) it. Now he exercises every day and he looks better. He's looking forward _________________  (lose) more weight.

Story #2 [Easier]: Verb + Gerund or Infinitive? (+ Cloze Paragraph)

My friend Bernardo enjoys cooking . He also really likes eating . But one month ago, his girlfriend told him to lose weight, so he decided  to join  a gym. In the beginning, it was difficult to go regularly. He tried to go every day, but sometimes he forgot to go . Yesterday, he drank beer with me instead of exercising . He prefers drinking alcohol to lifting weights, of course. His girlfriend called him when we were at the pub. He stopped drinking his beer to answer the phone. He promised to be home by 10 p.m. However, we kept drinking until we ran out of money.

My friend Bernardo enjoys __________ . He also really likes __________. But one month ago, his girlfriend told him __________ weight, so he decided  __________ a gym. In the beginning, it was difficult __________ regularly. He tried __________ every day, but sometimes he forgot __________. Yesterday, he drank beer with me instead of __________. He prefers __________ alcohol to __________ weights, of course. His girlfriend called him when we were at the pub. He stopped __________ his beer __________ the phone. He promised __________ home by 10 p.m. However, we kept __________ until we ran out of money.

Story #3: Verb + Gerund or Infinitive? (+ Cloze Paragraph)

Teresa's boyfriend Bernardo is gaining weight. She wanted him  to quit eating fast food.  He agreed to start eating healthily.A few weeks passed. Teresa expected Bernardo to lose weight, but nothing changed. She noticed that sometimes he would smell like hamburgers. She started to suspect that he had broken his promise to eat well.

One day, she followed him home from work. She saw him pass by McDonald's, but then he stopped walking . He hesitated to go in, but he finally did. After a few minutes, she decided to follow him in. She caught him eating a Big Mac. She attempted to wrestle it from him, but she couldn't manage to get it out of his greasy hands. He tried to push her away, but he accidentally hit her in the face. Naturally, she got angry. He said that he didn't mean to hit her, but she started screaming . They both got kicked out of the restaurant. Now they refuse to speak to each other.

Teresa's boyfriend Bernardo is gaining weight. She wanted him __________ _________ fast food.  He agreed _________    _________ healthily.

A few weeks passed. Teresa expected Bernardo _________ weight, but nothing changed. She noticed that sometimes he would smell like hamburgers. She started _________ that he had broken his promise _________ well.

One day, she followed him home from work. She saw him pass by McDonalds, but then he stopped _________ . He hesitated _________ in, but he finally did. After a few minutes, she decided _________ him in. She caught him _________ a Big Mac. She attempted _________ it from him, but she couldn't manage _________ it out of his greasy hands. He tried _________ her away, but he accidentally hit her in the face. Naturally, she got angry. He said that he didn't mean _________ her, but she started _________ . They both got kicked out of the restaurant. Now they refuse _________ to each other.

Story #4: Verb + Gerund or Infinitive? (+ Cloze Paragraph)

One month ago, my friend Bernardo decided to lose some weight. He stopped eating chocolate, gave up drinking beer, and he refused to eat anything high in fat. This was difficult for him because he enjoyed eating chocolate and he preferred to drink/drinking beer to Diet Coke! Luckily, his girlfriend agreed to help him. She promised to make him a lot of healthy food, and she did. But after two months, he only managed to lose 3 pounds. Now, his girlfriend has suggested joining a gym. Bernardo hates exercising , but he will try it.

One month ago, my friend Bernardo decided _________________ (lose) some weight. He stopped _________________ (eat) chocolate, gave up _________________ (drink) beer, and he refused _________________ (eat) anything high in fat. This was difficult for him because he enjoyed _________________ (eat) chocolate and he preferred _________________  (drink) beer to Diet Coke! Luckily, his girlfriend agreed _________________ (help) him. She promised _________________ (make) him a lot of healthy food, and she did. But after two months, he only managed _________________ (lose) 3 pounds. Now, his girlfriend has suggested _________________ (join) a gym. Bernardo hates _________________ (exercise), but he will try it.

Story #5: Differences in Meaning Between Verbs followed by Gerunds or Infinitives

Verb Focus : love, start/stop, remember, forget, try

Bernardo loves  traveling . He began  traveling when he was a young child. He remembers  visiting  new places every Christmas and summer holiday. In particular, he'll never forget  visiting Hawaii in 2010. On the day he and his family were going to depart, there was a big snowstorm. His father tried  to get them to the airport, but the roads were icy. The car kept  sliding . In the airport parking lot, his father actually hit another car. He tried  to stop , but he couldn't. Finally, when they got inside the airport, Bernardo realized that he had forgotten  to pack clothes. He remembered  to bring his passport at least. So after arriving in Honolulu, his family had to stop  to buy some clothes for him.  In the end, he had a great trip. He hopes that he never stops  traveling .

Bernardo loves _____________. He began _____________ when he was a young child. He remembers _____________ new places every Christmas and summer holiday. In particular, he'll never forget _____________ Hawaii in 2010. On the day he and his family were going to depart, there was a big snowstorm. His father tried _____________ them to the airport, but the roads were icy. The car kept _____________. In the airport parking lot, his father actually hit another car. He tried _____________ but he couldn't.  Finally, when they got inside the airport, Bernardo realized that he had forgotten _____________ clothes. He remembered _____________ his passport at least. So after arriving in Honolulu, his family had to stop _____________ some clothes for him.  In the end, he had a great trip. He hopes that he never stops _____________.

Bonus: Warm-up Questions — Gerunds and Infinitives

( Note to teachers: Delete the questions that you haven't studied if you feel it will confuse your students)

Beginner Version

These questions match the verbs in Story #2 above. They include the adjective + gerund & preposition + gerund pattern.

• What are you looking forward to ___________ (do) tonight or tomorrow?
• What would you like ___________ (study) in class?
• What do you enjoy ___________ (do) in your free time?
• Do you prefer ___________ (watch) movies to ___________ (read) books?
• What do your parents often tell you ___________ (do)?
• What is something fun that have you decided ___________ (do) recently?

1.doing, 2. to study, 3. doing, 4. watching/reading, 5. to do, 6. to do

• Is English difficult or easy ___________ (learn)?
• What do you sometimes forget ___________ (do)?
• What would you like to stop ___________ (do)?
• If you were married, what would you promise ___________ (do) for your partner?
• What are you afraid of ___________ (do)?

1.to learn, 2. to do, 3. doing, 4. to do, 5. doing

Intermediate Version

• What habit do you have that you'd like to stop _________________ (do) ?
• Have you started _________________ (do) anything new recently?
• What is something new that you'd like to try _________________ (do) in the next few years?
• Have you decided _________________ (do) anything special this weekend?
• What are you looking forward to _________________ (do) after lass?

1.doing, 2. doing/to do 3. doing/to do 4. to do 5. doing

• Are you going to stop _________________ (do) something on the way home today?
• Have you regretted _________________ (do) anything recently?
• What in life do you prefer_________________(do) to sleeping?
• What are the most common tasks that people forget _________________ (do)?
• Do you remember _________________ (be) born? What was your first memory?
• Are you used to _________________ (study) English in this class?

1.to do, 2. doing 3. doing 4. to do 5.being. 6. studying

Bonus Questions: Gerunds and Infinitives

With a partner, look at the questions below (together). Put them in the correct form (gerund of infinitive) and then ask each other the questions.

• What/you/look forward to/do/this weekend?
• What/you/regret/do?
• What/miss/eating/from/your/home country?
• What/you/detest/see?
• What/you/can't wait/do?
• What/you/would/like/avoid/do/this weekend?

Clarifying Questions with Reported Speech and Gerunds & Infinivites

Activity Worksheet Download : clarifying-questions-gerunds-infinitives.docx

This activity combines a review of reported speech (i.e. shifting verb tenses back when the reporting verb is in the past tense) and gerunds and infinitives .  If you haven't taught reported speech, then you can still use the pair-work questions on the sheet (just delete the top paragraph about reported speech).

This activity combines grammar with speaking and listening practice. To conduct it in full, first explain to your students that they will be asking each other questions that contain verbs followed by gerunds and infinitives. However, some of the questions have errors . Their job is to listen to the question and indicate if it's correct or incorrect. If it's correct, they can just answer the question. If there's an error, they can clarify the question ( Sorry, did you ask me... ?) and then answer it.

Put your students in pairs , and let them give it a try. Naturally, as the teacher, you'll want to preview the questions to make sure they are familiar with the verbs. Note that it also has a few questions with adjectives/adverbs.

The worksheet can be previewed below in its entirely. You can download it above.

Clarifying Questions — Gerunds and Infinitives Version

Your partner will ask you a question. If the question has an error, clarify it using one of the strategies below combined with reported speech (i.e. move the verb tense back). If the question is error-free, then just answer the question.

Example.        A: Do you enjoy to go to concerts?

B: I'm sorry. Did you ask me if I enjoyed going to concerts?

B: Oh. Yes… I saw Justin Bieber last year and…

------ (fold or cut paper here) ----------------

• What is something that you have recently avoided to do? (wrong — avoid doing)
• What didn't your parents allow you to do? (correct)
• Is your hometown worth to visit? (wrong — worth visiting)
• Would you agree to pay more taxes if it meant that university education would be free? (correct)
• What chore do you detest to do the most? (wrong — detest doing)
• When is someone old enough to get married? (correct)
• What age is too soon having children? (wrong — to have)

------------- (fold paper here) —----------------------------------

• Did you accidentally forget doing anything on the weekend? (wrong — to do)
• What do you like to do at the end of the day when you finish working? (correct)
• When do you expect getting a job? (wrong — to get)
• What are you looking forward to doing tonight? (correct)
• Are you interested to go to a ballet performance? (wrong — in going)
• If you saw an accident at the side of the road, would you keep to drive? (wrong — keep on driving)
• What is something you miss doing? (correct)

Hopefully these activities will give you some firepower for your English lessons.

All the best.

Matthew Barton / Creator of Englishcurrent.com

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53 comments on “ Activities for Teaching Gerunds & Infinitives (ESL) ”

Thank you so much! Such a creative idea you have on teaching this tough and theoretical lesson!

Wish you best luck and good health !!

Yes, this is very helpful. Grammar can be very “dry” but partner activities liven things up a bit.

Teran Armstrong, Ph.D.

I really appreciate the variety and the comprehensivety of all the updated activities on this complex topic. I found it very useful and engaging. Thanks a lot.

great ,simple and effective way of teaching

It’s a great idea and I will definitely use it in my courses. I will however change the storyline because the majority of the stories seem a bit over the top and not suitable for younger learners, i.e. alcohol misuse, domestic violence…

Great! I got a large amount of information about this and appreciate you.

Thank you so much for an interesting and useful lesson. And thank you very much for sharing it!

Very helpful lesson plan and activities! Thank you very much for putting it together!

Wow this helped me a lot with my homework thank you so much.

tnq very much for the stories they helped me very much

Thank you so much. It was so helpful and more practical.

Beautiful. I run a Conversation Club in Quito, Ecuador. I would love to share with you some ideas. Please contact me on my whats app: +593-991480533 Thanks so much. Patrick

Thank you very much for sharing your teaching technique :) Has been looking for something interesting and your ideas helped a lot :)

great ideas, tnks, I’ll use it on my lesson

Thanks for sharing these activities They will be quite useful for my classes

Great lesson! Thanks for sharing

Really helpful, thank you!

Thank you so much !

Thank you so much. Using stories is so useful.

Great ideas. Perfect for ESL classroom

it was great thanks

Great ideas! Thanks for the helpful suggestions.

I love it. Thank you for sharing.

Great lessons..thanks so much for sharing

Thanks a lot. Have been looking for some vivid texts on gerund and infinitive to use in class. This way of memorising/understanding seems to be more efficient then making students lean lists of words. I’m going to try it at the lesson tomorrow.

Sorry for misprint – LEARN

Thanks a lot for sharing. What a great resource for teaching this tough subject. Peace

Excellent material!!

The activities are wonderful ! thanks a lot.

EXCELLENT WORK. THANKS A LOT

Thank you very much for sharing. Great material!

The stories are great! It`s an excellent explanation of boring grammar rules: the students liked it. Thanks a lot for sharing.

Great job!!! Many thanks

Thanks for your creative solution to teaching this otherwise quite heavy grammar point! Best wishes, Blandine.

Thank you do much. This les son plan is great.

Interesting activities. Thanks for sharing.

Thank you this lesson plan is very helpful and interesting for my students.

Easy to understand and teach. Thanks

Thank you for sharing. I practice the patterns in sentence form, but what I like is that you have a small story. What’s also effective is that you are asking students to retell the story. Love that! Thank you. Something else, I’m doing is that I’m asking students to record themselves when they practice the sentences. My students are using an LMS (a learning management system) that allows them to record themselves. First I record my voice, reading the sequence of sentences. The students listen and then record themselves. Now, I’m going to try it in the stories. S

Thank you so much. I plan to use all the activities.

Excellent exercises !Thank you very much .

The exercises are great ! Thanks for sharing with the world.

Thank you so much for your lesson plan and resources. These are great to be used for ESL students as well as for ESL instructors.

You are a genius

THANK YOU. THEY ARE EXERCISES VERY USEFUL

Great resource! Thank you so much! It really helped me

A great resource, thumbs up

Your outputs are nice nad helpful. We are so grateful for your works. God bless you more.

Thanks you for sharing. It helps us a lot.

Thanks for sharing such an excellent material.

really helpful for my gerunds hw! nice~

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Gerunds and Infinitives Exercise 1

Perfect english grammar.

'Verb + ing' and 'to + infinitive' after certain verbs

Check the list of verbs for this exercise. Click here to download this exercise in PDF with answers.

• Gerunds and Infinitives Exercise 2
• Gerunds and Infinitives Exercise 3
• Gerunds and Infinitives Exercise 4

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