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

What is your hobby?

What do you love doing?

Going to the beach? Playing video games? Hiking (walking)? Singing? Dancing?
Nice! These are all examples of gerunds.
Now, what if I ask you what you want to do every day?
Maybe you are learning to draw. Maybe all you want to do is to readcomic books. Maybe
you are planning to start your own business. Or maybe you will soon decide to travel the
world!
These are also hobbies, aren’t they? But we used infinitives to describe them.
Gerunds and infinitives are very common in the English language. They can be used in many
situations. Sometimes you may use an infinitive and a gerund. Sometimes you have to
choose between the two, because using one may be completely wrong.

Does it get confusing? Yes it does!

So how do you know when to use an infinitive and when to use a gerund? Our five simple
rules are sure to help! Let’s start with explaining what infinitives and gerunds are.

What Is an Infinitive? What Is a Gerund?

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.

While the rules below will help you understand how infinitives and gerunds should be used,
you should make sure to practice them so you can use them in real life. One easy way to do
this is by learning with FluentU videos—which include movie trailers, music videos, news
and other types of fun real-world videos. FluentU videos come with interactive captions
that tell you the definition of any word, and also show you how that word can be used in a
sentence.
5 Simple Rules to Master the Use of Gerunds and Infinitives
Rule 1: Gerunds can be used as a subject of a sentence.
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.

Rule 2: Both gerunds and infinitives can be used as objects of a sentence.

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.
Rule 3: Infinitives should be used after many adjectives.
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!
Rule 4: Only infinitives are used after sentence objects that are nouns or pronouns referring
to a person.
“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 direct and
indirect objects referring to people.

To remember this rule, you will have to study verbs that take an object and an infinitive.
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!
Rule 5: Only gerunds are used after prepositions (with one exception).
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!
GERUND
The gerund looks exactly the same as a present participle, but it is useful
to understand the difference between the two. The gerund always has the
same function as a noun (although it looks like a verb). Some uses of the
gerund are covered on this page. A separate page deals with verbs that
are followed by the gerund.

THE GERUND AS THE SUBJECT OF THE SENTENCE

EXAMPLES
 Eating people is wrong.
 Hunting tigers is dangerous.
 Flying makes me nervous.
 Brushing your teeth is important.
 Smoking causes lung cancer.

THE GERUND AS THE COMPLEMENT OF THE VERB 'TO BE'

EXAMPLES
 One of his duties is attending meetings.
 The hardest thing about learning English is understanding the
gerund.
 One of life's pleasures is having breakfast in bed.

THE GERUND AFTER PREPOSITIONS

The gerund must be used when a verb comes after a preposition. This is
also true of certain expressions ending in a preposition, for example the
expressions in spite of & there's no point in.
EXAMPLES
 Can you sneeze without opening your mouth?
 She is good at painting.
 She avoided him by walking on the opposite side of the road.
 We arrived in Madrid after driving all night.
 My father decided against postponing his trip to Hungary.
 There's no point in waiting.
 In spite of missing the train, we arrived on time.

THE GERUND AFTER PHRASAL VERBS

Phrasal verbs are composed of a verb + preposition or adverb.
EXAMPLES
 When will you give up smoking?
 She always puts off going to the dentist.
 He kept on asking for money.
  Jim ended up buying a new TV after his old one broke.

There are some phrasal verbs that include the word "to" as a preposition
for example to look forward to, to take to, to be accustomed to, to get
around to, & to be used to. It is important to recognise that the word "to" is
a preposition in these cases because it must be followed by a gerund. It is
not part of the infinitive form of the verb. You can check whether "to" is a
preposition or part of the infinitive. If you can put the pronoun "it" after the
word "to" and form a meaningful sentence, then the word "to" is a
preposition and must be followed by a gerund.
EXAMPLES
 I look forward to hearing from you soon.
 I look forward to it.
 I am used to waiting for buses.
 I am used to it.
 She didn't really take to studying English.
 She didn't really take to it.
 When will you get around to mowing the grass?
 When will you get around to it?

THE GERUND IN COMPOUND NOUNS

In compound nouns using the gerund, it is clear that the meaning is that
of a noun, not of a continuous verb. For example, with the word
"swimming pool" it is a pool for swimming in, it is not a pool that is
swimming.
EXAMPLES
 I am giving Sally a driving lesson.
 They have a swimming pool in their back yard.
 I bought some new running shoes.

THE GERUND AFTER SOME EXPRESSIONS

The gerund is necessary after the expressions can't help, can't stand, to
be worth, & it's no use.
EXAMPLES
 She couldn't help falling in love with him.
 I can't stand being stuck in traffic jams.
 It's no use trying to escape.
 It might be worth phoning the station to check the time of the train.
6 Easy Grammar Rules for Gerunds & Infinitives
When I introduce a gerunds and infinitives activity in class, I’m usually faced with
looks of quiet desperation or grim determination. Most students find the endless list
of verbs to memorize daunting, to say the least! Also, most textbooks don’t cover the
fact that there ARE a few helpful rules for deciding whether to use a gerund or an
infinitive in a sentence. The next time you’re doing gerunds and infinitives in class,
try teaching the rules below—your students will thank you!
The Basics
Gerund: VERB + -ING (eating, going, studying)
Infinitive: TO + BASE VERB (to eat, to go, to study)
A gerund is the present participle (-ing) form of the verb. An infinitive is to + the base
verb (the verb with no ending). Both gerunds and infinitives are action words (i.e.,
verbs) in meaning, but they act like nounsin the sentence. They always take a noun
position: a subject or an object of the main verb. A gerund or infinitive is never the
main verb (e.g., I hiking and I to study are incorrect).

 Skiing is fun.
 I like hiking.
 I need to study.

Even when the gerund or infinitive is the object of a sentence, it is common for
a second object follow the gerund or infinitive because of their “verb” meaning.

 I enjoy watching movies.

 I don’t want to study English.
 I asked my friend to help me.

Three Gerund Rules

1. Subject = Gerund
When you need an action as a subject, use a gerund. Infinitives are possible, but
they are very formal and not very common in this position.

 Reading is my favorite hobby.

 Learning English has improved my confidence.

2. Preposition + Gerund
After a preposition, use a gerund. This is true for prepositions that are part of
phrasal verbs, too.

 I thought about calling my grandma, but I was too tired.

 Are you planning on going to the party? (See the Notes section below to find out
why planning is not a gerund.)

3. Verb + Gerund
A gerund or an infinitive can be used after a main verb. It depends on the verb, and
there isn’t an easy rule for this case. Memorizing the most common verbs that take a
gerund, such as advise, avoid, enjoy, finish, practice, quit, and suggest, is helpful.
 My teacher advised studying for the quiz.
 They enjoy making crafts in class.

*Don’t forget that some verbs take either a gerund or an infinitive with no change in
meaning! Some common verbs include like, love, and hate.

 She likes watching movies.

 She likes to watch movies.

Three Infinitive Rules

1. Adjective + Infinitive
After an adjective, it is common to use an infinitive verb. A gerund is possible in
some cases, but an infinitive is usually the better choice.

 It is fun to play video games on the weekend.

 It was helpful to learn these grammar rules.

2. Noun + Infinitive
If the main verb has an object that is a noun or a pronoun, it is almost always
followed by an infinitive verb instead of a gerund.

 Did you want me to call you?

 The students asked their teacher to help them.

*Note: This rules is very helpful, because it is stronger than the “verb + gerund” rule.
For example, the verb advise normally takes a gerund (She advised studying for
the test), but a noun/pronoun object will override this rule (She advised her
students to study for the test).
3. Verb + Infinitive
A gerund or an infinitive can be used after a main verb. It depends on the verb, and
there isn’t an easy rule for this case. Memorizing the most common verbs that take a
infinitive, such as ask, choose, decide, get, need, plan, promise, and want, is
helpful.

 He wants to learn Japanese.

 We need to clean up this mess.

*Try typing in “gerunds and infinitives verb list” into a search engine to see lists of
common verbs that take a gerund or an infinitive.
Notes
Students often get confused by the other functions of -ing words in English. It’s
worth pointing out that Be + -ing verb can also be a progressive verb form, and that -
ing adjectives are possible after the Be verb or before a noun.

 I am studying for my test. (present progressive verb; not a gerund)

 That game was exciting. (adjective; not a gerund)
 That was an exciting game. (adjective; not a gerund)
What is the Gerund? keep (on)
-ing form used as a noun They keep on running.
Form mention
infinitive + -ing Did Alex ever mention playing baseball?
mind
Examples
Gerund as Subject: I don't mind sleeping on the couch.
miss
Going to parties is fun.
Gerund as Object: They miss playing with their friends.
practise
I enjoy reading.
She practised playing hockey.
Gerund after the following verbs
regret*
admit
Do you regret having mentioned it?
He admitted having driven too fast.
risk
avoid
You risk catching a cold.
They avoid going on holiday on
suggest
Saturdays. She suggested flying to Cairo.
carry on
After regret the to-infinitive is used
If we carry on sleeping so badly, we may
need help. when announcing bad news: We regret
consider to inform you that the flight to Munich
Ralph is considering buying a new house. has been cancelled.
delay Gerund after special phrases
I delayed telling Max the news. to be busy
deny He is busy reading the paper.
She denies reading the book. don't mind
dislike I don't mind telling them my opinion.
We dislike reading poems. feel like
can't/couldn't help We feel like having a cup of tea.
He couldn't help falling in love with her. how about
enjoy How about walking home instead
I enjoy playing chess. of taking the car?
finish it's (no) good
They finished working in the garden. It's no good talking to this girl.
give up it's no use
Susan gives up playing ice-hockey. It's no use talking to the headmaster.
imagine spend one's time
He imagined driving a new car. They spend their time reading.
include there's no
Your There's no cheating anymore.
responsibility includes taking reservatio there's no point
ns on the phone. There's no point in complaining further.
involve what about
The project will involve growing plants. What about going to the zoo?
justify worth
I cannot justify paying $100 for this The book is worth reading.
ticket.
What is a Gerund?
A gerund is a noun made from a verb. To make a gerund, you add "-ing"
to the verb.
For example:

In the sentence "I swim every day", the word "swim" is a verb.

In the sentence "I like swimming", the word "swimming" is a noun.

Therefore, "swimming" is a gerund.

Second example:

In the sentence "She reads several books a week", the word "read" is a
verb.

In the sentence "Reading is important", the word "reading" is a noun.

Therefore, "reading" is a gerund.

More examples of gerunds: buying, fishing, running, watching, telling,

and so forth.

The word "gerund" actually comes from the Latin word gerere, which
means "do".

You could say this actually makes sense: the gerund describes an action,
something you do.

Gerunds are often used when actions are real or completed.

Examples:
(Note how the main underlined verb relates to real or completed actions.)
She stopped smoking.
 I finished doing my homework.
 They keep on fighting.
 We discussed moving to Florida.
 You recommended waiting until tomorrow.
 He recalled falling asleep on the couch.
 She practices playing those drums all the time.
 John finished fixing the car.
 The job involves dealing with animals.
 Brian mentioned staying up late.
 They suggested not keeping the luggage.
 We started working on this yesterday.
What is a gerund?
1. A gerund is a noun made from a verb by adding "-ing." The gerund form of the
verb "read" is "reading." You can use a gerund as the subject, the complement, or
the object of a sentence.
Examples:
 Reading helps you learn English. subject of sentence
 Her favorite hobby is reading. complement of sentence
 I enjoy reading. object of sentence
Gerunds can be made negative by adding "not."
Examples:
 He enjoys not working.
 The best thing for your health is not smoking.

Gerund
Gerund is the name given to the present participle form of a verb that is
used as a noun. In the following sentences the gerund is shown in red:
 Smoking is bad for your health. (gerund as subject)
 A popular hobby in England is stamp-collecting. (gerund as
complement)
 I dislike shopping. (gerund as object)
Gerunds are not difficult to use as subjects or complements, as in the
above sentences. The problem arises when the learner wants to use the
verb-noun as an object and does not know whether the gerund or the
infinitive is required. Here are some examples of the variety of use:
 She doesn't enjoy working on Sundays. (gerund only)
 She objects to working on Sundays. (gerund only)
 She agreed to work on Sunday. (infinitive only)
 She hates to work on Sundays. / She hates working on Sundays.
(both infinitive and gerund possible: same meaning)
 She stopped eating. (gerund - meaning: she did not eat any more)
 She stopped to eat. (infinitive - meaning: she stopped what she was
doing and started to eat)

Some common verbs followed by a gerund (note that phrasal verbs,

marked here with *, always fall into this category):
acknowledge She acknowledged receiving assistance.
* accuse of He was accused of smuggling contraband goods.
admit They admitted falsifying the data.
advise The author advises undertaking further study.
anticipate He anticipates having trouble with his supervisor.
appreciate I appreciated having a chance to read your draft.
avoid He avoided answering my question.
complete I finally completed writing my thesis.
consider They will consider granting you money.
defer She deferred writing her report.
delay We delayed reporting the results until we were sure.
deny They denied copying the information.
discuss They discussed running the experiments again.
entail This review procedure entails repeating the test.
* look after He will look after mailing the tickets.
* insist on He insisted on proofreading the article again.
involve This procedure involves testing each sample twice.
justify My results justify taking drastic action.
mention The author mentions seeing this event.
* plan on They had planned on attending the conference.
postpone The committee has postponed writing the report.
recall I cannot recall getting those results before.
resent He resented spending so much time on the project.
recommend She recommends reading Marx.
resist The writer resists giving any easy answers.
risk She risks losing her viewing time.
sanction They will not sanction copying without permission.
suggest I suggest repeating the experiment.
* take care of He will take care of sending it to you.
tolerate She can’t tolerate waiting for results.
Verbs Followed by Gerunds List
Admit
He was embarrassed to admit making a mistake.
Advise
He advised applying at once.
Anticipate
I didn’t anticipate having to do the cooking myself!
Acknowledge
She acknowledged receiving assistance.
Appreciate
I appreciate having a trouble with his supervisor.
Avoid
She decided to be a nun in order to avoid meeting him.
Bear
I wish she wouldn’t eat so fast. I can’t bear watching her.
Begin
I began teaching in 1984.
Complete
He completed drawing his pictures.
Consider
Investors should consider putting some money into an annuity.
Defer
She deferred writing my thesis.
Delay
Big companies often delay paying their bills.
Deny
She denied taking the money.
Discuss
We briefly discussed buying a second car.
Dislike
I dislike being the centre of attention.
Enjoy
I really enjoy talking to you.
Entail
This review procedure entails repeating the test.
Finish
He finished cleaning the kitchen.
Forget
I’ll never forget visiting them.
Hate
I hate getting to the theatre late.
Intend
I hear they intend marrying.
Involve
This procedure involves testing each sample twice.
Justify
My results justify taking drastic action.
Keep
I keep thinking about Joe, all alone in that place.
Like
She likes playing tennis.
Love
I love going out to restaurants.
Mention
He mentioned going to that college.
Mind
Would you mind repeating what you just said?
Miss
He had missed being elected by a single vote.
Postpone
He postponed returning to Paris.
Practice
Today we’re going to practice parking.
Prefer
Chantal prefers travelling by train.
Quit
She quits worrying about the problem.
Recall
I don’t recall seeing any cars parked outside.
Recollect
I recollect seeing Ryder some years ago in Bonn.
Recommend
I would never recommend using a sunbed on a regular basis.
Regret
I regret leaving school so young.
Resent
Many conscripts resent having to do their military service.
Resist
She can never resist buying new shoes.
Risk
He risked being caught.
Sanction
They will not sanction copying without permission.
Start
He started tipping the pea pods into a pan.
Stop
I hoped he would stop asking awkward questions.
Suggest
Tracey suggested meeting for a drink after work.
Tolerate
We don’t tolerate smoking in the library.
Try
They decided they would try living in America for a while.