Cerunds and lniniLives

ParL Fasy and Clear Rules

1he gerund can be used as Lhe subjecL o a senLence.
FaLing Loo much asL ood is noL good or your healLh.
Playing baskeLball is very un.

Use lL is [adjecLive] Lo . (ininiLive) Lo make Lhe ininiLive Lhe subjecL o a senLence.
lL's noL good or your healLh Lo eaL Loo much asL ood.
lL's very un Lo play baskeLball.

Use Lhe gerund aLer a preposiLion.
l'm Lired o doing Lhe same Lhing over and over gain every day.
1hey are exciLed abouL aLLending Lhe meeLing Lomorrow.
l'm looking orward Lo hearing rom you soon.
She's used Lo driving aL nighL

Use Lhe ininiLive aLer an adjecLive.
l was surprised Lo see her aL Lhe parLy yesLerday.
1hey were anxious Lo meeL wiLh Lhe presidenL Lhis weekend.
l'm glad Lo meeL you.

Use Lhe ininiLive wiLh cerLain nouns.
l sLill have a liLLle Lime Lo Lalk wiLh you LonighL.
1hey have a loL o books Lo read or Lheir reading class.
He doesn'L have permission Lo use Lhe lab compuLers.

Use Lhe ininiLive Lo explain Lhe purpose o an acLion.
l came here (in order) Lo sLudy Fnglish.

PuL noL jusL beore Lhe gerund or Lhe ininiLive Lo make iL negaLive.
NoL doing your homework is a big misLake.
She was angry abouL noL being inviLed Lo Lhe recepLion.
l decided noL Lo go Lhere Lomorrow.
1ry noL Lo be laLe.

. verb [someone] Lo . (ininiLive)
He Lold us Lo sLay home.
l wanL you Lo be Lhe besL sLudenL in class.
She advised me noL Lo Lake such a risk.



Use Lhe gerund aLer a possessive (my, Lheir, 1om's, eLc.)
l appreciaLe your inviLing me Lo Lhe parLy.
We are proud o Mary's winning Lhe irsL place in Lhe race.










ParL 2
Cerunds and lniniLives Following verbs as 1heir ObjecLs
More DiiculL PoinLs -- A Ceneral Principle
(1his is jusL a principle. 1here are a loL o excepLions.)




1he gerund oLen expresses someLhing real, vivid, or compleLed.
[An acLion is being perormed (or an evenL is going on) aL Lhe same Lime as Lhe
Lime o Lhe main verb or has already happened (or compleLed) beore Lhe Lime o
Lhe main verb.]

CorrecL

lncorrecL
Peggy enjoys running.
l've inished doing my homework.
*
*
Peggy enjoys Lo run.
l've inished Lo do my homework.




1he ininiLive very oLen expresses Lhe idea or Lhe possibiliLy o an
acLion occurring.
[1he acLion is imagined or is in Lhe uLure.]

CorrecL

lncorrecL
l wanL Lo go Lhere.
He decided Lo quiL his job.
*
*
l wanL going Lhere.
He decided quiLLing his job.




CerLain verbs are ollowed by eiLher an ininiLive or a gerund wiLhouL
any dierence in meaning.
She likes skiing.
lL began raining.
She likes Lo ski.
lL began Lo rain.




Some oLher verbs are ollowed by boLh o Lhem, buL Lhe meaning
changes. 1he general principle applies Lo Lhose verbs well.


l remember Lurning Lhe lighL o.
(l Lurned o Lhe lighL and remember my acLion. 1urning Lhe lighL o happened beore
remembering iL.)

Please remember Lo Lurn o Lhe lighL beore l leave home.
(Please remember LhaL you will have Lo Lurn o Lhe lighL beore you leave home.)

He won'L orgeL visiLing Lhe museum lasL summer.

He doesn'L orgeL Lo hand in his homework on Lime.

l regreL iring my secreLary lasL week.

l regreL Lo inorm you LhaL you ailed Lhe exam.


2002, 2005, 2007, 202 CopyrighL 1heShqiprim.