Gerunds & Infinitives
The verb’s two faces
When does a verb wear an -ing coat and act like a noun? When does it slip on a to and stay timeless? Most learner errors with English verbs come from this single decision. Nine sections of rules, the seven dangerous “both” verbs, and ten worksheets at every CEFR level.
No. 01 — Foundations
The two faces of a verb.
Most languages have one form for “the verb-as-noun” idea. English has two — the gerund and the infinitive — and the rules for choosing between them are mostly idiomatic. Learn the patterns, then memorise a small list of awkward verbs, and you’ve covered 95% of usage.
The verb-noun
verb + -ing — acting as a noun.
A gerund behaves like a noun. It can be the subject of a sentence, the object of a verb, or follow a preposition.
The timeless verb
to + base verb — not anchored to a tense.
An infinitive describes the verb in its purest form. It can express purpose, follow an adjective, or act as the object of certain verbs.
Forms beyond the basic
Both forms have negative, perfect, and passive variants. You’ll see these often at B2+ and in academic writing.
No. 02 — Gerund
When to use the gerund.
Three classic scenarios cover almost every gerund you’ll meet.
As the subject or object of a sentence
Subject / ObjectWhenever the verb is doing the work of a noun, use the gerund. This includes when it’s the doer (subject), the receiver (object), or after the verb be.
After a preposition
After any prepositionPrepositions always take a noun afterwards — and a gerund is a verb-noun. Whenever you see a preposition, the verb that follows it goes into the -ing form.
The trap zone: these prepositions also take a gerund — before, after, by, without, instead of, despite, while. So: “Before leaving, lock the door”. “He apologised without admitting fault”.
After specific verbs
Closed list — see Section 7Some English verbs simply demand the gerund. There’s no rule for which ones — you have to learn them as patterns. Common ones: enjoy, miss, suggest, finish, avoid, mind, keep, recommend, deny, admit, consider.
Fixed expressions to memorise: it’s no use, it’s worth, there’s no point, can’t help, can’t stand + gerund. “It’s no use complaining“.
No. 03 — Infinitive
When to use the infinitive.
Four scenarios — in each one the infinitive answers a particular question: why?, how qualified?, which option?, with whom?
To specify why — purpose
In order toThe “to” + verb form often answers the question why? — expressing the purpose of an action.
More formal alternatives: in order to, so as to. “We met in order to discuss the proposal”.
After adjectives
It is + adjectiveWhen you describe how something feels (easy, difficult, hard, important, possible, impossible, fun, dangerous, free), the verb that follows takes the infinitive.
After question words
Not in actual questionsWhen question words appear inside a statement — where, what, when, why, how, who, which — they’re commonly followed by the infinitive.
After object + person/pronoun
tell + somebody + toMany verbs in English take this pattern: verb + object + to-infinitive. The object (a person or pronoun) tells you who is being asked, told, advised, etc.
Common verbs in this pattern: tell, ask, advise, encourage, persuade, warn, remind, expect, want, invite, allow, force, order, teach.
No. 04 — Bare infinitive
When you drop the “to”.
The “bare infinitive” is the base verb form — go, do, eat, run — without “to”. It appears in five contexts. Master these and you’ll never again write “Let me to help” or “You must to leave”.
After modal verbs
can / must / should / will…All modals take the bare infinitive: can, could, may, might, must, shall, should, will, would. There’s no “to” between the modal and the verb.
The big exception: ought to looks and acts like a modal but takes “to” — “You ought to apologise”. The semi-modals dare and need also take the bare infinitive, but only in negatives and questions: “Dare I ask?”, “You needn’t worry”.
After let, make, see, hear, feel, watch, notice + object
Sense & causative verbsThese verbs take an object first, then the bare infinitive of the action. The object is usually a person.
Bare infinitive vs. -ing: with sense verbs, both work, but the meaning shifts. “I saw her cross the road” = I saw the whole action, start to finish. “I saw her crossing the road” = I saw her in the middle of the action.
Two passive exceptions: in the passive, make takes “to” — “He was made to apologise“. Sense verbs in the passive also take “to” — “She was heard to mutter under her breath”. The verb let doesn’t normally appear in the passive at all — use “He was allowed to…” instead.
After help (+ object) + verb
Both forms acceptedAfter help, both the bare infinitive and “to + verb” are correct. The bare form is slightly more common in modern English, especially in conversation.
Object is optional with help: “She helped clear the table” works just as well as “She helped us clear the table”.
After “would rather”, “had better”, “why not…?”, “rather than”
Fixed expressionsA handful of fixed expressions take the bare infinitive. Memorise these as set phrases.
“Rather than” symmetry: the verb after “rather than” usually mirrors the verb before it. If the first verb is bare (after would, had, or in an imperative), the second is bare too.
In cleft constructions — “All I do is…”
B2+ · emphatic structuresWhen you front a sentence with “All I do is…”, “All you have to do is…”, or “What he wants is…”, the verb after the linking is / was is typically a bare infinitive.
The “to” is optional — just less natural. In formal writing you’ll occasionally see “All I do is to sleep“, but in everyday English the bare form is much more common.
No. 05 — Both forms
Verbs that take both.
Some verbs accept both gerund and infinitive. Sometimes the meaning stays the same; sometimes it changes completely. The second group is the single most-asked grammar question at B2 — learn them as a set.
These verbs accept either form with little or no difference in meaning. With like, love, hate, prefer, both forms work in everyday speech.
Subtle differences worth knowing:
The gerund often suggests a general or habitual activity: “I love reading“ = reading in general.
The infinitive often points to a specific occasion or feeling: “I’d love to read that book” = a particular book.
After would like, would love, would prefer, would hate — only the infinitive works. “I would like to swim”, never “I would like swimming”.
Seven verbs change meaning completely depending on which form follows. Memorise these. The difference between “stop smoking” (quit) and “stop to smoke” (pause your activity to have a cigarette) is one of the funnier ways an English learner accidentally tells the truth.
stop
stop + gerund
She stopped smoking last year.
= She quit smoking.
stop + infinitive
She stopped to smoke a cigarette.
= She paused her activity in order to smoke.
remember
remember + gerund
I remember locking the door.
= I have a clear memory of doing it (in the past).
remember + infinitive
Remember to lock the door!
= Don’t forget to do this (in the future).
forget
forget + gerund
I’ll never forget meeting her.
= The memory will always stay with me.
forget + infinitive
I forgot to lock the door.
= I failed to do it (couldn’t recall the task).
try
try + gerund
Try opening the window if you’re hot.
= Experiment with this method — it’s an easy thing to try.
try + infinitive
I tried to open the window but it was stuck.
= I attempted with effort.
regret
regret + gerund
I regret saying that.
= I’m sorry about something I did in the past.
regret + infinitive
We regret to inform you that…
= I’m sorry about what I’m about to tell you (formal).
mean
mean + gerund
Promotion means working longer hours.
= It involves / has the consequence of.
mean + infinitive
I meant to apologise earlier.
= I intended to do it.
go on
go on + gerund
She went on talking for an hour.
= She continued the same activity.
go on + infinitive
She went on to become CEO.
= She moved on to a different / next stage.
No. 06 — Reporting verbs
Reporting what someone said.
When you report what someone said or thought, English splits the verbs into four patterns. Get the pattern right and your reported speech is grammatical. Each pattern has its own colour-coded card below.
Reporting + gerund
No object between the reporting verb and the gerund. The gerund describes what was reported.
He admitted stealing the money.
She suggested going to the cinema.
They denied being involved.
The committee recommended postponing the meeting.
He acknowledged making a serious error.
I recall meeting her at a conference last year.
Reporting + infinitive
No object between the reporting verb and the infinitive. Often used for offers, promises and refusals.
He agreed to help with the project.
She promised to call as soon as she landed.
They refused to leave the building.
The minister vowed to investigate the matter.
He pretended not to notice the mistake.
She volunteered to lead the new committee.
Reporting + someone + infinitive
An object — person or pronoun — sits between the reporting verb and the infinitive. The most common pattern in everyday reported speech.
She told him to leave.
They asked me to help with the move.
He warned us not to go alone.
The doctor advised her to rest for a week.
The teacher encouraged the students to ask more questions.
His parents persuaded him to apply for the scholarship.
Reporting + preposition + gerund
A specific preposition links the reporting verb to a gerund. Some take an object before the preposition (accuse him of); some don’t (apologise for).
He apologised for being late.
She insisted on paying for the meal.
The judge accused him of lying under oath.
They congratulated her on winning the prize.
He confessed to taking the documents.
She blamed me for forgetting the keys.
A note on say. Say doesn’t follow any of these four patterns — it takes a “that” clause: “He said that he would help“. Don’t confuse say with tell — tell takes an object (“He told me that…”); say doesn’t (“He said that…”, never “He said me that…”).
Multi-pattern verbs. A few verbs work in more than one pattern with different shades of meaning. Recommend, suggest, propose can take a gerund (Pattern A) or a “that” clause: “She suggested going / She suggested that we go”. Promise, warn, advise can take infinitive (B), object + infinitive (C), or “that” clause — pick the one that fits.
No. 07 — Verb banks
The three families of verbs.
Search any verb to find which family it belongs to. The matching chip will highlight; categories that have no match will dim.
+ -ing
+ to + verb
+ either ★
★ different meaning — see Section 5.
No. 08 — Common mistakes
The traps — and how to avoid them.
L1 transfer, false-friend prepositions, and a few specific verb patterns cause most of the gerund/infinitive errors at B1+. These are the ones to memorise.
I’m interested to know more.
interested in knowing
“Interested” takes in, and prepositions take gerunds. The same trap with: good at -ing, afraid of -ing, fond of -ing.
I look forward to meet you.
look forward to meeting you
The “to” in look forward to is a preposition, not a particle. So a gerund must follow. Same with: be used to, get used to, object to, confess to.
I’m used to drink coffee in the morning.
used to drinking coffee
Be / get used to means “accustomed to” and takes a gerund. Don’t confuse with used to + bare infinitive, which describes a past habit: “I used to drink coffee” = I drank coffee in the past, but not now.
He suggested me to go.
suggested going / suggested that I go
Suggest never takes object + infinitive. Use a gerund or a “that” clause.
I avoid to eat sugar.
avoid eating sugar
Several common verbs are gerund-only: avoid, enjoy, finish, mind, miss, deny, admit, suggest. They never take “to”.
Let me to help you.
Let me help you
Let, make, see, hear, feel, watch, notice + object + bare infinitive. No “to”. “She made me laugh“, not “to laugh”.
Despite to be tired, she finished.
Despite being tired, she finished
Despite, in spite of, instead of are prepositions — gerund follows. Same trap with by, without, before, after.
Stop to smoke! It’s bad for you.
Stop smoking
Use the gerund when you mean quit. Use the infinitive only when you mean pause your activity in order to do something else — “He stopped to smoke a cigarette”.
The two used tos — side by side
I used to drink coffee.
= I drank it in the past, but not now (past habit).
I’m used to drinking coffee.
= I’m accustomed to it (it’s normal for me).
No. 09 — Decision flowchart
Pick the form, see the rule.
Answer one or two questions about your sentence. The page tells you which form to use, why, and gives you an example. Use it as a quick lookup or as a self-test.
What sits in front of the verb?
Click an answerIn your sentence, what comes immediately before the gap?
No. 10 — Practice
Now try ten. By level.
Ten worksheets — two for every CEFR level. Pick your level, choose general (gerund vs. infinitive across all patterns) or BOTH-meaning (the seven dangerous verbs). Right answers go green; wrong go red with a hint.