Viv Quarry's intermediate grammar practice (www.vivquarry.com)

 

Gerunds and infinitives

 

Student's name _________________________      Date ___________________

 

The gerund (verb in the present form + 'ing') is used:

 

1. After prepositions and adverbs.

2. After certain verbs.

3. As subject or object of a sentence.

4. After some expressions and verbs which are followed by the preposition 'to'.

 

 

The infinitive ('to' + the present form of the verb) is used:

 

1. After certain verbs.

2. After some verbs followed by an object (sb/sth).

3. After some certain adjectives.

4. To express purpose.

5. After questions words (how, where etc.) and compounds of 'some' and 'any' (somebody, nothing etc.)

 

 

Infinitive without 'to' (present form of the verb) is used:

 

1. After modal and auxiliary verbs.

2. After 'make' and 'let'

 

 

Gerunds and infinitives - Special Cases

 

*          Begin, continue and start

 

These verbs can be followed by both gerund and infinitive except in the present continuous

form, where the infinitive must be used

 

It started raining.                                  or

 

It started to rain.

 

Look! It's starting to rain!

 

 

**        Stop

 

Stop + Gerund = Finish one action

 

She's angry with me and has stopped talking to me.

 

            Stop + Infinitive = Stop one action and start another

 

I saw Jane and she stopped to talk to me. (she stopped walking and we started chatting)

 

***      Try

 

            Try + Gerund = What you do to get what you want.

 

            I wanted to improve my English so I tried having private classes.

 

            Try + Infinitive = Your objective, what you want to do.

 

            I tried to learn English but I didn't have enough time to study properly.

 

In the continuous tenses, the infinitive is used

 

He's been trying to learn the piano.

 

 

****    Help (sb) and ask (sb)

 

            Help + sb. can be followed by infinitive or infinitive without 'to'

 

            He helped me tidy up the room.           or

 

            He helped me to tidy up the room.

 

 

If there is no direct object (sb) then infinitive without 'to' is more natural.

 

He helped tidy up the room.

 

 

*5        Remember & forget

 

Remember / forget + Gerund = Sth which happened before or in the past.

 

I remember having to wake up very early when I was at school

 

I'll never forget arriving at work for the first time.

 

Remember / forget + Infinitive = Sth which happened after or will happen in the future.

 

Please remember to buy some more sugar when you go to the supermarket

 

Don't forget to pay the electricity bill tomorrow.

 

 

*6        Need

 

If a person is the subject of the sentence, the infinitive is used:

 

John needs to take his cat to the vet's.

 

If a thing is the subject of the sentence, the gerund is more common.

 

The grass needs cutting.

 

Viv Quarry's intermediate grammar practice

 

Gerunds and infinitives

 

Student's name _________________________      Date ___________________

 

 

Verb patterns

 

Here is a list of the verbs and expressions and the form which any verb which follows them should take:

 

Here are examples of the three forms using the verb 'to do'.

 

Gerund = doing                       Infinitive = to do                      Infinitive without 'to' = do

 

 

 

Viv Quarry's intermediate grammar practice

 

Gerunds and infinitives exercises

 

Answer these questions using the verbs given:

 

Example:          Why does Tom go to the cinema so often? He likes watching films on a big screen.

 

Why does Ann watch tv so often? (enjoy) She ___________________________________________

 

Why does Jack take so many photos? (like) _____________________________________________

 

Why don't you work in the evenings? (hate) _____________________________________________

 

Put the verb into the correct form using a gerund or infinitive

 

Example:          I enjoy being (be) alone.

                        Would you like to come (come) to a party?

 

It shouldn't be difficult to talk to John. Have you tried __________________ (phone) him at home?

 

I wouldn't like __________________ (live) here. There's nothing __________________ (do) at night!

 

My boss always expects me __________________ (arrive) at work early.

 

Would you mind  __________________ (open) the window? It's very hot in here.

 

Ann began __________________ (wash) up after she'd finished __________________ (cook)

 

I can't stand people __________________ (tell) me what to do when I'm driving.

 

Did you forget __________________ (post) my letter?

 

I'm looking forward to  __________________ (go) to Bahia.

 

When  __________________ (work) at home, I need __________________ (have) complete silence.

 

We tried __________________ (put) the fire out but we weren't successful.

 

That's strange! I don't remember __________________ (lend) you my notebook.

 

Make your own sentences using one of the verbs below in each sentence.

 

 be surprised                can't stand                   let sb                           (don't) like                   make sb

 

I ­­­­­­­­­­______________________________________________________________________________

 

I ­­­­­­­­­­______________________________________________________________________________

 

I ­­­­­­­­­­______________________________________________________________________________

 

My mother ______________________________________________________________________

 

My teacher ______________________________________________________________________

 

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