Viv Quarry's pre-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.
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 (Why did you buy that cloth? To clean the windows)
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'
|
GERUND |
INFINITIVE |
INFINITIVE WITHOUT 'TO' |
|
|
Prepositions and adverbs. |
Verbs |
Adjectives |
Modal and auxiliary verbs |
|
after |
agree |
be easy |
sth./sb. doesn't |
|
before |
decide |
be hard |
Does sth./sb? |
|
for |
hope |
be important |
Doesn't sth./sb.? |
|
in |
manage |
be impossible |
sth./sb. didn't |
|
on |
refuse |
be lovely |
Did sth./sb.? |
|
|
|
be pleased |
Didn't sth./sb.? |
|
Verbs |
Verb (+ object)*5 |
be surprised |
|
|
enjoy |
need (sb) |
be unusual |
can / can't |
|
finish |
want (sb) |
|
could / couldn't |
|
hate |
would like (sb.) |
Question words |
will /won't |
|
like |
|
how |
would / wouldn't |
|
prefer |
Verb + object |
what |
should / shouldn't |
|
|
ask sb. |
where |
must / mustn't |
|
|
expected sb. |
when |
may / may not |
|
Special cases |
invite sb. |
who |
might / might not |
|
begin* |
tell sb. |
|
|
|
continue* |
|
Compounds |
Verbs |
|
start* |
be starting* |
anybody |
let sb. |
|
stop** |
stop** |
everywhere |
make sb. |
|
try*** |
try*** |
nothing |
|
|
|
help sb.**** |
something |
help sb.**** |
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.
**** Help
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 Need, Want & Would like
These verbs can either be followed
by an object pronoun (you, her, him
etc.) or directly by
the infinitive.
I'd like you to help me.
I'd like to help you.