Viv Quarry's upper-intermediate/advanced 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.

I'm good at running.

He apologised for waking me up early.

After having lunch, we tidied up.

2. After certain verbs.

She denied stealing the money.

I enjoy visiting my relatives.

3. As subject or object of a sentence.

Living in a big city is exciting.

I find working in the city centre a pain in the neck.

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

I'm looking forward to meeting you.

We can't get used to driving on the left.

 

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

 

1. After certain verbs.

I didn't mean to do that.

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

I can't afford to go abroad this year.

I want (you) to go home.

3. After certain adjectives.

It's difficult to explain.

4. After certain nouns.

There's no need to ask for permission.

It's time to go.

5. To express purpose.

I came here to learn English.

6. After question words (how, where etc.) and compounds of 'some' and 'any' (somebody etc.)

I don't know what to do.

I'd like something to read.

7. With 'too' and 'enough' @

I was too tired to eat.

It's cold enough to snow.

8. Stative verbs are more common in the infinitive.

I began to like Susan. (not 'I began liking.')

 

Forms of the infinitive

 

Present simple:             I want to have an ice-cream.

Present continuous:      It's nice to be lying next to a swimming pool.

Perfect:                        I'd like to have seen his face when you told him.

Passive:                       I'd like to be promoted.

Modal verbs:               You should be working.

                                   She must have gone home early.

                                   This exercise must be done by tomorrow.

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

 

1. After modal and auxiliary verbs.

You mustn't do that again!

It should be done immediately.

 

2. After 'make' and 'let' in the active voice (in the passive, the full infinitive is used)

She made me do it again. / I was made to do it again.

He let me go home early (this is not possible in the passive)

 

Gerunds and infinitives - Special Cases

 

*          Like, love, hate, prefer (+)

 

            Sometimes both gerund and infinitive can be used:

            I like to get up early / getting up early.

 

            When these verbs refer to something in general, the gerund must be used.

            I like going to the beach.

 

            If they refer to one specific situation, the infinitive is more common:

            I like to cook a roast on Sunday afternoons.

 

            When 'like' means 'it's a good idea', use the infinitive:

            I like to go to the dentist regularly.

 

            After 'would' only the infinitive is possible:

            I'd love to see that film again.

 

**        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.  /       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.

 

*5        Help (sb) and ask (sb)

 

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

            He helped me tidy up the room.           /           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.

 

'Can't/couldn't help' means 'can't stop oneself' and is followed by the gerund.

I can't help buying chocolate when I'm at the supermarket.

 

*6        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.

 

*7        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.

 

A final note on gerunds and infinitives

 

Verbs of perception (see, hear, observe, notice, spot) can be used with both gerund and infinitive without 'to'.

I could hear her crying all night long.

I didn't hear you come in last night.

 

However, using the gerund suggests that the activity has duration and was in progress when it was perceived.

We heard him playing the piano.

I can smell something burning.

 

Infinitive without 'to' suggests that the whole, completed action is perceived.

I saw the girl fall off her horse.

I saw her walk across the room and take a gun out of the desk drawer.

Viv Quarry's intermediate grammar practice

Gerunds and infinitives

 

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

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

 

 

Viv Quarry's upper-intermediate/advanced grammar practice

 

Gerunds and infinitives exercises

 

Student's name _________________________      Date ___________________

 

Exercises taken from old Headway upper-intermediate workbook.

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