GERUNDS AND INFINITIVES

Form and Uses

Form

Gerund: you add –ing to a verb: ie. Meet > Meeting

Infinitive: you add “to” before the base form of a verb: ie. Meet > To meet

Uses: the gerund

We use the gerund:

After some verbs: Suggest, recommend, like/dislike/prefer,

love/hate, enjoy, finish, miss, continue, avoid, go+activity, risk, keep.

ie. I suggested going to the cinema (Propuse ir al cine)

In some expressions: Feel like (Tener ganas de) It´s no use (No merece la pena) Get used to / Be used to (Estar

acostumbrandose / Estar acostumbrado) Can´t stand (No poder soportar) Can´t help (No poder evitar) Don´t mind (no importar)

ie. I don´t mind cleaning my room

Uses: the gerund

As subject in a sentence when we talk about general actions ie. Finding solutions to some problems is not

easy (Encontrar soluciones a algunos problemas no es fácil)

Uses: the gerund

After prepositions

ie. I´m interested in studying maths

By (to say how to do something): You can get to sleep by wearing this watch-like gadget

For (to describe the function or purpose of something): It’s a gadget for opening bottles.

After, before, …

Uses: the gerund

Uses: the infinitive + TO

After some verbs, such as: Want / wish / hope / expect Agree Appear / seem Choose / Continue Decide Learn /manage Plan Promise /ask /prepare / pretend Refuse

ie. I want to travel around the country next year

After some adjectives and adverbs Happy to Slowly to

ie. I´m happy to be here / He ran too slowly to win

Uses: the infinitive + TO

After the indirect object of some verbs, such as: ADVISE, INVITE, TELL, WARN, TEACH, PERSUADE ie. He advised me to go to the doctor (Me

aconsejó que fuese al médico) His mother wants him to tidy his bedroom.

(Su madre quiere que él ordene su habitación) The teacher is asking us to sing a song. (La

profesora nos está pidiendo que cantemos una canción)

Uses: the infinitive + TO

Verbs related to perception (HEAR, FEEL, SEE,…) and MAKE / LET are followed by infinitive without to ie. I saw Eric leave the office / Their

parents make them clean their room

Uses: the infinitive without TO

VERBS FOLLOWED BY EITHER A GERUND OR AN INFINITIVE

Begin Propose (proponer) Forbid Intend (tener la intención de)

ie.They started answering the letter / They started to answer the letter

VERBS WITH A CHANGE OF MEANING

Stop gerund = stop doing something that you are doing

Stop infinitive = stop doing something that you are doing to start another activity ie. He stopped going out with Mary (Dejó

de salir con Mary) / He stopped to have a coffee (Paró para tomar un café)

Remember gerund = an action in the past

Remember infinitive = an action in the future

I remember meeting him at a party / I remembered to close the window

VERBS WITH A CHANGE OF MEANING

Forget gerund = we have forgotten something that happened

Forget infinitive = we have forgotten something we had to do

ie. I forgot seeing him at a party / I forgot to close the door

VERBS WITH A CHANGE OF MEANING

Try gerund = do something to see what happens

Try infinitive = attempt something difficult

ie. Patiens who tried having acupuncture had fewer headaches. / He tried to stop smoking last year

VERBS WITH A CHANGE OF MEANING