After looking forward a gerund or infinitive. Gerund and infinitive in English: usage, verb combinations

The two groups of verbs below can be followed either by the gerund or by the infinitive. Usually this has no effect on the meaning, but with some verbs there is a clear difference in meaning. Verbs marked * can also be followed by a that-clause.

Below are two groups of verbs that can be followed by both a gerund and an infinitive. Usually this does not affect the meaning at all, but for some verbs are still clearly affected. Verbs marked with * can also be followed by a that-clause (a clause in a compound sentence beginning with that)

A. Verbs where there is little or no difference in meaning:

C. Verbs after which the use of a gerund or infinitive (almost) does not change the meaning

Notes: Notes:

1. allow is used in these two patterns:

1. Verb Allow (= allow, allow) used in two designs:

a. Allow + object + to-infinitive:

a.Allow + complement + to-infinitive:

• Her parents allowed her to go to the party.
• Her parents let her go to the party

b. allow + gerund:

b. Allow + gerund:

• Her parents don't allow smoking in the house.
• Her parents don't let her smoke at home (= ....smoking at home)
  

2. Deserve + gerund is not very common, but is mainly used with passive constructions or where there is a passive meaning:

2. Deserve = to deserve, to be worthy of something. Design Deserve + gerund occurs infrequently, mainly with a passive (passive) voice or in a passive sense:

• Your proposals deserve being considered in detail.
• Your proposals deserve careful consideration.
  
• These ideas deserve discussion.(= to be discussed).
• These ideas deserve to be discussed (= to be discussed)

3. The verbs hate, love, like, prefer are usually followed by a gerund when the meaning is general, and by a to-infinitive when they refer to a particular time or situation. You must always use the to-infinitive with the expressions "would love to", "would hate to", etc.

3. After verbs hate (=hate) , love(=love), like(=I like) , prefer(=prefer) put a gerund if these verbs have general meaning . If they belong to a specific time and place, then after them put to-infinitive. After expressions"would love to"(= would love to...), "would hate to"(= would absolutely not want to...) always use infinitive only

Compare: Compare:

• I hate to tell you, but Uncle Jim is coming this weekend.
• I hate to tell you this, but Uncle Jim is coming over for the weekend.
  
• I hate looking after elderly relatives!
• I don't like taking care of elderly relatives.
  
• I love dancing.
• I love to dance
  
• I would love to dance with you.
• I would like to (c) dance with you
  

After six months of intensive learning of English, almost every student is faced with two unique concepts - “gerund” and “infinitive”. They are not in our language in this form, and the complexity of their application lies in the similarity of translation and meaning, but in the difference in the structure and formation of the sentence. Neither the gerund nor the infinitive are most often the main members of the sentence; they are used as an addition and explanation, carrying important information.

Both options are verb forms used in colloquial speech to complement the main predicates. Which option to choose in a particular case depends on the purpose of the narrative, and the rules of use: gerund or infinitive, you need to learn by heart. Over time, the turns will settle down in the head and begin to be played intuitively. Let's consider each of them separately, determine the similarities and differences, and analyze the rules for their use in sentences.

No smoking, or don't enter in a tuxedo! What is Gerund?

Important information - the gerund is a verb, but there is no similar form in Russian, so the question What? (in some cases, What to do?) And the word is translated as a noun that is similar in meaning.

It can be compared with the adverbial turnover. In sentences, it acts as a subject or object. In structure, it is a verb + suffix -ing, for example, reading, dancing. Moreover, in translation, these words will sound like “reading” and “dancing”, respectively. Plural and singular look the same. You need to remember the main thing:

All verbs in the Gerund form have the -ing suffix, or "ing" ending, but not all words ending in "ing" are gerunds.

• Her singing is not good - her singing is not very good.
• I have finished explaining the rule. I have completed the explanation of the rule.

The phrase can be translated in another way, then the wording will become more understandable - "I finished explaining the rule." Here the gerund acts as an addition to the verb and reveals the main action of the speaker. Moreover, what is happening refers to the present or past tense, for such an action in the plans they use Infinitive.

The gerund is used in 3 main cases

• In conjunction with some prepositions before, in, after, instead of, good at;
• In expressions there is no point in, it's no good, it's no use;
• In conjunction with some main verbs, as an addition.
  If the gerund plays the role of the subject, then the sentence looks something like this:
  singing is very good for your mood - singing is good for your mood.
  smoking is prohibited - smoking is prohibited.

The gerund used with prepositions is already an object and is translated as follows:

• Before going out, please take your keys - before going out, please take the keys;
• She went to work instead of staying home and taking the medicine - she went to work instead of staying at home and taking the medicine.

The gerund form is used here because the action took place in the past and has an impact on the present moment. You should use a similar design in the following cases:

1. The action is not tied to time: no smoking! (Do not smoke!).
2. Some action is planned: we think of going Moscow in next weekend - we are thinking of going to Moscow next weekend.
3. If both verbs used describe the action taking place at the moment of the conversation: I'm surprised to hear it - I'm surprised to hear it.
4. The main action is a consequence of what is happening, indicated by the addition: I don’t remember doing it before - I don’t remember that I did it before.

Verbs followed by "gerund"

Separately, one should consider the situation when there is a bunch of two verbs, one of them should be in the form of an infinitive or gerund and supplement the main one. There are options when only one form can be used, when both are suitable without changing the meaning, and when the form of the verb affects the translation of the sentence. There are examples where the gerund and the infinitive bring completely different meanings to the story.

If the sentence contains one of the following verbs, then we use the gerund:

The gerund will always be used with them, and the link will be built as follows:

• V (verb) + v-ing.

How to recognize the infinitive?

The other side of the coin, or another form of the verb in the sentence, is the infinitive. It denotes an action that is shorter and shorter in time than the gerund. As a rule, the infinitive suggests doing something in the future, it is aimed at planned things, in order to achieve them, you need to take some action. For example:

• She asked me to protect her She asked me to protect her.

The infinitive suggests more general actions, while the gerund specifies the situation. Therefore, in the sentence in the first variant, everything is limited to verbs, and in the second variant they are often supplemented with explanations.

By structure, the infinitive is an indefinite, initial form of the verb and answers the questions What to do? and what to do? The word is translated in such a case as an action, and in a sentence it is used with the particle “to”. Moreover, two infinitives in a row are separated by the preposition "and", and the second is pronounced without "to". In this case, it is called "bare infinitive", or bare infinitive. Example:

• He went to the pool to swim and meet friends– he went to the pool to swim and meet his friends.

The infinitive is used in a sentence in the following cases:

1. After the adjectives glad, nice, good, happy and sorry: I'm glad to see you - I'm glad to see you.
2. To clarify the purpose of the action, when you can ask the question “Why?”: She told me a news to surprise me - She told me the news to surprise me.
3. After expressions with the word “would”, for example: I would like to read book - I would be glad to read a book.
4. After the modal verbs can, should, must, as well as after make and let, the infinitive is used without the “to” particle: I can take your bag - I can take your bag.
5. After the list of verbs such as agree, beg, choose, the list will be provided below.

To understand the rules for using the infinitive form, you should find out when it is used:

• To denote two actions occurring at the same time, and also if they go sequentially in the near future;
  - in case of designation of hopes, dreams, plans or desires;
• After modal verbs, or in conjunction with was and were, denoting the incompleteness, imperfection of the process: you should have stayed at home - you should have stayed at home;
• To indicate a long process preceding the statement in the present tense: I know that he played football for 3 years - I know him to play football for 3 years;

The infinitive is used in speech 2-3 times less often than the gerund. If you find it difficult to choose the correct form in a conversation, structure the phrase in such a way that it uses a familiar construction. The advantages of the gerund and the infinitive are in their interchangeability, depending on the situation and the wording in the sentence.

Verbs for the infinitive

For the infinitive form, the following construction is used:

• V (verb from the list) + V/ to V.

According to this scheme, it is easy to make options with the following words:

Here are the main verbs used in colloquial speech, they are quite enough for full communication with native speakers.

Similarities between gerund and infinitive

There are verbs and expressions after which you can put one or the other option without changing the meaning of the sentence. These include:

• To begin (start), to continue (continue), to intend (intend), to love (love), to start (start), to finish.

Examples of offers with such conditions:

• She began to cry/crying - She began to cry.
  - She continued to talk/talking - She continued to talk.
  - I love to dance / dancing - I love to dance.
  - We started to read / reading - We started reading.
  - They finished to discuss / discussing - They finished the discussion.

The main differences between the gerund and the infinitive

Despite the similarity of concepts and application, these two forms of the verb have several cardinal differences.

• Firstly, the infinitive explains a shorter action; a gerund is used to determine a long process.
• Secondly, in the prohibitions indicated on the tables, the gerund is used, it is more popular and is used almost 2 times more often.
• Thirdly, the infinitive indicates a predicted action planned in the future. Gerund indicates an event or process that is happening in the present or lasted in the past.

Each form has a list of verbs, with some you can use only the gerund, or only the infinitive, but there are words when both are applicable, but they have a different meaning.

For example, the verb "be anxious" can be translated as "strongly want" or "fear the consequences", depending on whether the gerund or infinitive comes after.

• I'm anxious about leaving my son alone in the house I'm afraid to leave my son at home alone.
• I'm anxious to hear your news I really want to hear your news.

And the verb "forget" in a similar sentence has a radically different meaning, depending on the "neighborhood".

• I forgot giving you my book– I forgot that I gave you a book (Past tense), or
• I forgot to give you my book I forgot to give you my book.

These verbs also include:

Despite the volume of information about the forms of gerunds and infinitives, remembering them is quite simple, especially with a high level of preparation. Start analyzing the intricacies of their use at the intermediate level, not earlier, then all the rules will be easier to perceive and easier to remember.

The easiest way to learn foreign words

In all the methods of any school, there are basic ways to quickly memorize foreign words so that you can then use them in speech. Each teacher builds lessons from a set of basic memorization methods:

• Visual;
• Auditory (by ear);
• Mechanical (writing);
• Associative.

• Work with educational materials - exercises, tasks, rules, schemes;
• Maintaining a personal dictionary for recording learned words and concepts and for repetition;
• Listening to songs and audio books in English, you can watch the news, listen to the radio or download material to the phone's memory;

• Watching videos: movies, cartoons, programs in English with or without subtitles;
• Conversational speech and communication with native speakers;
• Exchange of knowledge in group classes or individually by a teacher.

With the right combination of methods, with regular classes with the repetition of the material covered, understanding and getting used to will come in a couple of months. And you can start talking freely enough in a year and a half. The most effective way is always the most difficult - a trip for a long time to an English-speaking country without the opportunity to communicate with fellow countrymen. In extreme conditions, the brain is able to activate the accumulated resources and get a fairly good result in the shortest possible time.

As an afterword

Summing up the story about the features of English, I would like to outline the main points:

1. In Classical English, Gerundium accounts for about 80% of situations, while Infinitve is a bit behind. But the modern version of the language rules already speaks of the equal rights of these two forms, many schools replace the infinitive form with a gerund to simplify communication and understand the nuances.
2. For everyday communication, it is enough to remember the main verbs that precede each form, as well as the meaning attached to them. Some links will start playing automatically without thinking. Yes, and it will become much easier to translate, without focusing on the canons and rules.
3. Both the gerund and the infinitive have an important function for understanding the sentence as a whole, using them incorrectly can mislead the interlocutor. Therefore, you need to train more, do exercises and communicate in English.

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In English, after some verbs, both and can be used. At the same time, there may be no difference in meanings at all (or it will be insignificant), or the sentences will differ greatly in meaning.

Verbs followed by an infinitive or gerund without changing the meaning of the sentences

• begin- start:
  The children began to play.
  The children started playing.
  The children started to play.
• can't bear- do not endure, do not endure:
  He can't stand being alone.
  He can't bear being alone.
  He can't bear to be alone.
• can't stand- do not tolerate
  She hates working the night shift.
  She can't stand working the late shift.
  She can't stand to work the late shift.
• continue- continue:
  She continued to write.
  She continued writing.
  She continued to write.
• hate- hate:
  She hates washing dishes.
  She hates washing dishes.
  She hates to wash dishes.
• like- like, love
  I like to read.
  I like reading .
  I like to read .
• love- be in love:
  We love to travel.
  We love travelling.
  We love to travel.
• prefer- prefer:
  He prefers to eat bananas.
  He prefers eating bananas.
  He prefers eat bananas.
• propose- suggest:
  He offered to pay for the trip.
  He proposed paying for the trip.
  He proposed to pay for the trip.
• start- start:
  I started learning English.
  I started learning English.
  I start to learn English.

As we see above, after the listed verbs, the use of both the infinitive and the gerund is acceptable. In this case, they are practically interchangeable. But still, although small, there is a difference in meanings, especially often this is noticeable in the context. The infinitive denotes a shorter, concrete manifestation of an action, while the gerund suggests a process, that is, a longer action. It is also worth paying attention to the fact that the use of gerund implies that the speaker is referring to real experience and real actions. And the infinitive, on the contrary, suggests a possible experience and action.

He likes living in New York. He likes living in New York (he lives in New York and he likes it).

He likes to live in New York whenever he works in the USA. - He likes to live in New York when he works in the USA (he likes the option of living in New York when he comes to the USA on business, this is a short-term action).

Verbs followed by an infinitive or gerund with a change in the meaning of sentences

There are also verbs, after which either the infinitive or the gerund can be used, but the sentences will convey a different meaning.

The grammar of a foreign language always seems to be something complicated and incomprehensible. Therefore, very often those who study English are faced with the problem of using the infinitive and gerund.

When should you use one or the other? What is the difference between the gerund and the Table with words and grammatical forms can not always help. Unfortunately, there is no clear ground rule. However, here you can find the necessary hints.

Gerund for beginners

What kind of design is this, you ask? Gerund is close to a noun, which is formed by adding the ending -ing. For example, the word read in the gerund will sound like reading. This form of the verb can act as a subject or an object in a sentence.

For example:

• Reading helps you study subject.
• She likes reading -addition.

This form of the verb can also be in the negative form if not is added to it.

Some verbs require a gerund after their use. (See below for a complete list of these verbs.)

For example:

• She suggested eating at a cafe.

• Nancy keeps complaining about her issues.

Infinitive for beginners

The infinitive is with the addition of the particle to. So the word learn in the infinitive will sound like to learn.

Like the gerund, the infinitive can act as a subject or object.

For example:

• To learn is important- subject
• The most valuable thing is to learn - addition

The infinitive can also take a negative form when adding the particle not.

As in the case of the gerund, after a certain group of verbs, the initial form of the verb should be placed (see full list below).

For example:

• She want to visit her grandma.
• Lucy needs to cool down.

When to choose one or another design?

Both the infinitive and can be used as a subject or object in a sentence. However, the second in this case sounds like an ordinary Infinitive, in turn, it seems a little abstract.

That is, the gerund sounds more natural and is more common in colloquial speech. The infinitive, on the other hand, emphasizes the possibility or potential of something and sounds somehow philosophical. If this explanation confused you, then just remember that in 90% of cases the gerund acts as the subject and object in the sentence.

For example:

• Learning is important.
• To learn is important.
• The main thing is learning.
• The main thing is to learn.

It can be difficult to know whether to choose the -ing form or the infinitive as the subject. In such cases, both constructs are not mutually interchangeable. Usually the predicate determines what is needed in the sentence.

For example:

• She enjoy singing.
• She want to sing.

Enjoyrequires the use of a gerund after itself, andwant- infinitive.

For more advanced students

Now it’s worth moving on to complicated cases where you need a gerund and an infinitive in English. The table with explanations below will help you understand this.

Now you should be clearer on how to use the gerund and the infinitive in English. The example table only shows the most common cases.

Particular examples of the -ing form

When describing a sport, the following combination is often used: go + v-ing:

• I go jogging every morning.

This form is also used after prepositions. All words are difficult to remember, but the main thing is not to forget the "verb + preposition" structure. Usually it is in this case that the gerund comes next.

For example:

• My brother made up for forgetting my birthday.
• She is thinking about moving abroad.

In the cases "adjective/noun + preposition" the gerund should also be used. If you do not know the lists of such structures - do not worry. Just remember that after the preposition comes the gerund:

• She is scared of sleeping in the dark adjective + pretext.
• His desire of becoming an actor was well known noun + pretext.

More advanced use cases

Sometimes both the gerund and the infinitive can be placed, but the meaning in each variant will be different:

• Lucy remembered writing down the address. Lucy has memories of writing down the address.
• Scott remembered to take umbrella with him. Scott didn't forget to take an umbrella with him.

Sometimes the infinitive and gerund in English after verbs can have a slight difference in translation:

• She like dancing. - She likes dancing.
• She likes to dance. - She likes to dance.

Although in this case the result is almost identical in meaning, there is still a difference. The gerund suggests that you are talking about actual actions and experiences. The infinitive, on the other hand, indicates that you are talking about potential or opportunities. It is because of this small difference in meaning that it is not always possible to interchange the gerund and the infinitive in English. Table - help! Contact her for help! It contains the following examples:

• The writer like living in California. - The writer likes life in California.
  
• The writer likes to live in California whenever he comes to the United States. - The writer likes the opportunity to live in California when he comes to the USA.

Many combinations be + adjective are used before the infinitive:

• He was anxious to start.
• She was happy to get such good critics.

There are also nouns after which it is usually used:

• It was a wonderful decision to start new.
• Hana's desire to work amazed me.

Some verbs before the gerund

There is a separate list of words for each case. It should be noted that sometimes you can alternate between a gerund and an infinitive in English. The table contains words suitable for one and the other cases. Therefore, be careful. Sometimes the meaning does not change with such a replacement, in other cases the use of one form or another can completely change the translation of the sentence. Also note that it is not always necessary to translate words in -ing form into Russian as a noun. Look for equivalents that are more suitable for our speech in sentences where the gerund and infinitive are used in English. The table with the translation, which you see below, names the main ones.

Does the table help to understand the rules for gerund and infinitive in English? Photos of information on the board at school can always be taken.

However, since the material is poorly remembered, it is best to write it down in a notebook by hand.

When is the best time to use the initial form?

Among these words, there can also be a gerund and an infinitive in English. The verb table is not limited to this list, only an abbreviated version is presented here.

What are the gerund and infinitive in English? The verb table will help to understand the construction even for a beginner.

Of course, here are only the main verbs, but they will be enough for you for the first time.

After some verbs, both the infinitive with the particle to and the -ing form of the verb can be used. In this case, the verbs will have different meanings.

• forget + particle infinitive to- to forget, not to remember.

I ready to buy a present for Ann's birthday. I forgot to buy birthday present for Ann.

• forget + -ing form of the verb - not to remember events in the past.

She'll never forget visiting London. She never won't forget his trip to London.

• remember + particle infinitive to- to remember, not to forget.

Do you remember to call Ashley? You remember that should call Ashley?

• remember + -ing the form of the verb is to remember something in the past.

He remembers lending me his book. He remembers what he borrowed me my book.

• mean + particle infinitive to- intend to do something.

Our teacher meant to check your test but he was in a hurry. Our teacher was going to check your test, but he was in a hurry.

• mean +-ing the form of the verb is to imply, to suppose.

growing up means having new problems. growing up implies new problems.

• + particle infinitive to- regretting the need for something unpleasant (usually used in Present Simple (present simple tense) with verbs such as say(speak), tell(to tell), inform(inform), announce(announce, report)

I Regret to tell you haven't passed the test. to me it's a pity but you didn't pass the test.

• +-ing verb form - to regret something.

I regret telling you lie. I regret that lied to you.

• try + particle infinitive to- to try, try to do your best.

I tried to do my best. I tried with all my might.

• try +-ing verb form - to try something as an experiment.

If you want to lose your weight try exercising more. If you want to lose weight try to do more physical exercise.

• stop + particle infinitive to stop temporarily to do something.

As she was driving home, she stopped to buy some food. She is stopped to buy groceries on the way home.

• stop + -ing verb form - to stop doing something.

If you want to be slim you should stop eating sweets. If you want to be slim, you should stop eating so much sweet.

• go on + particle infinitive to End an action and start a new one.

We did the washing up, then went on to tidy up the kitchen. We finished washing the dishes and started cleaning kitchens.

• go on + -ing verb form - keep doing something.

He went on talking about his new job for an hour. He went on talking about his new job within an hour.

• want + particle infinitive to- to desire, to want something.

I want to travel to Japan. I I want to go on a trip across Japan.

• want + -ing verb form - something requires some action.

my flat wants cleaning. My apartment needs cleaning.

• hate + particle infinitive to- feel dissatisfied with the previous action.

I hate to tell you this, but you are not in our team anymore. I don't want to tell you it's (it's very hard for me to say this) but you're not on our team anymore.

• hate + -ing form of the verb - not to like what you have to do.

my sister hates waking up early. My sister hates waking up early.

I hate troubling you, but could you give me a hand? I'm sorry to ask you this, but could you help me?

• be afraid+ infinitive with particle to- to be afraid to do something, to hesitate, to doubt.

He was afraid to go there on his own. He is too afraid to go there one.

• be afraid of + -ing verb form - to be afraid of something, which means -ing verb form.

When exercising together I'm afraid of injuring you. During joint training I'm afraid by chance offend you.

Verbs with an infinitive with a particle to or -ing form without a difference in meaning Cartoons in English for Beginners