Gerunds and Infinitives — English — 3rd Year Secondary (Literary Stream) — Baccalaureate — Algerian Curriculum

Gerunds and Infinitives

Gerunds (verb+ing used as nouns) and infinitives (to + base verb) are verb forms that function as nouns, adjectives, or adverbs. Knowing when to use a gerund vs. an infinitive can be challenging, as some verbs are followed by gerunds, some by infinitives, and some by both with different meanings.

Gerund (Verb + -ing as Noun)

• As subject: “Swimming is good exercise.” “Reading improves your mind.”
• As object of a preposition: “I’m interested in learning French.” “She left without saying goodbye.”
• After certain verbs: enjoy, avoid, consider, suggest, finish, mind, practice, delay, imagine, miss, recommend. “I enjoy reading.” “She avoids eating junk food.”
• After expressions: it’s no use, it’s worth, can’t help, can’t stand, look forward to. “It’s worth trying.” “I look forward to meeting you.”

Infinitive (to + Verb)

• As subject: “To learn a language takes time.” (also: “It takes time to learn a language.”)
• Purpose: “I went to the library to study.”
• After certain verbs: want, need, hope, plan, decide, expect, promise, learn, choose, agree, refuse, seem, appear. “I want to travel.” “She hopes to pass the exam.”
• After adjectives: happy, glad, sad, difficult, easy, important. “I’m happy to see you.” “It’s important to study.”
• After question words: “I don’t know what to do.” “She taught me how to cook.”

Verbs that can take both (with meaning change)

• Stop: “I stopped smoking.” (quit the habit) vs “I stopped to smoke.” (paused to smoke).
• Remember: “I remember locking the door.” (past memory) vs “Remember to lock the door.” (future reminder).
• Forget: “I forgot meeting him.” (don’t remember) vs “Don’t forget to meet him.” (don’t neglect).
• Try: “Try pressing this button.” (experiment) vs “Try to press this button.” (make an effort).
• Regret: “I regret saying that.” (past) vs “I regret to inform you.” (formal apology).

For more grammar, see Conditionals and Passive Voice.

Exercises

1. Complete with gerund or infinitive: “I enjoy (read).” “She wants (travel).” “He stopped (smoke).”
2. Choose the correct form: “I remembered (lock/to lock) the door.” “I’ll never forget (meet/to meet) him.”
3. Write 2 sentences using gerunds as subjects and 2 using infinitives of purpose.

📍 دروس مشابهة:

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