Gerunds and Infinitives: Verb Patterns
In English, some verbs are followed by a gerund (verb + -ing), others by an infinitive (to + verb), and some can take both with a change in meaning.
What is a Gerund?
A gerund is the -ing form of a verb used as a noun: swimming, reading, cooking.
Verbs followed by Gerunds: enjoy, avoid, suggest, finish, mind, practice, consider, admit, deny, imagine, keep, miss, recommend, risk, stop, give up, put off.
- I enjoy reading novels.
- She suggested going to the park.
- He avoids eating junk food.
What is an Infinitive?
An infinitive is to + base verb: to swim, to read, to cook.
Verbs followed by Infinitives: want, need, hope, plan, decide, expect, agree, promise, refuse, learn, offer, seem, appear, manage, fail, pretend, tend, threaten, volunteer, wish.
- I want to learn English.
- She decided to study medicine.
- They hope to travel soon.
Verbs that take Both (with change in meaning)
- Stop + gerund: I stopped smoking. (I quit)
- Stop + infinitive: I stopped to smoke. (I paused in order to)
- Remember + gerund: I remember locking the door. (past memory)
- Remember + infinitive: Remember to lock the door. (future obligation)
Practice more with Present Perfect Continuous and Second Conditional.
📍 دروس مشابهة
- English — Time Clauses: When, While, Before, After, As Soon As — 3rd Year Middle School
- English — Expressing Certainty and Uncertainty: Must, Can’t, May, Might, Could — 3rd Year Middle School
- English — Making Polite Requests: Can, Could, Will, Would, May — 3rd Year Middle School
مدونة التربية و التعليم في الجزائر – دروس، فروض، نتائج امتحانات مدونة التربية والتعليم في الجزائر | تحضير الدروس، فروض واختبارات، نتائج البكالوريا وBEM، مسابقات التوظيف، والتوجيه المدرسي للطلاب وأولياء الأمور.