English – Gerunds and Infinitives: Advanced Usage – BAC Literary Stream

English – Gerunds and Infinitives: Advanced Usage – BAC Literary Stream

Gerunds (verb + ing used as a noun) and infinitives (to + verb) are verb forms that function as nouns, adjectives, or adverbs in sentences. Knowing which verbs are followed by gerunds, infinitives, or both is essential for the BAC exam.

1. Verbs followed by Gerunds (Verb + ing):

Some common verbs are always followed by a gerund:

• enjoy: “I enjoy reading books.”
• suggest: “She suggested going to the cinema.”
• avoid: “You should avoid making mistakes.”
• consider: “He considered changing his job.”
• admit: “They admitted stealing the money.”
• deny: “She denied breaking the vase.”
• mind: “Do you mind waiting for a moment?”
• finish: “I finished writing the report.”
• practice: “You should practice speaking English.”
• imagine: “Can you imagine living on Mars?”

2. Verbs followed by Infinitives (to + verb):

Common verbs followed by infinitives:

• want: “I want to become a doctor.”
• hope: “She hopes to pass the exam.”
• decide: “They decided to travel abroad.”
• promise: “He promised to help me.”
• refuse: “She refused to answer the question.”
• learn: “I learned to swim when I was young.”
• need: “You need to study harder.”
• plan: “We plan to visit Algiers.”

3. Verbs followed by Gerund OR Infinitive (with meaning change):

• Stop + gerund = quit an action. “I stopped smoking.” (I don’t smoke anymore)
• Stop + infinitive = pause to do something. “I stopped to smoke.” (I paused another action)
• Remember + gerund = recall. “I remember meeting her.” (I recall the event)
• Remember + infinitive = not forget. “I remembered to lock the door.” (I didn’t forget)
• Forget + gerund = not recall. “I will never forget seeing the Pyramids.”
• Forget + infinitive = not remember. “I forgot to bring my book.”
• Try + gerund = experiment. “Try adding more salt.” (experiment)
• Try + infinitive = make an effort. “I tried to open the door.” (made an effort)

4. Gerunds after Prepositions:

Always use a gerund after a preposition:

• “Thank you for coming.”
• “She is good at singing.”
• “Before leaving, check your bags.”
• “He left without saying goodbye.”

5. Infinitives after Adjectives:

“It is important to study.” / “She is ready to leave.” / “I am happy to see you.”

BAC Exercise:

Fill in the blanks with the correct form (gerund or infinitive):

1. I enjoy ___ (swim) in the sea.
2. She decided ___ (study) medicine.
3. He stopped ___ (smoke) last year.
4. I remember ___ (visit) that museum when I was a child.
5. Thank you for ___ (help) me.

Answers: 1. swimming, 2. to study, 3. smoking, 4. visiting, 5. helping

Similar Lessons

• English – Gerunds and Infinitives: When to Use
• English – Phrasal Verbs: Common Phrasal Verbs

📍 دروس مشابهة

• English – Expressing Cause and Result: So, Such, Too, Enough – BAC
• English – Prepositions of Time, Place, and Movement – BAC
• English Grammar and Writing — Causative Verbs: Have, Get, Let, Make — BAC Practice Part 14 — 3rd Year Secondary — Literary Stream