Gerunds vs Infinitives

Quick Answer: Some verbs are followed by a gerund (verb + -ing), such as enjoy, avoid and finish: "I enjoy reading." Others take an infinitive (to + verb), such as want, decide and hope: "I want to read." After prepositions, always use the gerund ("I'm good at cooking"), and remember that stop, remember, forget and try change meaning with each form.

Key takeaways

• Gerund verbs to memorize first: enjoy, finish, mind, avoid, suggest, consider, keep, practice, give up, can't stand.
• Infinitive verbs to memorize first: want, need, decide, hope, plan, agree, promise, refuse, manage, afford, would like.
• After any preposition, use -ing, including the to in look forward to and be used to: "I look forward to hearing from you."
• Begin, start, continue, like, love, hate and prefer take both forms with almost the same meaning.
• Stop, remember, forget, try and regret take both forms with different meanings.
• To explain purpose, use the infinitive: "I came here to study", not "for studying".

What are gerunds and infinitives?

Form	Structure	Example
Gerund	base verb + -ing	swimming, reading, eating
Infinitive	to + base verb	to swim, to read, to eat
Bare infinitive	base verb without to	swim, read, eat (after modals, make, let)

Gerunds as Subjects

When a verb is the subject of a sentence, we normally use the gerund.

• Swimming is good exercise.
• Learning a language takes time.
• Smoking is not allowed here.

"To swim is good exercise" is grammatically possible but sounds formal and unusual.

Which verbs are followed by a gerund?

Verb	Example
enjoy	I enjoy cooking.
finish	Have you finished eating?
mind	Do you mind waiting?
avoid	She avoids driving at night.
suggest	He suggested going to the beach.
consider	We're considering moving abroad.
keep	Keep trying!
practice	You should practice speaking.
miss	I miss living by the sea.
imagine	Imagine winning the lottery!
deny, admit	He admitted taking the money.
give up	She gave up eating sugar.
can't stand	I can't stand waiting in lines.

Which verbs are followed by an infinitive?

Verb	Example
want	I want to travel.
need	You need to sleep more.
decide	They decided to buy a house.
hope	I hope to see you soon.
plan	We're planning to visit Rome.
learn	She's learning to drive.
agree	He agreed to help.
promise	I promise to call you.
refuse	The child refused to eat.
offer	They offered to pay.
would like	I'd like to order, please.
manage	We managed to finish on time.
afford	I can't afford to buy a car.

Verb + object + infinitive

Some verbs need an object before the infinitive: want, ask, tell, help, allow, expect, encourage.

• I want you to listen.
• She asked me to help her.
• My parents encouraged me to study abroad.

Turkish speakers often say "I want that you come." In English, use the object plus infinitive: "I want you to come."

Verbs That Take Both, With the Same Meaning

begin, start, continue, like, love, hate, prefer.

• It started raining. = It started to rain.
• I love swimming. = I love to swim.

There can be a small difference in feeling, but both are correct. In American English, "like to" is especially common; in British English, "like + -ing" is common for enjoyment.

Which verbs change meaning with a gerund or infinitive?

This is where learners need to be careful.

Verb	+ gerund	+ infinitive
stop	I stopped smoking. (I quit.)	I stopped to smoke. (I paused to have a cigarette.)
remember	I remember locking the door. (memory of the past)	Remember to lock the door. (don't forget a future task)
forget	I'll never forget meeting her. (past memory)	Don't forget to call me. (future task)
try	Try restarting your computer. (experiment)	I tried to open the window, but it was stuck. (make an effort)
regret	I regret saying that. (I'm sorry I said it.)	We regret to inform you... (formal bad news)

After Prepositions: Always Gerund

Any verb after a preposition takes the -ing form.

• I'm interested in learning Spanish.
• She's good at drawing.
• Thank you for helping me.
• He left without saying goodbye.
• I'm looking forward to seeing you. (to is a preposition here)
• What about going out tonight?
• I'm used to getting up early.

The last two "to" examples confuse many learners. "Look forward to" and "be used to" are followed by -ing. Compare with "used to + base verb" in our guide to used to.

Phrasal verbs work the same way: "She gave up smoking." "Carry on working." See everyday phrasal verbs.

After Adjectives: Usually Infinitive

• It's easy to learn.
• I'm happy to help.
• It's important to sleep well.
• She was surprised to see him.

Infinitive of Purpose

To explain why, use the infinitive.

• I went to the shop to buy milk.
• She's saving money to travel.

Wrong: "I went to the shop for buying milk." Right: "to buy milk."

What are the most common gerund and infinitive mistakes?

Mistake	Wrong	Right
Infinitive after enjoy	I enjoy to dance.	I enjoy dancing.
Gerund after want	I want going.	I want to go.
Infinitive after a preposition	I'm good at to cook.	I'm good at cooking.
Base verb after look forward to	I look forward to hear from you.	I look forward to hearing from you.
For + -ing for purpose	I came here for studying.	I came here to study.
That clause after want	I want that you come.	I want you to come.

Practice Quiz

Use the gerund or infinitive.

1. I'd like (order) ___ a coffee, please.
2. She avoids (eat) ___ fast food.
3. We decided (stay) ___ at home.
4. Thank you for (invite) ___ me.
5. Don't forget (buy) ___ bread.
6. He gave up (play) ___ football last year.
7. I'm looking forward to (meet) ___ you.
8. They agreed (help) ___ us.

Answers: 1. to order 2. eating 3. to stay 4. inviting 5. to buy 6. playing 7. meeting 8. to help

Verb patterns stick best through repetition. Keep practicing them in the LearnLingo B1 course with Sage the Turtle.

People Also Ask

What is the difference between a gerund and an infinitive?

A gerund is a verb with -ing used like a noun, such as swimming. An infinitive is to plus the base verb, such as to swim. Some verbs are followed by a gerund, some by an infinitive, and some by both.

What comes after a preposition, a gerund or an infinitive?

Always a gerund. Say I'm interested in learning and She is good at cooking, not interested in to learn.

Do stop smoking and stop to smoke mean the same thing?

No. Stop smoking means you quit the habit. Stop to smoke means you stopped another activity so that you could smoke.

Related Reading

• Used To: Talking About Past Habits
• 30 Everyday Phrasal Verbs
• 25 Common English Mistakes and How to Fix Them
• B1 English Level: What You Can Do