INFINITIVES & GERUNDS

There are certain words in English that are usually followed by an infinitive or gerund. If you are not sure whether to use the infinitive or gerund, check out our lists or look the words up in a dictionary.

Infinitive

Use

Certain words are followed by an infinite verb with or without ‘to’.

Use and Word Lists	Example
as the subject of a clause	To know you is to love you.
after certain expressions (without ‘to’)	Why not go to the cinema?
after certain verbs (without ‘to’)	I can swim.
after certain verbs (with ‘to’)	He wants to swim.
after certain verbs with interrogatives (infinitive constructions)	They don’t know how to swim.
after certain verbs with objects (without ‘to’)	He made her swim.
after certain verbs with objects (with ‘to’)	They wanted him to swim.
after certain adjectives and their comparisons	It’s easier to swim downstream.
after nouns deriving from the verbs mentioned above	We made a promise to swim. (derived from the verb ‘to promise’)

Gerund

Form

ing form of the verb

Exceptions in Spelling

See → Present Progressive – Exceptions

Use

Certain words are followed by an Ing-Form.

Use and Word Lists	Example
as the subject of a clause	Cycling is good for your health.
after certain adjectives	He’s afraid of going by plane.
after certain prepositions	Before going to bed he turned off the lights.
after certain verbs	I enjoy cooking.
after certain verbs with prepositions	I am looking forward to seeing you again.
after certain nouns	We had problems finding our way back home.

Words followed either by Infinitive or Ing-Form

Use and Word Lists	Example
same meaning	I started to read. / I started reading.
same meaning but different use	She forbids us to talk. / She forbids talking.
different meaning	He stopped to smoke. / He stopped smoking.
infinitive or present participle	I saw him go up the stairs. / I saw him going up the stairs.

Exercises and Tests

Infinitive

• Infinitive with / without to • Exercise 2 
• Infinitive Constructions • Exercise 2 

Gerund

• Gerund – Form 
• Gerund used as a subject 

Infinitive / Gerund

• Infinitive or Gerund • Exercise 2 
• Infinitive or Gerund • Exercise 2 
• Infinitive or Gerund • Exercise 2 • Exercise 3 
• Infinitiv and/or Ing-Form 

Tests on Infinitive and Gerund

• Level 1 • Level 2 • Level 3 • Level 4

Verb Lists: Infinitives and Gerunds

Verbs Followed by an Infinitive She agreed to speak before the game.
agree aim appear arrange ask attempt be able beg begin care choose condescend	consent continue dare decide deserve detest dislike expect fail forget get happen	have hesitate hope hurry intend leap leave like long love mean neglect	offer ought plan prefer prepare proceed promise propose refuse remember say	shoot start stop strive swear threaten try use wait want wish

Verbs Followed by an Object and an Infinitive Everyone expected her to win.
advise allow ask beg bring build buy challenge	choose command dare direct encourage expect forbid force	have hire instruct invite lead leave let like	love motivate order pay permit persuade prepare promise	remind require send teach tell urge want warn
Note: Some of these verbs are included in the list above and may be used without an object.

Verbs Followed by a Gerund They enjoyed working on the boat.
admit advise appreciate avoid can't help complete consider	delay deny detest dislike enjoy escape excuse	finish forbid get through have imagine mind miss	permit postpone practice quit recall report resent	resist resume risk spend (time) suggest tolerate waste (time)

Verbs Followed by a Preposition and a Gerund We concentrated on doing well.
admit to approve of argue about believe in care about complain about concentrate on confess to	depend on disapprove of discourage from dream about feel like forget about insist on object to	plan on prevent (someone) from refrain from succeed in talk about think about worry about

EXERCISE 1

EXERCISE 2

EXERCISE 3

EXERCISE 4

PAST PERFECT VS PAST SIMPLE

Simple Past – Past Perfect Simple

Form

Simple Past	Past Perfect Simple
2nd column of irregular verbs Example: I spoke	had + 3rd column of irregular verbs Example: I had spoken
regular verbs: infinitive + ed Example: I worked	regular verbs: form of have + infinitive + ed Example: I had worked
Exceptions
Exceptions when adding ed: when the final letter is e, only add d Example: love - loved after a short, stressed vowel, the final consonant is doubled Example: admit - admitted final l is always doubled in British English (not in American English) Example: travel - travelled after a consonant, final y becomes i (but: not after a vowel) Example: worry - worried but: play - played

See also explanations on Simple Past and Past Perfect Simple

Use

We use Simple Past if we give past events in the order in which they occured. However, when we look back from a certain time in the past to tell what had happened before, we use Past Perfect.

Normal order in the past or looking back to an event before a certain time in the past?

Do you just want to tell what happened some time in the past or do you want to tell what had happened before/up to a certain time in the past?

Simple Past	Past Perfect Simple
some time in the past Example: Jane got up at seven. She opened her birthday presents and then the whole family went to the zoo.	before/up to a certain time in the past Example: Before her sixth birthday, Jane had never been to the zoo.

Signal Words

Simple Past	Past Perfect Simple
first then	already up to then before that day after*

*Note: "After" is only used as a signal word for Past Perfect if it is followed by a subject + verb, meaning that one action had been completed before another action began (the new action is in Simple Past).

Example:

After the family had had breakfast, they went to the zoo.

However, if "after" is followed by object + subject + verb, the verb belongs to the new action and is therefore in Simple Past.

Example:

After her visit to the zoo, Jane was exhausted.

More exceptions with signal words

When

Depending on the situation, "when" can be used with Simple Past or Past Perfect. Compare the following examples:

Example:

When Jane saw the elephants, she was amazed. (at the same time)

When Jane had seen the elephants, she wanted to see the giraffes. (second action happened after the first action had been completed)

When Jane went to see the elephants, she had already seen the lions. (second action had been completed when the first action took place)

Before

"Before" as well can either be used with Simple Past or Past Perfect. If the action after "before" is a new action, use Simple Past. If the action after "before" started (and was not completed) before a certain time in the past, use Past Perfect. Compare the following examples:

Example:

Jane had read a lot about elephants before she went to the zoo.

Jane went to the zoo before she had finished reading her new book about elephants.

Exercises on Simple Past and Past Perfect Simple

• Exercise 1, Exercise 2, Exercise 3, Exercise 4
• Exercise on the text Orlando
• The Visitor, The Pilgrims
• Special use of signal words 1, Special use of signal words 2

Tests on Simple Past and Past Perfect Simple

• Test 1
• Test 2