THE GERUND

The Gerund is used:

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. as a noun (subject/object): "I like swimming" "Swimming is a healthy sport" after prepositions: "After leaving the house,..." after certain verbs: "Stop doing that!" in compound nouns (adjective): "I bought a windsurfing board" after a possessive adjective (or Saxon genitive): "I didn't mind his / John's coming" (In conversational English: "He didn't mind me coming late" "I don't mind John coming")

Verbs usually followed by a gerund

admit anticipate appreciate avoid consider defer delay deny detest dislike dread enjoy escape excuse fancy (=imagine) finish forgive hate imagine involve keep (=continue) like loathe love mind (=object) pardon postpone prevent propose (=suggest) recollect remember (=recollect) resent resist risk save (oneself the trouble of) start stop suggest understand

THE INFINITIVE
A. The Infinitive with TO is used:
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. after certain verbs: "I want to buy a car" to express purpose: "I sat down to read" after nouns and adjectives: "She's nice to talk to" "I've got some homework to do" after that/it/there + to be + adjective + noun: "That was a silly thing to do" after it + to be + adjective: "It was nice of you to come" (usually followed by of you, of her ...)

Verbs followed by the infinitive

afford agree aim appear arranged ask attempt bear be beg begin bother care choose claim condescend consent dare decide demand determine endeavour expect fail forget guarantee happen hate help hesitate hope intend learn like long (for) love manage mean neglect offer plan prefer prepare pretend proceed promise refuse regret remember resolve prove seem start swear tend threaten trouble try (=attempt) undertake volunteer vow

Verbs followed by object + infinitive

advise allow ask bear beg bribe cause command compel encourage entitle expect forbid force get help implore induce instruct invite leave like mean need oblige order permit persuade prefer press recommend remind request show (how) teach (how) tell (how) tempt trouble urge want warn

Verbs followed by the infinitive or by object + infinitive

ask beg expect help intend like (=think wise) mean prefer want wish would hate would like (=enjoy) would have

A. The Infinitive without TO is used:

1. after most auxiliary verbs: "She can swim very well" 2. after certain verbs: "She made them come back

Verbs followed by the infinitive without TO

can could had better feel hear help let dare may might must need shall shoud will would

would rather make notice see watch In the passive they are followed by TO + infinitive

GERUND OR INFINITIVE?
Some verbs can be followed by either an -ing form or an infinitive, usually with a difference of meaning. The most important cases are: advise allow attempt can't bear begin continue forbid forget go on hate hear intend like love permit prefer propose regret remember see start stop try watch

This is also the case with certain adjectives: accustomed afraid certain interested sorry sure used

1. With remember, forget, stop, go on and regret, the difference is connected with time. The -ing form refers to things that happen before the action takes place; the infinitive refers to things that happen after the action takes place. remember + -ing = remember what one has done or what has happened + infinitive = remember what one has to do

forget

+ -ing = forget what one has done, or what has happened + infinitive = forget what one has to do

stop

+ -ing = stop what one is doing + infinitive = make a pause in order to do something + -ing = continue what one has been doing + infinitive = change; move on to something new + -ing = be sorry for what has happened + infinitive = be sorry for what one is going to say + -ing = enjoy + infinitive = choose to; be in the habit of; think it right to

go on

regret

2. Like

3. With love, hate and prefer, there is not much difference between the two structures. When we are referring to one particular occasion, it is more common to use the infinitive. 4. Allow, advise, forbid and permit are followed by an -ing form when there is no personal object. If we say who is allowed, advised, etc, the infinitive is used: "Sorry, we don't allow smoking here" "Sorry, we don't allow people to smoke here" 5. After see, watch and hear, an -ing form suggests that we observe part of a complete action; when we start looking or listening it is already going on. The infinitive is used when we want to suggest that we observe the whole action from beginning to end. 6. Try + -ing = make an experiment; do something to see what will happen + infinitive = make an effort; attempt to do something difficult

7. Begin and start can be followed by -ing or infinitive structures, usually with no real difference in meaning. It is perhaps more common to use an -ing form when we are talking about the beginning of a long or habitual action. 8. After propose, attempt, intend, continue and can't bear, both structures are possible with little difference of meaning, but the infinitive is probably more common after propose, attempt and intend. 9. With the adjective interested, the -ing form refers to what will or may happen, and the infinitive refers to what has happened: Be interested in + -ing = interested by the idea of doing something Be interested + infinitive = interested by what one learns 10. Afraid of + -ing and afraid + infinitive can be both used with little difference in meaning. However, when we are talking about things which happen to us unexpectedly, only the -ing form is possible: "I'm afraid of crashing" (NOT * ... to crash) 11. Sorry for + -ing = apologize for something we have done Sorry + infinitive = apologize for something we are doing 12. Be certain / sure + -ing = we're not sure, we think so but may be wrong + infinitive = we're sure 13. Be used to + -ing = be accustomed to doing something

Used to + infinitive = things we did habitually in the past but not now 14. With accustomed to + -ing and accustomed to + infinitive there's no real difference in meaning