GRAMMAR EXPLANATION

1. Verbs normally followed by INFINITIVE + to

1.1. verb + to + infinitive
agree

appear

arrange

attempt

ask

choose

dare

decide

demand

deserve

expect

fail

grow

hasten

happen

hope

hurry

learn

long

manage

neglect

offer

pay

plan

pledge

pretend

promise

refuse

resolve

seek

seem

struggle

swear

threaten

vow

want

wish

AGREE TO DO SOMETHING:
My father agreed to pay for my trip to the United States.
ARRANGE TO DO SOMETHING:
We've arranged to have another meeting next week.
CHOOSE TO DO SOMETHING:
When I heard we could afford a holiday, I chose to visit Italy.
DECIDE TO DO SOMETHING:
It was such an awful meal we decided not to go back there.
EXPECT TO DO SOMETHING:
Does he expect to get the job?
HOPE TO DO SOMETHING:
I hope to see you again soon.
LEARN TO DO SOMETHING:
I really must learn to drive.
MANAGE TO DO SOMETHING:
Did you manage to find the book you were looking for?
PLAN TO DO SOMETHING:
We're planning to meet at about two o'clock in the usual place.
PROMISE TO DO SOMETHING:
He always promises to do things and then never does.
REFUSE TO DO SOMETHING:
The witness is refusing to give evidence.
TEND TO DO SOMETHING:
It's been proven that girls tend to do better at languages than boys.
WANT TO DO SOMETHING:
I went to Austria because I wanted to practise my German.
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1.2. verb + object + to + infinitive

advise

ask

assist

beg

bribe

command

dare

employ

enable

encourage

instruct

invite

lead

order

persuade

remind

select

send

teach

tell

train

urge

warn

help

get(=persuade)

They asked me to bring some food

He reminded me to buy milk.
Their fathers advise them to study.
She forced the defendant to admit the truth.
You've convinced the director of the program to change her position.
I invite you to consider the evidence.
Who taught you to drive?
I didn't move the piano by myself. I got somebody to help me.
Jim said the switch was dangerous and warned me not to touch it.

NOTE!!!!
I want TO HELP YOU -------------- I want YOU TO HELP me

1.3. Verbs that use either pattern: verb + to infinitive / verb + object + to
infinitive
ask

expect

(would) like

want

help

would prefer

beg

mean(=intend)

Examples:

I asked to see the records.

I asked him to show me the records.
Trent expected his group to win.
Trent expected to win.
Brenda likes to drive fast.
Brenda likes her friend to drive fast.
Would you like to go now?
Would you like me to go now?
He doesn't want to know
He doesn't want anybody to know

In all of these examples the italicized main verb can take an infinitive object with or without
an object.
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After help you can use the infinitive with or without to. So you can say:

Can you help me to move this table? ---- or ---- Can you help me move this table?

NOTE!!
Do not say "want that":

Do you want me to come with you? (not Do you want that I come)

2. Verbs followed by INFINITIVE without to

2.1. After auxiliaries/modals
can

He can run very fast.

could

As a boy he could run very fast.

may

I may fly to Africa this summer.

might

I might fly to Africa this summer.

must

I must go now.

mustn't

You mustn't smoke here.

needn't

You needn't go.

shall

We shall sing a song.

should

We should sing a song.

will

She will cook a meal for his birthday.

would

She would cook a meal for his birthday.

2.2. After auxiliary do

do

I don't know.

2.3. After the following expressions:

had better

You had better clean up your room.

would rather

Susan would rather study for her exam tomorrow.

would sooner

I would sooner read a book than watch this film.

why not

Why not ask your neighbour for help?

why should we

Why should we go by car?

why should we not

Why should we not go by car?

2.4. After verbs of perception + object (action has finished):

feel

She feels the rain fall on her face.

hear

I heard Peter sing a song.

notice

Mandy noticed the boy climb the tree.

see

They saw him climb up the roof.

watch

He watched the thieves steal a car.

2.5. After let + object:

let
let's

Sandy let her child go out alone.

The guard at the door didn't let us take any photos of the group.
Let's go for a walk through the park.

2.6. after make + object

make

She made Peggy and Samantha clean the room.

The bank robbers made everyone lie on the floor.

3. verb + -ing -----or------ verb + object + to-infinitive

We use the Gerund or the Infinitive after the following verbs.
advise

They advise walking to town.

They advise us to walk to town.

allow

They do not allow smoking here.

They do not allow us to smoke here.

encourage

They encourage doing the test.

They encourage us to do the test.

permit

They do not permit smoking here.

They do not permit us to smoke here.

We use the following structures with the word recommend:

They recommend walking to town.
They recommend that we walk to town.

recommend

4. Verbs normally followed by -ING

4.1. verb + gerund
deny

risk

delay

consider

can't help

keep

give up

be fond of

finish

quit

put off

practice

postpone

tolerate

suggest

stop (quit)

regret

enjoy

keep (on)

dislike

admit

avoid

recall

mind

miss

detest

appreciate

recommend

get/be through

get/be tired of

get/be accustomed to

get/be used to

Examples:

They always avoid drinking before driving.

(not: They always avoid to drink before driving.*)

I recall asking her that question.

(not: I recall to ask her that question.*)
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She put off buying a new jacket.

(not: She put off to buy a new jacket.*)

Mr. Allen enjoys cooking.

(not: Mr. Allen enjoys to cook.*)

Charles keeps calling her.

(not: Charles keeps to call her.*)

ADMIT DOING SOMETHING:

When the police questioned him, the robber admitted stealing the money. (or:
admitted having stolen the money)

AVOID DOING SOMETHING:

The doctor's advice was to avoid eating red meat for a month.

CONSIDER DOING SOMETHING:

You really should consider getting a new car.

DENY DOING SOMETHING:

When the teacher accused her, she denied cheating on the exam. (or: denied having
cheated)

ENJOY DOING SOMETHING:

Most people enjoy spending their holidays at the beach.

FINISH DOING SOMETHING:

When you finish washing the dishes, could you help me move this box?

MIND DOING SOMETHING:

She loves kids. I'm sure she won't mind looking after your children.

MISS DOING SOMETHING:

Now that I live in Madrid, I really miss walking along the beach in the evenings.

PRACTISE DOING SOMETHING:

Before doing your driving test you should practise parking your car in small spaces.

RECALL DOING SOMETHING:

She recalled seeing him outside the shop on the night of the robbery. (or: recalled
having seen)

RESENT DOING SOMETHING:

He resents having to explain his work to other people.

SUGGEST DOING SOMETHING:

Mark suggested going to Mallorca this summer. (or: Mark suggested that we (should)
go to Mallorca this summer)

We use the following structures with the word suggest:

suggest

They suggested walking to town. (they will also do the walking)

They suggested that I should walk to town. (I will only do the
walking)

4.2. verb + object + gerund

Some of the verbs listed above, and some others, can be followed by object + -ing form.

I dislike people telling me what to think.

I can't imagine him working in an office
Nobody can stop him doing what he wants to.
Would you rather spend time gardeningb or spend money paying somebody to do it
for you?

STOP (in an informal style) and PREVENT are often followed by OBJECT + FORM +
ING:
Try to stop/ prevent them (from) finding out.

5. Verbs followed by either TO INFINITE or -ING:

without a change of meaning
begin

He began talking.
He began to talk.

continue

They continue smoking.

They continue to smoke.

hate

Do you hate working on Saturdays?

Do you hate to work on Saturdays?

like

I like swimming.
I like to swim.

love

She loves painting.

She loves to paint.

prefer

Pat prefers walking home.

Pat prefers to walk home.

start

They start singing.

They start to sing.
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5.1. Like, love, hate

You can use the to-infinitive with these verbs to imply that something is a good or bad
idea.
I like to do my tax returns early.
I hate to keep people waiting.
You can also use the -ing form or the to-infinitive to express your feelings about an
activity.
I love walking in the countryside
I hate doing my tax returns.

6. Verbs followed by either TO INFINITE or -ING: with a

change of meaning
COME
to talk about a gradual
change:

After some years, they came to accept her as an equal.

to say that someone moves

He came hurrying up the path.
in the way that is described:

GO ON
something is done after something
else is finished:

After the interval, Pavarotti went on to sing an aria from

Tosca.

someone moves in the way that is

described (continue doing
something)

Although she asked him to stop, he went on tapping his

pen on the table.

MEAN

to say we intended to do
something:
to say that something has
something else as a result (what
is involved)

I meant to phone you last week.

If we want to get there by 7:00, that means getting up
before 5:00.
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REGRET
to say that we are about to do
something we are not happy about

I regret to inform you that your application has been

unsuccessful.

to say we have already done

something that we are not happy
about

It's too late now, but I'll always regret asking John to
do t he work.

REMEMBER
remembering comes before the
action described

Remember to take your hat when you go out. (first

remember and then take it)

the action comes before

remembering

I remember going to the bank, but nothing after that. (I

remember that I went there)

FORGET
obligation / you regularly forget

I had to phone the office but I forgot to do it.

past events / you did it, but you don't

remember now

I don't remember learning to walk.

STOP
to say why we stop
doing something

She stopped to make a cup of tea.

to say what it is we
stop doing

They stopped laughing when Malcolm walked into the room.

TRY
to attempt to do
something:

I tried to get the table through the door, but it was too big.

to test something to see

if it improves a
I tried taking some aspirin, but the pain didn't go away.
situation:

7. ADJECTIVES
adjective + infinitive
IMPORTANT TO DO------- It's important to learn English if you want to get a good job.

adjective + gerund
it's no good/use
WORTH DOING The travel agent said it wasn't worth buying a return ticket.

adjective + preposition + gerund

FED UP WITH DOING SOMETHING------- I'm absolutely fed up with working fifteen
hours a day.

WORKSHEETS KEY
23 Infinitive and gerund I
I to listen 2 coming 3 marrying 4 to watch 5 throwing 6 to tell 7 shouting 8 to feed 9 coming
10to go
24 Infinitive and gerund 2
A1a2b
B 1 to light 2 lighting 3 teaching 4 to teach 5 to lock 6 going 7 going 8 to tell
C 1b 2a 3a 4b 5b 6a 7b 8a 9a 10b 11a 12b
25 Infinitive and gerund 3
A 1a 2a 3b 4b 5a 6a 7b
B 1 remembered, saw 2 saw, stopped 3 stopped, saw 4 told, regretted 5 regretted, told C 1a
2b 3b 4a
26 Infinitive and gerund 4
A I arrange 2 avoid 3 choose 4 consider 5 decide 6 deny 7 manage 8 miss 9 plan 10 practise
II refuse 12 recall
B I to stay 2 to get 3 to have 4 to meet 5 stealing 6 attacking 7 to give 8 seeing 9 dropping 10
to visit II sitting 12 speaking 13 to go

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USEFUL LINKS
http://www.englishclub.com/grammar/verbs-m_infinitive-ing_quiz.htm
http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar/infinitive-gerund
http://a4esl.org/q/h/9801/el-to-ing.html
http://www.englishforjapanese.com/exercises/verb%20forms/31%20gerund%20inf.html

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