GERUNDS AND INFINITIVES

1. Cuando un verbo sigue a otro verbo, siempre necesitamos usar el

infinitivo o el gerundio. Normalmente usamos el infinitivo después de
algunos verbos y el gerundio después de otros. También hay verbos con los
que podemos usar el gerundio o el infinitivo.* ( Estos son los listados que
encontrarán mas abajo en este documento)
Ejemplos

ü I can’t afford to buy a new car.(No puedo permitirme comprar un coche nuevo.)
ü He began to doubt himself. / He began doubting himself.
ü They decided to move to Australia in May.

2. Podemos usar el gerundio o el infinitivo como objeto, sujeto o complemento

de una frase, pero en general, es mucho más común usar el gerundio como
sujeto.
Ejemplos:
ü Objeto: I like cooking - She continued working.
ü Sujeto: Swimming is good exercise - Drinking and driving is dangerous.
ü Complemento: My favorite exercise is swimming.

3. Se usa el gerundio después de unas expresiones o phrasal verbs.

Existen mas de 150 Phrasal verbs, pueden revisarlos en el siguiente link.

https://elblogdeidiomas.es/150-phrasalverbs-traduccion-ejemplo/
Ejemplos:
ü I feel like going to the beach this weekend.
ü I can´t help you doing that assignment.
ü It will be worth learning English.

4. Con algunos verbos, cuando usamos el gerundio y el infinitivo, el significado

cambia.
 I forgot to meet him.
FORGET (I didn’t meet him because I forgot to do it.)
I forgot meeting him.
(I don’t have the memory of meeting him before.)
He went on to learn English and French. (He ended one period of time before this.)
GO ON
He went on learning English and French. (He continued learning the languages.)

She quit to work here.

QUIT (She quit another job in order to work here.)
She quit working here.
(She quit her job here. She doesn’t work here anymore.)
I regret promising to help you.
REGRET (I’m sorry that I made the promise.)
I regret to tell you that we can’t hire you. (I’m telling you now, and I’m sorry.)

She remembered to visit her grandmother. (She didn’t forget to visit.)

REMEMBER
She remembered visiting her grandmother. (She had memories of this time.)

I stopped to call you.

STOP (I interrupted another action in order to call you.)
I stopped calling you.
(I stopped this activity. Maybe we had a fight.)
I tried to open the window.
TRY (I attempted this action but didn’t succeed.)
I tried opening the window.
(This was one option I sampled. Maybe the room was hot.)

5. Después de preposiciones solo podemos usar el gerundio.

Some of the most common prepositions
about below excepting off toward
above beneath for on under
across beside(s) from onto underneath
after between in out until
against beyond in front of outside up
along but inside over upon
among by in spite of past up to
around concerning instead of regarding with
at despite into since within
because of down like through without
before during near throughout with regard to
behind except of to with respect to
 6. Se usa el gerundio después de unos nombres. (Recuerden que estos
siempre van a compañados de preposiciones)

ü Advantage/disadvantage of (la ventaja de, la desventaja de),

ü Danger of (el peligro de),
ü Experience in (experiencia en),
ü Interested in (interesado en),
ü Opportunity of (oportunidad de),
ü Reason for (la razón de),
ü Problem with (el problema con)…

Ejemplos
ü What is the advantage of waiting?
ü I am interested in taking English classes.
ü His problem finding a new job was his lack of experience.
 LIST OF VERBS FOLLOWED BY GERUNDS &INFINITIVES

Verbs commonly followed by a GERUND Verbs commonly followed by an INFINITIVE

Ejemplo: “He misses playing with his Ejemplo: “She refuses to leave without her
family.
friends.”

abhor give up (stop) agree mean

acknowledge keep (continue) appear need
admit keep on arrange neglect
advise mention ask offer
allow mind (object to) attempt pay
anticipate miss beg plan
appreciate necessitate can/can’t afford prepare
avoid omit can/can’t wait pretend
be worth permit care profess
can’t help picture chance promise
celebrate postpone choose prove
confess practice claim refuse
consider prevent come remain
defend put off consent request
delay recall dare resolve
detest recollect decide say
discontinue recommend demand seek
discuss report deserve seem
dislike resent determine shudder
dispute resist elect strive
dread resume endeavor struggle
endure risk expect swear
enjoy shirk fail tend
escape shun get threaten
evade suggest grow (up) turn out
explain support guarantee venture
fancy tolerate hesitate volunteer
fear understand hope wait
feel like urge hurry want
feign warrant incline wish
finish learn would like
forgive manage yearn
Verbs followed by a gerund or infinitive with little to no change in meaning:

Both ways can be used and the meaning will not change.

begin like
can’t bear love
can’t stand prefer
continue propose
hate start

Ejemplos:

ü She begins working tomorrow / She begins to work tomorrow

ü We love living in Barranquilla / We love to live in Barranquilla
ü They like going to the cinema / They like to go to the cinema

There will be a pop-quiz regarding this topic

and this guide, please read it, study it and
learn the verbs