Verb patterns: gerunds and infinitives

Meaning and use

Gerunds are the -ing form of a verb, and infinitives are the to + base form. These words can be
confusing; they combine the meaning of a verb with the grammar of a noun.

 My father asked me to phone him. I enjoy talking with my father.

So, how is ‘to phone’ like a noun? Imagine the first sentence said: My father asked me a question.
You can see how a question and to phone have the same grammatical role. Similarly, you could
replace ‘talking’ with the noun conversation.

Using gerunds and infinitives correctly with verbs can be difficult because some verbs go with only
the infinitive or only the gerund, and others can go with either one.

 I enjoy going to the movies. (enjoy + -ing form only)

 Jason wants to visit a museum on Friday. (want + infinitive form only)
 Tony likes eating at restaurants. Tony likes to eat at restaurants. (like + either -ing or infinitive
form)

Another difficulty is that sometimes choosing the infinitive or the gerund will change the meaning of
the sentence.

 Mary stopped eating at six.

(Mary was eating, and at six o’clock, she stopped.)
 Mary stopped to eat at six.
(Mary was walking home, and at six o’clock she stopped walking and went into a café to eat.)

The best way to learn which verbs take infinitives, gerunds, or both, is to notice them in context
when you read, or to consult grammar references. Here are some of the most common verbs:

Followed by a gerund (-ing form)

admit, advise, consider, discuss, dislike, dread, enjoy, finish, mind, practise, recommend, suggest

Followed by an infinitive

agree, appear, choose, decide, expect, fail, hope, learn, need, refuse, seem, wait, want

Followed by either, usually with no change in meaning

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

Followed by either, with a change in meaning

forget, regret, remember, stop, try

Form
Gerunds and infinitives can follow verbs in the form verb + -ing form of the verb or verb +
infinitive (to + base form of the verb).

Positive

 Theresa suggested going to the park.

 Ross decided to go home instead.

Negative

The negative form is verb + not + gerund/infinitive.

 My grandparents have retired and enjoy not working.

 Frank hopes not to travel over the holidays.

Question

 What did the doctor advise taking for your cold?

 Do you need to do your laundry this weekend?

Take note: ‘split’ infinitives

A ‘split infinitive’ has an adverb between to and the verb.

 It is important to thoroughly study for an examination.

 His sister seems to really want a cat.

Some people think split infinitives are ungrammatical. If you are writing formal English, it is best to
avoid using them in your writing.

Take note: possessives

Remember that gerunds are types of nouns, so you can use possessive adjectives like my, your,
his, her, etc.

 Do you mind my going out for a while?

 I like his planning our holidays for us.
 Gerunziul si infinitivul in engleza

Infinitivul in engleza reprezinta modul care denumeste actiunea sau starea exprimata de un verb.

Folosirea infinitivului in limba engleza

A. Infinitivul scurt – se foloseste:
1. Dupa "had better", "more than", "would rather", "would better", "nothing but", "had rather"
He would rather sing than read. (Mai bine ar canta decat sa citeasca.)
2. Dupa verbele "to make", "to have", cand au sens cauzativ
He makes me laugh. (Ma face sa rad.)
3. Dupa verbele "to see", "to let", "to hear", "to fill", "to watch", "to help" (la diateza activa)
Did you hear her sing ? (Ai auzit-o cantand?)
4. Dupa verbe modale cu exceptia lui "ought to"
The children can sing loudly. (Copiii pot canta tare.)
B. Infinitivul lung – se foloseste de regula in doua tipuri de constructii:
1. Constructia acuzativ + infinitiv
We want you to call us tonight. (Vrem ca sa ne suni diseara.)

Aceasta constructie se foloseste dupa verbe ca: "to consider", "to prefer", "to imagine", "to find", "to
order", "to allow", "to think", "to suppose", "to want", "to hate", "to declare", "to like", "to believe", "to
know"
2. Constructia nominativ + infinitiv
He is known to be a great writer. (E cunoscut ca fiind un mare scriitor.)

Spre deosebire de constructia cu acuzativ, constructia cu nominativ are drept caracteristica faptul ca
predicatul propozitiei este la diateza pasiva.
Constructia cu nominativ poate fi folosita si dupa urmatoarele verbe la diateza activa: "to happen", "to
prove", "to be sure", "to be likely", "to seem", "to be unlikely":

I happen visit her today. (Se intampla sa o vizitez astazi.)

Infinitivul in limba engleza se folosesc dupa anumite adjective sau pentru a exprima un scop, sau dupa
verbele "to ask", "to wonder", "to find out", "to understand", cand acestea sunt urmate de cuvinte
interogative ca: "how", "who", "what", "where":

It’s difficult drive that car.

Infinitivul prezent in engleza arata ca actiunea se desfasoara in acelasi timp cu verbul dupa care este
asezat: I hope to sing a song (Sper sa cant un cantec)
Infinitivul perfect in engleza arata ca actiunea exprimata de el este anterioara celei aratate de verbul
din fata lui: I’m sorry to have told him your secret (Imi pare rau ca i-am spus secretul tau).

Gerunziul in engleza

A. Gerunziul prezent in engleza – are aceeasi forma cu participiul prezent

Pentru diateza activa se formeaza astfel: verb + ing (working)
Pentru diateza pasiva se formeaza astfel: being + verb 3/ - ed (being worked)

Reguli ce se aplica la formarea gerunziului in engleza:

1. Verbele terminate in "e" mut il pierd la gerunziu: to make – making; to hope - hoping
2. Se dubleaza consoana finala la verbele care au o singura silaba si se termina in consoana precedata de
o singura vocala sau verbele care au mai multe silabe dar se accentueaza ultima, sau cele terminate in
"p" sau "l": to cut – cutting; to stop – stopping; to forget forgetting
3. Verbele terminate in "ic" primesc "k" apoi "ing": to picnic - picnicking
4. Verbele terminate in "ie" transforma literele in "y": to lie - lying

B. Gerunziul perfect in engleza – are aceeasi forma cu participiul perfect si exprima o actiune sau o
stare anterioara
Pentru diateza activa se formeaza astfel: having + verb 3/- ed
Pentru diateza pasiva se formeaza astfel: having + been + verb3/ - ed

Utilizarea gerunziului in engleza

1. Dupa verbe de atitudine: "to like", "to dislike", "to enjoy", "to prefer", "to hate"
I enjoy seeing him. (Ma bucur sa il vad.)

2. Dupa verbe care descriu etapele unei actiuni : "to continue", "to begin", "to stop","to keep","to start"
He kept going (A continuat sa mearga)

3. Dupa verbe care descriu activitate mentala: "to forget", "to remember", "to imagine", etc:
I must remember turning the TV off. (Trebuie sa-mi amintesc sa opresc televizorul).

4. Dupa expresiile personale:

"I can’t help" (Nu pot sa nu, Nu ma pot abtine),
"I can’t stand" (nu pot suporta)
 5. Dupa verbul "to mind" :
Would you mind closing the door (Te superi daca inchizi usa?)

6. Dupa verbe tranzitive: "to admit", "to delay", "to suggest", "to prevent", "to involve":
He admitted being late. (A recunoscut ca a intarziat.)

7. Dupa expresiile impersonale:

It’s no good (nu e bine sa), it's good, it’s worth (merita sa), it’s no use (nu e folositor sa), it’s
useless (e inutil sa)

Verbele in engleza care folosesc fie infinitivul fie gerunziul: advise, agree, allow, begin, can/could bear,
cease, continue, forget, hate, intend, like, love, mean, need, permit, prefer, propose, recommend, regret,
remember, require, start, stop, try, used to.

Verbe in engleza care folosesc infinitivul sa gerunziul fara sa-si modifice intelesul: begin, start,
continue, cease; can’t bear; intend; advise, allow, permit, recommend; it needs/ requires/ wants.