Wilmer Núñez Méndez

Language and Culture Anglophone 4

Universidad Pedagógica Nacional

Gerunds and Infinitives

1. Remember:
*I remember getting a bad note in English.  It uses a gerund because you are
remembering something that happened in the past, so you are evocating a specific moment
in the life.
*Remember to buy the stuff for the dinner!  It uses an infinitive because you need to do
something in the future, and you need to remember it.
2. Forget:
*Do you forget visiting Melgar two times?  It uses a gerund because you talk about
something that you forgot you had done in the past, but you did it.
*He forgot to go to Mary’s House  It uses an infinitive because you forgot something that
you should have done in the past, but you did not do it.

2. Stop:
*We stop assisting to the French course  It uses a gerund because it means you stop doing
something in the past, so you do not do it anymore.
*She stopped to talk.  It uses a infinitive because you stop to do that action, to do another
one.
4. Try:
*I tried learning German  It uses a gerund because you tried the action but then you
stopped to do it, for some reason.
*I am trying to buy this scooter online  It uses an infinitive because you do not have
success doing that action.
5. Regret:
*I regret buying this bike, it is too small  It uses a gerund because you did something in the
past and now you regret doing that.
*I regret to tell you your final LYCA’s note It uses an infinitive when you are referring to
something that is happening in the present or a near future. Also, because you are regretting
to tell the other person the bad news.
6. Like:
*I like playing basketball It uses a gerund because the emphasis is in the action you are
doing, so it expresses kind of affinity.
*I like to go to the cinema every week  It uses a infinitive because you have the habit or the
preference to do that activity or action.