UNIT 1: CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT IT!

GRAMMAR: GERUNDS AND INFINITIVES

GERUNDS: A gerund is the –ing form of a verb used as a noun. A gerund is used in the same ways a
noun, i.e., as a subject or as an object.

(a) Playing tennis is fun.

(b) We enjoy playing tennis.

In (a) playing is a gerund. It is used as the subject of the sentence.

In (b) playing is a gerund used as the object of the verb enjoy.

COMMON VERBS FOLLOWED BY GERUNDS

ADMIT ENJOY PRACTISE

APPRECIATE FANCY PUT OFF
AVOID FEEL LIKE RISK
DENY MENTION SUCCEED
DISCUSS MIND SUGGEST
DISLIKE MISS UNDERSTAND
COMPLETE KEEP POSTPONE

ENJOY: I enjoy working in my garden.

FINISH: Bob finished studying at night.

STOP*: It stopped raining a few minutes ago.

QUIT: David quit working.

MIND: Would you mind opening the window?

POSTPONE: I postponed doing my homework.

KEEP: Keep working. Don’t stop.

CONSIDER: I’m considering going to New York.

THINK ABOUT: I’m thinking about going to London.

DISCUSS: They discussed getting a new car.

TALK ABOUT: They talked about getting a new car.

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Verbs and phrases with prepositions can often be followed by gerunds.

be excited keep
be worried about doing it prevent someone from doing it
prohibit
stop
complain
dream about/of doing it
talk
think
believe
be interested
apologize in doing it
participate
blame (someone) succeed
forgive (someone)
have an excuse for doing it
have a reason
be responsible
thank (someone) be accused
be capable
for the purpose
be accustomed be guilty of doing it
in addition instead
be committed take advantage
be devoted take care
look forward to doing it be tired
object
be opposed
be used insist on doing it

GO + GERUND

GO is followed by a gerund in certain idiomatic expressions, for most part, recreational activities.

Did you go shopping yesterday?

I went swimming.

go bowling go hiking go climbing go sightseeing

go camping go hunting go sailing go skiing

go dancing go jogging go shopping go swimming

go fishing go running go skating go skydiving

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VERB + INFINITIVE

be able to promise to choose to expect to

agree to arrange to manage to need to
hope to offer to prepare to would like to
plan to refuse to pretend to appear to
intend to * seem to tend to try to*
decide to ask to want to (can’t) afford to
would love to forget to* mean to (can’t) wait to
appear to claim to learn to wish to

VERB + GERUND OR INFINITIVE

Some verbs can be followed by either an infinitive or a gerund. Usually there is no difference in
meaning.

It began to rain.

It began raining.

begin like* can’t stand

start love* prefer*

continue hate can’t bear

*Like and love can be followed by either a gerund or an infinitive:

I like going/to go to movies.

I love playing/to play chess.

*Would like and would love are followed by infinitives.

I would like to go to a movie tonight.

I’d love to play a game of chess right now.

VERBS FOLLOWED BY THE BARE INFINITIVE

I saw my friend run down the street.

I heard the rain fall on the roof.

see touch hear listen to smell

notice feel observe watch had better

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VERB + INFINITIVE OR GERUND, WITH A DIFFERENCE IN MEANING
Remember + Infinitive Remember to perform responsibility, duty
or task
Judy always remembers to lock the door.
Remember + Gerund Remember (recall) something that
happened in the past
I remember seeing the Alps for the first time.
The sight was impressive.
Forget + Infinitive Forget to perform a responsibility, duty, or
a task
Sam often forgets to lock the door.
Forget + Gerund Forget something that happened in the
past.
I’ll never forget seeing the Alps for the first
time.
Regret + Infinitive Regret to say, to tell someone, to inform
someone of some bad news.
I regret to tell you that you failed the test.
Regret + Gerund Regret something that happened in the
past.
I regret lending him some money. He never
paid me back.
Try + Infinitive Make an effort
I’m trying to learn English.
Try + Gerund Experiment with a new or different
approach to see if it works.
The room was hot. I tried opening the window
but it didn’t help. So I tried turning on the fan,
but it was still hot. Finally, I turned on the air
conditioner.
Stop + Infinitive Someone stops doing something in order to
do something else
We stopped to have something to eat.
Stop + Gerund an action or event is no longer continuing
It’s stopped raining. Let’s go for a walk. (It was
raining, but not any more.)
Go on + Infinitive Change from one action to another
After a slow start, she went on to win the
race.
Go on + Gerund Continue an activity.
They stopped, but we went on walking.