ing or To ing or not to ing, that

is the infinitive question

infinitive?
 • A gerund is a verb ending in –ing that is
used as a noun, either as a subject, object
or complement.
• You need to understand the basic idea
that a gerund is an action being used as a

What’s a
thing or idea. When you see a gerund as
an activity (a non-physical object), you
begin to see the difference between the

Gerund? word as a verb and a noun.

Examples:
1. Reading helps students learn English.
(Gerund as a subject.)
2. He enjoys reading for English class.
(Gerund as an object.)
3. Her hobbies include reading. (Gerund
as a complement.)
 • An infinitive is a verb preceded by “to”
that is used as a subject, object or

What’s complement of a sentence.

• Again, this is a straightforward definition
for those of us with an understanding of

an grammar, but you can probably already

see the potential for confusion.
Examples:

Infinitive 1.

2.
To travel is exciting. (Infinitive as a
subject.)
Henry wants to study English.

? 3.
(Infinitive as an object.)
He wants a better job to earn more
money. (Infinitive as a complement.)
 After some Pattern A – ing

verbs you have Admit, adore, avoid, can’t stand, celebrate,

consider, delay, deny, dislike, enjoy, finish,
to know give up, go, go on, imagine, keep, miss,
practise, risk, stop, suggest
whether you
should use ing  I enjoyed playing tennis.
or a to X I enjoyed to play tennis

infinitive
Pattern B – to infintive

afford, agree, appear, arrange, ask, attempt,

choose, claim, decide, expect, fail, forget,
hope, intend, learn, manage, need, offer,
prepare, pretend, promise, refuse, seem,
wait, want, wish

 Her husband failed to pay.

X Her husband failed paying.
• Pattern C – some verbs can have either
ing or to infinitive and keep the same
meaning.

attempt, begin, continue, hate, like, love,

prefer, start, try

 The band started playing.

 The band started to play.
Some verbs can
either have ing or
the to infinitive
but change their come, go, remember, regret

meaning.  You remembered buying the milk.

 You remembered to buy the milk.
She stopped smoking. Here she is not
smoking.

She stopped to smoke. Here she is smoking.

We can expand this sentence to…..She
stopped doing something in order to smoke.
You remembered buying the milk.

past present Future

You remembered to buy the milk.