GERUNDS AND INFINITIVES

When should we use gerunds or infinitives?

Watch the video here or read the explanation and do the exercises below.

See all the gerund and infinitive exercises here.
Click here to download this explanation as a PDF.

We use gerunds (verb + ing):

• After certain verbs - I enjoy singing.
• After prepositions - I drank a cup of coffee before leaving.
• As the subject or object of a sentence - Swimming is good exercise.

We use 'to' + infinitive:

• After certain verbs - We decided to leave.
• After many adjectives - It's difficult to get up early.
• To show purpose - I came to London to study English.

We use the bare infinitive (the infinitive without 'to'):

• After modal verbs - I can meet you at six o'clock.
• After 'let', 'make' and (sometimes) 'help' - The teacher let us leave early.
• After some verbs of perception (see, watch, hear, notice, feel, sense) - I watched her walk away.
• After expressions with 'why' - Why go out the night before an exam?

Verbs that take the gerund or 'to + infinitive' with examples and exercises:

• Verbs with gerunds and infinitives part 1
• Verbs with gerunds and infinitives part 2
• Verbs with gerunds and infinitives part 3
• Verbs with gerunds and infinitives part 4