Use of gerunds and infinitives

Part 1
In this lesson, you’ll learn:

1. Use of gerund as subject or object of sentences

2. Use of infinitive with the adjectives easy, difficult, impossible, possible and hard

Use of gerund as subject or object of sentences:
Gerunds (-ing) are used when a verb (action or state) is the
subject of a sentence. These gerunds always use the third-
person singular verb conjugation (is, was, makes, helps,
has, etc.). See examples a-d.
Gerunds (-ing) are also used when a verb is used as the
direct object in a sentence. See examples e-h.
*can also be used with an infinitive as: (f) I love to read mystery novels. (h) Boys don’t usually like to play with dolls.
(a) Learning languages helps people prevent Alzheimer’s.
(b) Playing soccer in the classroom is forbidden.
(c) Visiting Kelly’s parents always makes me nervous.
(d) Seeing my cat, healthy and cheerful, felt like a blessing.
(e) Children enjoy spending time with their parents.
(f) I love* reading mystery novels.
(g) Cats hate taking baths.
(h) Boys don’t usually like* playing with dolls.

Use of infinitive in sentences with the pronoun it: It’s easy to learn new words using apps.
(a)
Infinitives (to-base form) are used when a verb (action or It’s very hard to understand hip-hop lyrics.
(b)
state) is the complement of a sentence with the pronoun it (c)
It sounds hard to make sushi from scratch*.
as the subject. The infinitive is usually preceded by an
It’s impossible to travel back in time, as far as we
(d)
adjective, such as easy, difficult, impossible, possible, hard
and many others. See examples a-d. know.
(e) Is it possible for monkeys to talk like humans?
If you need to specify the person or object for which this (f) It’s impossible for fish to walk on soil.
sentence applies, use a phrase with the preposition for (g) It’s hard for me to believe you, since you lie so often.
between the adjective and the infinitive. See examples e-h. (h) It was too easy for the thieves to take the diamond.
(i) Oranges are hard to find in the winter.
The pronoun it can be changed to other objects or people.
(j) Fireflies are easy to see at night.
See examples i-l.
(k) This food is impossible for dogs to eat.
(l) This window was really difficult for us to install.
* The expression “from scratch” means “from the beginning, with no prior preparation, from basic materials or raw
ingredients.”

Use of gerunds and infinitives

Part 2
In this lesson, you’ll learn:

1. Use of gerund with the prepositions before, after and while

2. Use of infinitive with the verbs like, want, need, have and would like

Use of gerund with the prepositions before, after and (a) I drink a glass of juice before going to bed.
while: (b) You shouldn’t play Pokémon Go while driving.
Gerunds (-ing) are used when introducing a time expression (c) The family boarded the plane after buying some gifts.
starting with the prepositions before, after and while. The
(d) Before going to the beach, let’s get some sunscreen.
subject in these expressions must be the same as that in the
main sentence. See examples a-f. (e) She went to work after having some coffee.
(f) Max usually reads comics while listening to music.
If the subject of the sentence with starting with before, after (g) The police arrived before the thieves could escape.
or while, is different to the subject in the main sentence, (h) The party started well* after we arrived.
gerunds cannot be used. See examples g-i. (i) My son will cut the onions while I boil some water.
*The word well emphasizes the words before and after, to mark a long time between two events. For instance: “well after
we arrived” means “a long time after we arrived.” Also, “well before we arrived” means “a long time before we arrived.”