GERUNDS AND INFINITIVES

Base form Vs Gerund Vs Infinitive

Base Form: Infinitive without TO
SHARE
Infinitive: always with TO
TO SHARE
Gerund: Base form+ING
SHARING

BASE FORM
After some perception verbs such as HEAR, FEEL or
SEE and the verbs LET and MAKE:
I saw you leave home.
My parents dont let me stay out late

GERUNDS
As a subject of a
sentence:
Smoking kills.

After prepositions:

I thought of calling you, but

it was late.
After having lunch, they go
to school.

GERUNDS
As a Direct Object of
certain verbs:
Continue
Enjoy
Finish
Like/dislike
Love/hate

Miss
Prefer
Recommend
Suggest

After certain expressions:

Cant help Look forward to

Cant stand Spend (time)
Feel like
Dont mind
Its no use Would mind
Be/Get used to

INFINITIVES
As a subject of a sentence
(when we talk about a
specific fact)

To smoke now would be

rude.

After some verbs:

Agree
Appear/seem
Choose
Decide
Expect
Hope

Learn
Manage
Plan
Promise
Refuse
Want/wish

INFINITIVES
After certain adjectives
and adverbs:
Busy
Happy
Ready
Tired

Slowly
Fast
Low
High

After Indirect Object of

certain verbs:
Advise
Invite
Tell

Teach
Persuade
Warn

VERBS FOLLOWED BY BOTH

Without change in
meaning:
Begin
Propose
Forbid
Intend
Start

With change in meaning:

Stop
Remeber
Forget
Regret

STOP
STOP + GERUND:
To leave an habit

STOP + INFINITIVE:
To interrupt an action for
doing something else

You should stop smoking, it

will kill you!

Lets stop here to have a

drink!

REMEMBER
REMEMBER + GERUND:
It refers to something done in
the past

REMEMBER + INFINITIVE:
It refers to the future. We use it
when we want to say sth
immportant to somenone.

I dont remeber locking the

door!

You should remember to

call Mr Jones to put off
the meeting.

REGRET
REGRET + GERUND:
To regret something from the past.

REGRET + INFINITIVE:
To make bad news public.

She regrets breaking up

with him.

I regret to tell you that we

dont have any vacancy
to be filled.

FORGET
FORGET + GERUND:
To express that weve forgotten something
which was done in the past.

I forgot talking to you!

(you talked, but you dont
remember)

FORGET + INFINITIVE:
To forget doing something.

I forgot to call you on your

birthday.
(you didnt call, so you
didnt remember)