Gerunds and infinitives

The choice of using a gerund or infinitive form of a verb may depend significantly on the particular word it modifies, or a particular grammatical construction. In other cases, they may be fully interchangeable, with only a slight difference in nuance. In a few cases, both are possible, with a difference in meaning.

1. Dependent infinitives
The most common use for infinitives is the dependent infinitive after another verb, such as expressions of wishes, hopes, and intentions:
I just want to play on my drums all day. I hope to become a great drummer like Van Halen. So I plan to practice all day.

Infinitives are in a sense tenseless or not time-bound like other verbs; they dont refer to actual events so much as they refer to potential events, possible events, or events that havent happened yet. Thus, they are used after main verbs like those above. Because of this semantic nuance, they are somewhat more abstract or generic (general) in meaning than infinitives or other forms of verbs.

2. Purpose clauses
Infinitives are used with purpose clauses, in which case they are similar to in order to. (The phrase in order to puts more emphasis on the purpose, or distinguishes a purpose infinitive from normal infinitives.)
He bought the car to impress his girlfriend. (in order to impress his girlfriend)

3. Interchangeable gerunds and infinitives

A gerund suggests an actual or real activity or experience that occurs (or would occur), while an infinitive implies a potential or possible activity or experience.
I like speaking Chinese when Im in Chinatown. I like to speak Chinese when Im in Chinatown. I tried speaking Chinese while I was in Taiwan. I tried to speak Chinese while I was in Taiwan. I like living in Europe. I like to live in Europe.
I enjoy the experience of speaking in Chinese.

I enjoy the option / ability / possibility of speaking Chinese I tried actually speaking it

I attempted it depending on the context, this may imply that I wasnt successful in doing so Implies that I actually have done so Implies that I havent done so, but would like to do so

In expressions like the following, they are interchangeable, with this sort of very slight nuance1.
can't bear can't stand cease continue hate like love neglect prefer propose He can't bear being alone. Nancy can't stand working the late shift. The government ceased providing free health care. She continued talking. He hates cleaning dishes. Samantha likes reading. We love scuba diving. He neglected doing his daily chores. He prefers eating at 7 PM. Drew proposed paying for the trip. He can't bear to be alone. Nancy can't stand to work the late shift. The government ceased to provide free health care. She continued to talk. He hates to clean dishes. Samantha likes to read. We love to scuba dive. He neglected to do his daily chores. He prefers to eat at 7 PM. Drew proposed to pay for the trip.

With these main verbs below, the choice between gerunds and infinitives depend on whether the dependent verb (the infinitive or gerund after the main verb, which depends on the main verb) has a subject. Expressing a subject with a gerund that is different from the subject of a main verb can be more wordy, or even awkward.
I advised seeing a doctor = I advised that they see a doctor; I advised them to see a doctor. I advised their seeing a doctor: same meaning, but sounds awkward

advise allow encourage permit require urge

I advised seeing a doctor. Ireland doesn't allow smoking in bars. He encourages eating healthy foods. California doesn't permit fishing without a fishing license. The certificate requires completing two courses. They urge recycling bottles and paper.

I advised them to see a doctor. Ireland doesn't allow people to smoke in bars. He encourages his patients to eat healthy foods. California doesn't permit people to fish without a fishing license. The certificate requires students to complete two courses. They urge citizens to recycle bottles and paper.

1 This and other following tables are from www.englishpage.com. See also the OWL website handout on gerunds and infinitives, http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/627/01/.

4. Significantly different gerund / infinitive meanings

With some main verbs, whether the following dependent verbal item is a gerund or infinitive changes the meaning altogether. For example, with the main verb stop, the type of following verbal item (which depends on the main verb) can have a very different meaning. With stop, the infinitive is a purpose infinitive (purpose clause, similar to in order to).
I stopped to buy some coffee. I stopped buying coffee. its too expensive) = I stopped in order to buy coffee. = I no longer buy coffee (I quit drinking it; or

Gerund begin
She began singing. She began to sing.

Infinitive
She is beginning to sing.

When begin is used in noncontinuous tenses, you can either use a gerund or an infinitive. dread
She dreaded taking the test.

When begin is used in continuous tenses, an infinitive is used.

Usually dread is followed by a gerund.

He dreaded to think of the consequences of his actions.

Dread is sometimes used with infinitives such as think or consider. In the sentence above, dreaded to think means did not want to think.
She forgot to pay the rent this month.

forget

She forgot reading the book when she was a kid.

When forget is used with a gerund, it means "to forget that you have done something." The sentence above means that she read the book when she was a kid, and that she has forgotten that fact. keep
She kept talking.

When forget is used with an infinitive, it means to forget that you need to do something. The sentence above means that she forgot that she needed to pay the rent.

Keep is normally used with a gerund to mean that you continue doing an action.

The attackers kept hostages to prevent the police from entering.

Keep can also be used with an object followed by an infinitive, but then the infinitive takes on the meaning of in order to... In the sentence above, the attackers kept hostages in order to prevent the police from entering.
He needs to call his boss. He needs him to call his boss.

need

The house needs cleaning.

When need is used with a gerund, it takes on a passive meaning (note: this may be considered more colloquial in style). The sentence above means the house needs to be cleaned.

Need is usually used with an infinitive or an object + an infinitive.

Gerund regret
I regretted being late to the interview.

Infinitive
We regret to inform you that your position at the company is being eliminated.

Regret is normally used with a gerund.

Regret is sometimes used with infinitives such as to inform. In the sentence above, We regret to inform you means We wish we did not have to tell you (bad news).
He remembered to turn off the lights before he left.

remember

I remember mentioning the meeting yesterday.

When remember is used with a gerund, it means "to remember that you have done something." The sentence above means that I mentioned the meeting, and that I remember the fact that I did that. start
Marge started talking really fast. Marge started to talk really fast.

When remember is used with an infinitive, it means to remember that you need to do something. The sentence above means that he remembered that he needed to turn the lights off.
Marge is starting to talk really fast.

When start is used in noncontinuous tenses, you can either use a gerund or an infinitive.

When start is used in continuous tenses, an infinitive is used.

I started to learn Russian, but it was so much work that I finally quit the class.

In other situations, an infinitive means that you did not complete or continue an action. stop
He stopped smoking for health reasons. He stopped to rest for a few minutes.

Stop is normally used with a gerund.

When stop is used with an infinitive, the infinitive takes on the meaning of in order to. In the sentence above, he stopped in order to rest for a few minutes.
She tried to climb the tree, but she couldn't even get off the ground.

try

She cant find a job. She tried looking in the paper, but there was nothing. She tried asking friends and family, but nobody knew of anything. She also tried going shop to shop, but nobody was hiring.

Try + gerund means to try or to experiment with different methods to see if something works. She tried eating the snake soup, but she didn't like it. Try + gerund is often used when you experiment with something, but you do not really like it or want to do it again.

When you try to do something, you want to do it, but you do not succeed in actually doing it. In the sentence above, an infinitive is used because she cannot successfully climb the tree.
Try not to wake the baby when you get up tomorrow at 5 AM.

An infinitive is also used if you are asking someone to try something they may or may not be able to accomplish.

5. Gerunds required by / modifying other words

In the following cases, certain content words take gerunds to modify them.
5.1. Go + gerund The main verb go can be followed by a gerund for referring to various activities. go boating go bowling go bungee jumping go camping go canoeing go climbing go dancing go fishing go hiking go horseback riding go hunting go jogging go kayaking go mountain climbing go paragliding go parasailing go rollerblading go running go sailing go scuba diving go shopping go sightseeing go skateboarding go skating go skiing go skinny-dipping go skydiving go sledding go snorkeling go snowboarding go spearfishing go surfing go trekking go water skiing go window shopping go windsurfing

5.2. Adjective + preposition + gerund There are many adjectives that take a preposition and gerund to indicate a semantic relationship between the event or activity and the adjective; a few are listed below. accustomed to addicted to afraid of anxious about bored of capable of committed to concerned about content with dedicated to devoted to disappointed with discouraged by excited about famous for He is accustomed to having his own office. She is addicted to watching TV. She is afraid of speaking in public. Norma is anxious about making the presentation. I am bored of doing the same old job. He is capable of winning a gold medal. She is committed to improving her English. Nancy was concerned about being late. Tim is content with winning second place. The organization is dedicated to ending poverty. The money will be devoted to protecting the environment. Fiona was disappointed with coming in third place. He was discouraged by not getting the job. The researcher was excited about going to Africa. That actor is famous for being extremely weird.

fond of frightened of guilty of happy about interested in involved in known for opposed to proud of remembered for responsible for scared of terrified of tired from tired of worried about

She is fond of having picnics. She is frightened of being alone at night. The banker was guilty of stealing money. He was happy about winning the lottery. She is interested in becoming a doctor. He was involved in making the movie. She was known for causing problems. They are opposed to building a new road in the park. He was proud of having completed the marathon. She is remembered for protecting mountain gorillas. He is responsible for causing the damage. Tina is scared of being alone at night. The surfer is terrified of being attacked by a shark. She is tired from working all day. Margaret is tired of making dinner every night. The hikers were worried about not having enough water.

5.3. Noun + preposition + gerund Some nouns follow a similar pattern; a few are listed below. addiction to advantage of anxiety about belief in credit for dedication to delay in devotion to disadvantage of His addiction to surfing the Internet is a problem. He has the advantage of speaking English fluently. Her anxiety about speaking in public caused her to lose the job. His belief in not harming animals was something he learned from his mother. She took credit for improving the filing system. His dedication to teaching was impressive. The delay in processing the visa caused problems. His devotion to biking allowed him to win the competition. The disadvantage of flying is that you can't see the scenery along the way. She has a great deal of experience in introducing new products to international markets. With the noun "experience," sometimes a gerund is added without the preposition "in." "Experience introducing new products" would also be acceptable. His fear of flying made travel difficult.

experience in

fear of

fondness for habit of interest in knowledge of love of memory of preference for process of reaction to reason for regret for report on reputation for responsibility for story about talent for

Her fondness for traveling led to her career in the travel industry. His habit of smoking in restaurants caused many problems in California. Her career as a pilot evolved out of her interest in flying. Her knowledge of climbing helped her during the competition. His love of singing developed when he was a child. Their memories of traveling in Africa will stay with them forever. I think his preference for speaking his native language is natural. The process of painting such a large mural is more complicated than you might think. His reaction to winning the prize was quite funny. The main reason for taking the course is to improve your language skills. The criminal's regret for committing the crime did not convince the judge. The magazine's report on choosing the right car was not well researched. Her reputation for lying is well known. His responsibility for completing the project on time was acknowledged by the company. I don't know if I believe his story about seeing a UFO. His talent for learning languages was impressive.

5.4. Gerunds as passives. Gerunds can also be used in passive forms, with being + past participle as a passive voice equivalent.
The dog enjoys being taught how to hunt. The boy likes being taught Latin.

6. Infinitives required by / modifying other words

Some content words take infinitives to modify them.
6.1. (be + ) adjective + infinitive The following adjectives take infinitives (these are only a few). be amazed be anxious be ashamed He was amazed to discover the truth. She was anxious to start her new job. He was ashamed to admit he had lied.

be bound be careful be certain be content be delighted be determined be eager be eligible be fortunate be glad be happy be hesitant be liable be likely be lucky be pleased be proud be ready be reluctant be sad be shocked be sorry be surprised

She is bound to be elected class president. They were careful not to reveal the winner of the prize until the end. She is certain to get the job. The student was content to receive second place in the competition. We were delighted to be invited to the wedding. He was determined to finish the marathon. He was eager to begin. They were not eligible to participate in the program. She was fortunate to receive the research grant. I would be glad to help out. She was happy to see them at the party. Mary was hesitant to say anything. The mountain climber is liable to hurt himself if he doesn't use well-made equipment. They are likely to show up at any time. You were lucky to have such an opportunity. I am pleased to meet you. He was proud to have been chosen to lead the project. I'm ready to go now. The witness was reluctant to reveal what he had seen. She was really sad to leave. He was shocked to discover the truth. I am sorry to have to tell you that the tickets are sold out. She was surprised to discover that he had never learned how to swim.

6.2. Noun + infinitive Often, a noun can take an infinitive, where the infinitive serves as a descriptive phrase that serves a function similar to a relative clause in modifying the noun. The way construction is particularly common in colloquial English. advice appeal attempt chance His advi2ce to continue was good. The appeal to reduce pollution was ineffective. Her attempt to locate them was unsuccessful. In Britain, you will have a chance to improve your English.

decision desire dream goal motivation need opportunity order permission plan preparation proposal refusal reminder request requirement suggestion tendency wish way

The decision to increase taxes was not popular. His desire to get a good job motivated him. Her dream to become an actress was never realized. His goal to run a marathon seemed unrealistic. Her motivation to enter university impressed them. Bob's need to be the center of attention was irritating. The opportunity to live in New York interested Sandra. They followed the general's order to retreat. Permission to enter the area was difficult to get. Sandy's plan to move to Madrid bothered her parents. NASA's preparations to launch on Monday moved forward. Her proposal to host the party impressed the committee. Debra's refusal to help did not go unnoticed. Her reminder to review the vocabulary helped me pass the test. Their request to participate was granted. Their requirement to speak four languages was unreasonable. His suggestion to leave seemed like a good idea. His tendency to tap his desk during a test annoyed me. Her wish to be treated normally was respected. One way to improve your English is to read novels.

recommendation His recommendation to close the school upset the community.

Some nouns can take either a gerund or infinitive modifier, with only a slight difference in nuance, as discussed above.
This is a common method to get rid of dust mites. This is a common method of getting rid of dust mites.