GERUNDIO/INFINITIVO

1.- Van seguidos de GERUNDIO

a) Los siguientes verbos
adm it, anticipate, avoid , consider, defer, delay, deny, detest, dread, enjoy, excuse, fancy, finish, forgive, im agine, involve, keep,
m ind, m iss, pardon, postpone, prevent, recollect, resent, resist, risk, stop, suggest, understand
b) Pueden tener una preposición ante el gerundio, sobre todo cuando tienen un complemento directo:
be for/against, care for, feel like, give up, keep on, leave off, look forward to, put off, see about, take to
c) expresiones como:
be accustom ed to, be used to, can't help, can't stand, it's no good, it's no use, it's worth (while), wouldn't m ind, don't m ind
d) Todos los verbos a la derecha de una preposición (excepto TO) deben ir en gerundio.
e) Cuando el verbo es el sujeto de una frase:
* Cuando la acción se considera en un sentido general. Implica que el hablante tiene experiencia. Puede usarse también el
infinitivo, pero ello implica una opinión no ligada a la experiencia:
Studying everyday is quite tiring. To climb a mountain must be a tiresome and dangerous experience.
* Cuando la acción se considera un hábito.
* Cuando es una acción prohibida.
f) Con adjetivos:
* Tras BUSY y W ORTH
* Algunos adjetivos, acompañados por preposiciones especiales van seguidos de gerundio:
keep on, be proud of, be accustom ed to, be used to, be exem pt from

2.- Van seguidos de GERUNDIO/INFINITIVO (°: con cambio de sentido; ¯sin cambio de sentido):
advise (°), allow (°), begin (¯), can't bear, continue (¯), deserve (¯), dread (°), forget (°), go on (°), hate (°), intend (¯), like
(°), love (°), mean (°), need (¯), perm it (°), prefer (°), propose (°), recom m end (°), regret (°), rem em ber (°), require (¯),
start (¯), stop (°), try (°), want (°)
* advise, allow, permit, recommend llevan infinitivo si la persona mencionada aparece
* Con muchos de estos verbos, como like, love, prefer, hate, dread, can't bear, se sigue GERUNDIO cuando la acción se piensa en un
sentido general (=uso de la forma condicional), y se sigue INFINITIVO cuando se piensa en un tiempo determinado.
* Después de forget, regret, remember se usa GERUNDIO para referirse a una acción que ocurre antes del verbo principal. Se usa
INFINITIVO para referirse a algo que ocurre después del verbo principal.
* Los verbos deserve, need, require, want, pueden ir seguidos indistintamente por GERUNDIO O INFINITIVO PASIVO cuando tienen
el significado de necesitar (esta camisa necesita un planchado) y siempre tienen idea pasiva.
* Tras el verbo try se usa INFINITIVO cuando tiene el significado de intento e implica dificultad. Se usa GERUNDIO cuando significa
comprobar y no implica dificultad.
* Tras propose se usa INFINITIVO, cuando significa "tener intención de". Con GERUNDIO significa sugerencia.
* M ean con GERUNDIO significa "implicar". Con INFINITIVO "intentar".
* Stop con GERUNDIO significa "cesar una acción para empezar otra". Con INFINITIVO significa "alto".
* Go on con gerundio significa la continuación de algo ya empezado. Con INFINITIVO continuar con algo nuevo.
* Used to con infinitivo significa una acción pasada o hábito que no pervive.
* To be used to con GERUNDIO significa estar acostumbrado.
* Tras want se usa TO INFINITIVO en su significado habitual de “querer”, pero seguido de GERUNDIO significa hacer falta, necesitar:
“this shirt wants / needs ironing.”

3.- Van seguidos de INFINITIVO:

a) Seguidos de TO + INFINITIVO:
afford, agree, aim , appear, arrange, bother, care, chance, claim , consent, decide, dem and, endeavour, fail, get, happen, have,
hesitate, hope, learn, long, m anage, offer, prepare, pretend, proceed, prom ise, refuse, resolve, seek, seem , swear, tend, threaten,
trouble, undertake, volunteer
* Auxiliares seguidos de TO + INFINITIVO:
be, dare, have, need, ought, used
b) Verbos seguidos de OBJETO + TO + INFINITIVO:
advise, allow, ask, com pel, encourage, expect, forbid, instruct, invite, oblige, order, perm it, rem ind, request, teach, tell, tempt,
urge, want, warn
* Verbos seguidos de OBJETO + TO + INFINITIVO /TO + INFINITIVO
ask, beg, expect, hate, help, intend, like, love, m ean, prefer, want, wish
c) Verbos seguidos de OBJETO + INFINITIVO:
feel, hear, help, let, listen, m ake, see, watch
* Auxiliares seguidos de INFINITIVO:
will, shall, would, should, can, could, may, m ight, do, must
* Las preposiciones EXCEPT y BUT van seguidas de BARE INFINITIVE (Infinitivo sin TO)
d) Infinitivo de propósito. A veces se usa el infinitivo para indicar la razón de hacer algo. Se utiliza TO + INFINITIVO. Las
estructuras SO AS TO y IN ORDER TO intensifican la idea de propósito. La construcción FOR + OBJETO + TO +
INFINITIVO también tiene la idea de propósito.
e) TO+ INFINITIVO tras el verbo TO BE + ADJETIVO se usa con adjetivos de emoción como:
am azed, angry, asham ed, astonished, bewildered, delighted, disappointed, disgusted, excited, glad, happy, overjoyed, pleased,
 proud, sad, shocked, sorry, surprised, upset y con otros como awkward, difficult, easy, hard, possible.

EJEM PLOS
The Prime Minster admitted taking bribes. I recollect playing here when this was a playground.
Get some instruction even though you don't anticipate using it. They resent being treated as common criminals.
He turned his head trying to avoid breathing in the vapour. If you resist doing something you stop yourself from doing it.
If you mean to do something do it deliberately. If you have an expensive rug don't risk washing it yourself.
You might consider moving to a new house. He suggested going to the cinema.
The company deferred paying the employees. I only understand killing in self-defence.
She delayed starting divorce proceedings for six months. I'm for/against going to that house again.
They detest (the very thought of) living elsewhere. I care for starving people.
Everything you dread doing you must do straight away John gave up drinking five years ago.
They dreaded him coming. He kept on drinking till he died.
I enjoy playing my guitar. I'm looking forward to seeing you again
I could never excuse him for being so rude They kept putting off signing the paper.
I could never excuse his being so rude She went to the office to see about (getting) an increase.
She asked to be excused from acting that evening. If you take to doing something, you begin to do it as a regular habit.
Excuse me butting in. He can't help being useless
I don't fancy going back to that dreary house alone. I can't help thinking it was a mistake to let him go.
He finished the argument (by) walking out of the room. I can't stand listening to that noise all the time.
They finished up serving in a shop. It's no use begging him, he won't lend you any money.
The family could be forgiven for thinking we’re living in London. It's no good worrying any more tonight.
I can't imagine asking him for money. It's worth paying a little attention.
Try to imagine (you're) sitting in a cloud. I don't mind staying a little longer.
Caring for a one-year-old involves changing nappies and making I wouldn't mind being paid a little more.
special meals. I'm accustomed to getting up quite early.
Keep going, don't stop. I'm used to getting up quite early.
If you don't mind me/my saying so. I'm busy talking on the phone.
I miss watching my favourite series, but it's not on any longer. It's worth paying a little extra.
Pardon me for interrupting/Pardon my interrupting. However we complain they keep on throwing parties.
To delay something is to postpone it happening. I'm proud of being who I am.
You prevent someone from doing something. I am glad to see you
Are you instructed to prevent me entering?

There are many verbs that are not generally used in the progressive tenses and others that are not used in certain of their meanings. (In
grammars, these verbs are often called “stative verbs”; verbs that can normally have progressive forms are called “dynamic verbs”.) The
most important of these verbs are:
1. Dislike, hate, like, love, prefer, want, wish.
2. Astonish, impress, please, satisfy, surprise.
3. Believe, doubt, feel (have an opinion), guess, imagine, know, mean, realize, recognize, remember, suppose, think (have an opinion),
understand.
4. Hear, see, measure (have length, etc), taste, (have a flavour), smell (give out smell), sound, weigh (have weight).
5. Belong to, concern, consist of, contain, depend on, deserve, fit, include, involve, lack, matter, need, owe, own, possess.
6. Appear, resemble, seem.

Compare the progressive and non-progressive uses of certain verbs:

W hat are you thinking about?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I think you’re right.
I’m feeling fine. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I feel we shouldn’t do it.
W hy are you sm elling the meat? Is it bad?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The meat sm ells bad.
I’m just tasting your whisky.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Your whisky tastes wonderful.
The scales broke when I was weighing myself. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I weigh 68 kilos.
W hy’s that man m easuring the street?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I m easure 75 cm around the waist.
I’m seeing Philip tomorrow. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I see what you mean.

Note the common use of can see and can hear instead of progressive tenses of see and hear:

I can hear a funny noise

I can see a woman doing the housework in the flat opposite.

Note that verbs which are never used in progressive tenses (like know) have “-ing” forms which can be used as participles, objects of
prepositions, etc.

Knowing her tastes, I bought her a large box of chocolates.

I don’t like to go to a foreign country without knowing a little of the language.