GERUNDS: El gerundio es una de las formas invariables del verbo.

Se forma añadiendo al infinitivo la terminación -ing y además de utilizarse para la

formación de tiempos de continuo, tiene otros usos:

GERUNDIO COMO SUJETO

Cuando un verbo funciona como sujeto de la oración, este verbo se pondrá en gerundio (para hablar de acciones en general)
e.g. Breaking up a relationship is never easy
Smoking is very unhealthy

VERB + GERUND

Hay muchos verbos que van seguidos de gerundio. Los más comunes son:

ADMIT ADVISE ANTICIPATE APPRECIATE AVOID COMPLETE CONSIDER DELAY DENY DETEST DISCUSS DISLIKE ENJOY FINISH
FORGET HATE IMAGINE KEEP LIKE LOVE MENTION MIND MISS POSTPONE PRACTICE PREFER QUIT RECALL RECOLLET
RECOMMEND REGRET REMEMBER RESENT RESIST RISK STOP SUGGEST TOLERATE UNDERSTAND

e.g. I enjoy swimming

We discussed holding the wedding at home

GERUNDIO DETRAS DE DETERMINADAS EXPRESIONES/ FORMAS VERBALES/ PHRASAL VERBS

I can’t help laughing at him

I can’t stand waiting in queues
There’s / it’s no use crying over spilt milk
That car isn’t worth buying
Helen isn’t used to driving on the left.
I look forward to seeing you again
David couldn’t get used to living in a city.
John has given up smoking
Let’s go swimming!
I don’t mind/ wouldn’t mind being famous
I feel like eating pizza
He spent two hours writing a document

GERUNDIO DETRAS DE PREPOSICIÓN

e.g. He apologized for not paying the bill

Lucy doesn’t like his way of thinking
She insisted on coming with me to the shop
They succeeded in breaking the world record by Yolanda García Moreno
INFINITIVES: El infinitivo es otra forma invariable del verbo. Puede ir precedida de “to” o no. Si no lo lleva se llama BARE INFINITIVE. Sin embargo, aquí
vamos a hablar de los que van con “to”

INFINITIVO COMO SUJETO

Cuando un verbo funciona como sujeto de la oración, este verbo se pondrá en infinitivo (para hablar de acciones concretas)
e.g. To live alone is not very good for you now

VERBOS SEGUIDOS DE TO+ INFINITIVO

Hay muchos verbos que van seguidos de infinitivo con to. Los más comunes son:

AFFORD AGREE APPEAR ARRANGE ASK BEG CARE CHOOSE CLAIM CONSENT DECIDE DEMAND DESERVE EXPECT FAIL
FORGET HESITATE HELP HOPE LEARN MANAGE MEAN NEED OFFER PLAN PERSUADE PREPARE PRETEND PROMISE REFUSE
REGRET REMEMBER SEEM STRUGGLE SWEAR THREATEN VOLUNTEER WAIT WANT WISH

e.g. Angela promised to arrive on time.

They decided not to take the car.

INFINITIVO DETRAS DE VERBOS QUE LLEVAN CI

Estos verbos llevan un nombre o un pronombre entre el primer verbo y el infinitivo.

e.g. Alan told me to call him at 7.00
I permitted my daughter to take the car
Harry warned me not to drive too fast

Verbos de este tipo son: ADVISE ALLOW ASK BEG CAUSE CHALLENGE CONVINCE DARE ENABLE ENCOURGE EXPECT FORBID
FORCE HIRE INSTRUCT INVITE NEED ORDER PERMIT PERSUADE REMIND REQUIRE TEACH TELL URGE WANT WARN

Algunos verbos frasales y ciertas expresiones van seguidas de infinitive con “to”.

e.g. The whole affair turned out to be an embarrassment.

We were about to leave, so hurry up
Helen made up her mind to buy a house
It’s up to you to decide
Would you like to go today?

INFINITIVO DETRAS DE DETERMINADOS ADJETIVOS Y ADVERBIOS

e.g. This text is difficult to understand

The car went too fast to see the traffic lights. by Yolanda García Moreno
VERB + BARE INFINITIVE

Los verbos MAKE, LET, WOULD RATHER, WOULD SOONER, HAD BETTER van seguidos de un bare infinitive (infinitivo sin to).

e.g. They let us leave early

They made us wait for two hours
I’d rather go to Italy this year.
I’d sooner die tan give the secret away!
You had better start at once!

En pasiva, usamos TO INF después de MAKE

e.g. We were made to wait for two hours

No usamos LET en pasiva, en su lugar usamos ALLOW

e.g. We were allowed to leave early.

También usamos el BARE INF después de verbos modales:

e.g. I can’t help you
We might be a bit late.

VERBOS + GERUNDIOS / INFINITIVOS SIN CAMBIO DE SIGNIFICADO

Algunos verbos pueden ir seguidos tanto de gerundio como de infinitive SIN QUE CAMBIE SU SIGNIFICADO. Si el verbo está en un tiempo de continuo, se
suele preferir el infinitivo. Los mas comunes son:

BEGIN CEASE CONTINUE HATE INTEND LIKE LOVE PREFER START CAN’T STAND/BEAR

- She prefers going to the cinema – She prefers to go to the cinema.

Con ADVISE, ALLOW, PERMIT Y RECOMMEND:

- Si se menciona el nombre o pronombre se pone infinitivo, pero si no lo hay debe usarse el gerundio:

e.g. I advised him to sell the car

I advised selling the car
 by Yolanda García Moreno
VERBOS + GERUNDIO / INFINITIVO CON CAMBIO DE SIGNIFICADO

STOP

I stopped to tie up my shoelace (stop in order to do sth)

He stopped smoking years ago (no longer do sth)

REGRET

I regret wasting so much money (feel sorry about sth you have or haven’t done)
I regret to tell you that he has died (feel sorry or sad for sth you have to do)

REMEMBER

I remembered to turn off the oven (not forget sth you must do)
I remember turning off the oven (have a memory of sth you did in the past)

FORGET

I forgot to phone Kevin (not remember sth you must do, get or bring)
I’ll never forget visiting Venice for the first time (not remember sth you did in the past)

TRY

They tried to help her (make an effort)

Try closing the file and then opening it again (do sth to see what happens)

GO ON

He told us about his childhood. Then he went on to describe his experiences in the army (do sth after you’ve finished doing sth else)
She went on talking for hours! (continue doing sth)

MEAN

I didn’t mean to hurt you (intend)

His new job will mean travelling a lot (involve sth or have a particular result) by Yolanda García Moreno