One of the most confusing areas of English grammar is knowing when to use a gerund (verb + -ing) and when to use an infinitive (to + base verb). Why do we say I enjoy swimming but I want to swim? Why is I stopped smoking different from I stopped to smoke? The answer is that certain verbs, adjectives, and prepositions require a specific form, and some verbs change meaning depending on which form follows them.
A gerund looks like a verb but functions as a noun: Swimming is fun. An infinitive also functions as a noun in many cases: To swim is fun. The challenge is not understanding what they are but knowing which form to use after specific verbs. This guide gives you the rules, the key verb lists, and the practice you need to use gerunds and infinitives correctly.
How to Form / Structure
| Form | How to Make It | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Gerund | Base verb + -ing | swimming, reading, working, studying |
| Infinitive | to + base verb | to swim, to read, to work, to study |
Spelling rules for gerunds:
- Most verbs: add -ing → play → playing
- Verbs ending in -e: drop the -e → make → making, write → writing
- Short verbs ending in consonant-vowel-consonant: double the final consonant → run → running, sit → sitting
- Verbs ending in -ie: change -ie to -y → die → dying, lie → lying
Three Categories of Verbs
Verbs that come before gerunds and infinitives fall into three groups:
Verbs followed by a gerund (verb + -ing):
| Verb | Example |
|---|---|
| enjoy | I enjoy reading novels. |
| avoid | She avoids eating fast food. |
| finish | Have you finished writing the report? |
| mind | Do you mind waiting a few minutes? |
| suggest | He suggested going to the park. |
| keep | They keep making the same mistake. |
| consider | I am considering moving to Canada. |
| practice | She practices speaking English every day. |
| deny | He denied stealing the money. |
| admit | She admitted making an error. |
| miss | I miss living near the beach. |
| imagine | Can you imagine living on Mars? |
Verbs followed by an infinitive (to + verb):
| Verb | Example |
|---|---|
| want | I want to learn French. |
| need | She needs to study harder. |
| decide | We decided to leave early. |
| plan | They plan to visit Japan next year. |
| hope | I hope to see you soon. |
| expect | He expects to arrive by noon. |
| agree | She agreed to help us. |
| offer | He offered to drive me home. |
| refuse | They refused to pay the fine. |
| promise | I promise to call you. |
| learn | She is learning to cook. |
| afford | We cannot afford to buy a new car. |
| seem | He seems to be tired. |
| pretend | She pretended to be asleep. |
Verbs followed by either gerund or infinitive (no change in meaning):
| Verb | Gerund Example | Infinitive Example |
|---|---|---|
| like | I like swimming. | I like to swim. |
| love | She loves dancing. | She loves to dance. |
| hate | He hates waiting. | He hates to wait. |
| start | It started raining. | It started to rain. |
| begin | She began singing. | She began to sing. |
| continue | They continued talking. | They continued to talk. |
When to Use
After Prepositions — Always Use the Gerund
When a verb follows a preposition (in, on, at, about, of, for, without, before, after, etc.), it must be in the gerund form. This is an absolute rule with no exceptions.
- She is good at cooking.
- I am interested in learning new languages.
- He left without saying goodbye.
- Thank you for helping me.
- I am tired of waiting.
As the Subject of a Sentence — Usually Gerund
When a verb form is the subject of a sentence, the gerund is far more common in everyday English:
- Swimming is great exercise.
- Reading before bed helps me relax.
- Learning a new language takes time.
The infinitive is possible but sounds more formal: To err is human.
Verbs That Change Meaning
Some verbs can take both forms, but the meaning changes significantly:
Stop:
- He stopped smoking. (He quit the habit of smoking.)
- He stopped to smoke. (He paused what he was doing in order to smoke a cigarette.)
Remember:
- I remember locking the door. (I have a memory of locking it — it happened in the past.)
- I remembered to lock the door. (I did not forget — I locked it as planned.)
Forget:
- I will never forget meeting her. (The memory of meeting her will stay with me.)
- I forgot to meet her. (I did not meet her because I forgot.)
Try:
- Try eating less sugar. (Experiment with this as a possibility.)
- Try to eat less sugar. (Make an effort to eat less sugar.)
Common Mistakes
| Wrong | Correct | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| I enjoy to swim. | I enjoy swimming. | "Enjoy" is always followed by a gerund. |
| She wants learning English. | She wants to learn English. | "Want" is always followed by an infinitive. |
| I am good at to cook. | I am good at cooking. | After prepositions, always use the gerund. |
| He suggested to go home. | He suggested going home. | "Suggest" takes a gerund. |
| I look forward to meet you. | I look forward to meeting you. | In "look forward to," the "to" is a preposition, so use a gerund. |
| She avoided to answer the question. | She avoided answering the question. | "Avoid" takes a gerund. |
Tricky case: "Look forward to" — Many learners think the "to" here introduces an infinitive, but it is actually a preposition. Always follow it with a gerund: I look forward to hearing from you.
Practice Examples
Choose the correct form (gerund or infinitive) for each sentence:
- She decided _____ (study) abroad. — to study (decide + infinitive)
- He enjoys _____ (play) the guitar. — playing (enjoy + gerund)
- We need _____ (finish) this by Friday. — to finish (need + infinitive)
- I cannot imagine _____ (live) without music. — living (imagine + gerund)
- They agreed _____ (share) the cost. — to share (agree + infinitive)
- She is interested in _____ (learn) to code. — learning (preposition + gerund)
- He keeps _____ (forget) his password. — forgetting (keep + gerund)
- I remembered _____ (send) the email. — sending (memory of a past action) or to send (did not forget to do it) — meaning depends on context.
Quick Reference
- Gerund (-ing form): used after certain verbs (enjoy, avoid, finish, mind, suggest, consider, practice), after all prepositions, and as the subject of a sentence.
- Infinitive (to + verb): used after certain verbs (want, need, decide, plan, hope, agree, offer, refuse, promise, learn, afford).
- Both with no change in meaning: like, love, hate, start, begin, continue.
- Both with a change in meaning: stop, remember, forget, try — learn these pairs carefully.
- After prepositions, always use the gerund. No exceptions.
- "Look forward to" takes a gerund, not an infinitive.
- When in doubt, check a learner's dictionary, which will show whether a verb takes a gerund, infinitive, or both.
The gerund vs. infinitive distinction is one of those areas where practice makes a bigger difference than memorizing rules. Read widely, notice the patterns, and keep a personal list of verbs with their correct forms. Over time, the right choice will feel natural.
