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THE GERUND
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| The Gerund is used: |
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- as a noun (subject/object): "I like swimming"
"Swimming is a healthy sport"
- after prepositions: "After leaving the house,..."
- after certain verbs: "Stop doing that!"
- in compound nouns (adjective): "I bought a windsurfing
board"
- after a possessive adjective (or Saxon genitive): "I
didn't mind his / John's coming"
(In conversational English: "He didn't mind me coming
late" "I don't mind John coming")
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Verbs usually followed by a gerund
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| admit |
detest |
forgive |
mind (=object) |
resist |
| anticipate |
dislike |
hate |
pardon |
risk |
| appreciate |
dread |
imagine |
postpone |
save (oneself the trouble of) |
| avoid |
enjoy |
involve |
prevent |
start |
| consider |
escape |
keep (=continue) |
propose (=suggest) |
stop |
| defer |
excuse |
like |
recollect |
suggest |
| delay |
fancy (=imagine) |
loathe |
remember (=recollect) |
understand |
| deny |
finish |
love |
resent |
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THE INFINITIVE
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| A. The Infinitive
with TO is used: |
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- after certain verbs: "I want to buy a car"
- to express purpose: "I sat down to read"
- after nouns and adjectives: "She's nice to talk to"
"I've got some homework to do"
- after that/it/there + to be + adjective + noun: "That
was a silly thing to do"
- after it + to be + adjective: "It was nice of you to
come" (usually followed by of you, of her ...)
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Verbs followed by the infinitive
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| afford |
begin |
determine |
hope |
plan |
prove |
| agree |
bother |
endeavour |
intend |
prefer |
seem |
| aim |
care |
expect |
learn |
prepare |
start |
| appear |
choose |
fail |
like |
pretend |
swear |
| arranged |
claim |
forget |
long (for) |
proceed |
tend |
| ask |
condescend |
guarantee |
love |
promise |
threaten |
| attempt |
consent |
happen |
manage |
refuse |
trouble |
| bear |
dare |
hate |
mean |
regret |
try (=attempt) |
| be |
decide |
help |
neglect |
remember |
undertake |
| beg |
demand |
hesitate |
offer |
resolve |
volunteer |
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vow |
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Verbs followed by object + infinitive
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| advise |
command |
get |
like |
prefer |
tell (how) |
| allow |
compel |
help |
mean |
press |
tempt |
| ask |
encourage |
implore |
need |
recommend |
trouble |
| bear |
entitle |
induce |
oblige |
remind |
urge |
| beg |
expect |
instruct |
order |
request |
want |
| bribe |
forbid |
invite |
permit |
show (how) |
warn |
| cause |
force |
leave |
persuade |
teach (how) |
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Verbs followed by the infinitive or by object
+ infinitive
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| ask |
help |
mean |
wish |
would have |
| beg |
intend |
prefer |
would hate |
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| expect |
like (=think wise) |
want |
would like (=enjoy) |
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| A. The Infinitive
without TO is used: |
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- after most auxiliary verbs: "She can swim very well"
- after certain verbs: "She made them come back
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Verbs followed by the infinitive without TO
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| can |
dare |
might |
need |
shoud |
would |
| could |
may |
must |
shall |
will |
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| feel |
help |
make |
see |
In the passive they are
followed by TO + infinitive |
| hear |
let |
notice |
watch |
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GERUND OR INFINITIVE?
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| Some verbs can be followed by either
an -ing form or an infinitive, usually with a difference
of meaning. The most important cases are: |
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| advise |
begin |
go on |
like |
propose |
start |
| allow |
continue |
hate |
love |
regret |
stop |
| attempt |
forbid |
hear |
permit |
remember |
try |
| can't bear |
forget |
intend |
prefer |
see |
watch |
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| This is also the case with certain adjectives: |
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| accustomed |
afraid |
certain |
interested |
sorry |
sure |
used |
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1. With remember, forget, stop, go on
and regret, the difference is connected with time. The -ing
form refers to things that happen before the action takes place;
the infinitive refers to things that happen after the action takes
place.
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remember |
+ -ing = remember what one has done
or what has happened |
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+ infinitive = remember what one
has to do |
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forget |
+ -ing = forget what
one has done, or what has happened |
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+ infinitive = forget what one has
to do |
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stop |
+ -ing = stop what one is doing |
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+ infinitive = make a pause in order
to do something |
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go on |
+ -ing = continue what one has been
doing |
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+ infinitive = change; move on to
something new |
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regret |
+ -ing = be sorry for what has happened |
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+ infinitive = be sorry for what
one is going to say |
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| 2. Like |
+ -ing = enjoy |
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+ infinitive = choose to; be in the habit of;
think it right to |
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| 3. With love, hate and prefer,
there is not much difference between the two structures. When we are
referring to one particular occasion, it is more common to use the
infinitive. |
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| 4. Allow, advise, forbid
and permit are followed by an -ing form when there is no personal
object. If we say who is allowed, advised, etc, the infinitive is
used: "Sorry, we don't allow smoking here" "Sorry,
we don't allow people to smoke here" |
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| 5. After see, watch and hear, an -ing form
suggests that we observe part of a complete action; when we start
looking or listening it is already going on. The infinitive is used
when we want to suggest that we observe the whole action from beginning
to end. |
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| 6. Try |
+ -ing = make an experiment; do something to
see what will happen |
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+ infinitive = make an effort; attempt to do
something difficult |
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| 7. Begin and start can be
followed by -ing or infinitive structures, usually with no real difference
in meaning. It is perhaps more common to use an -ing form when we
are talking about the beginning of a long or habitual action. |
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| 8. After propose, attempt,
intend, continue and can't bear, both structures
are possible with little difference of meaning, but the infinitive
is probably more common after propose, attempt and intend. |
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| 9. With the adjective interested,
the -ing form refers to what will or may happen, and the infinitive
refers to what has happened: |
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Be interested in + -ing = interested by
the idea of doing something
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Be interested + infinitive = interested
by what one learns
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| 10. Afraid of + -ing and
afraid + infinitive can be both used with little difference
in meaning. However, when we are talking about things which happen
to us unexpectedly, only the -ing form is possible: "I'm afraid
of crashing" (NOT * ... to crash) |
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| 11. Sorry for |
+ -ing = apologize for something
we have done |
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Sorry
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+ infinitive = apologize for something
we are doing |
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| 12. Be certain / sure |
+ -ing = we're not sure, we think
so but may be wrong |
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+ infinitive = we're sure |
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| 13. Be used to |
+ -ing = be accustomed to doing something |
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Used to
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+ infinitive = things we did habitually
in the past but not now |
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| 14. With accustomed to + -ing and
accustomed to + infinitive there's no real difference in meaning. |
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Adapted from A
Practical English Grammar by Thomson & Martinet,
OUP 1980
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©
Olga Godoy Giménez, 2002 - 2007
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