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Unit 8 Gerunds & Infinitives

Objectives
1. To be able to perceive what Gerunds and Infinitives are
2. To be able to apply Gerunds and Infinitives in various contexts
3. To be able to communicate in English with correct Gerunds and Infinitives in various
contexts

8.1 Gerunds: Subject, Objects & after Prepositions

FORM

A gerund is formed by adding -ing to an infinitive. It then functions as a noun.

walk + -ing = walking

Walking is good for your health.

The negative gerund is formed by putting not in front of the gerund.

Not smoking is another way to keep fit.

USE

We use gerunds

1. as a subject of a sentence. It is always singular.

Eating junk food makes me fat.

Not exercising is bad for you.

Note Be careful not to confuse a gerund with continuous form of the verb.

Drinking alcohol is unhealthy. (gerund)

He is drinking alcohol now. (present continuous)

2. as an object of a certain verb. The verbs which often follow by gerund as such as finish,

forbid, admit, risk, miss, mind, deny, enjoy, avoid, escape, appreciate, suggest, consider, feel

like, fancy, imagine, keep, keep on, go on, carry on, prohibit, resist, recall, delay, defer, detest,
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postpone, prefer, prevent, forgive, excuse, quit, etc.

He quit smoking last year.

3. as an object after prepositions.

He is good at drawing.

They are interested in playing violin.

4. after special phrases such as feel like, be used to, get used to, get accustomed to, look forward

to, can’t help, can’t bear, can’t stand, can’t resist, to be busy, to be worth, it’s no good, it’s no

use, there’s no point, spend one’s time, how about, etc.

I feel like having a cup of coffee.

How about swimming?

He spent his time reading for the test.

I can’t stand watching this movie.

We look forward to seeing you.

5. with ‘come and ‘go’ to describe activities such as fishing, shopping, skiing, etc.

We often go shopping after class.

Do you want to come swimming with us?

Note

1. The verbs ‘remember, regret, forget, stop and try’ can be followed by both ‘to-infinitive’ and

‘gerund’ but with different meanings.

- remember + to-infinitive

Remember to lock the door before you leave.(don’t forget)

- remember + gerund

Remember locking the door before you leave.(past memory)

- regret + to-infinitive

I regret to tell you that the flight has been canceled. (give someone bad news)
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- regret + gerund

I regret leaving late so that I couldn’t catch the train. (sorry about something you did in the

past and you wish you hadn't done it)

- forget + to-infinitive

I forget to read for the exam. (forget)

- forget + gerund

I forget reading for the exam. (when you forget about a memory, something that you've done

in the past.)

- stop + to-infinitive

He stopped to talk to me. (stop in order to)

- stop + gerund

He stopped talking. (stop an activity)

- try + to-infinitive

We tried to use the new program, but it didn’t work. (make an effort)

- try + gerund

Try using a new program. (see if it works)

2. Some verbs can be followed by either a gerund or an infinitive without changing in meaning:

begin, continue, hate, intend, like, love, prefer, start, etc.

I hate to swim in this cold weather. = I hate swimming in this cold weather.

Exercise 1 Complete the sentence with the gerund form of verbs in brackets.

1. Does he regret _______________ (refuse) to do the project?

2. You won’t forget _______________ (pick up) laundry on your way home, will you?

3. Paula enjoys _______________ (play) chess with her friends.

4. Mary imagines _______________ (drive) a sport car one day.

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5. I don't mind _______________ (do) the dish if you cook dinner for me.

6. Julia practiced _______________ (play) the guitar last night.

7. He denies _______________ (take) the cookies even though I saw that he took them.

8. Marie is considering _______________ (eat) another piece of cake.

9. Keith and John finished _______________ (work) on their project.

10. Alan can’t stand _________ (listen) to loud music.

Exercise 2 Fill in the gerund with the correct preposition.

1. I’m looking forward _________________ your visit to our company. (visit)

2. My friend is keen _________________ English songs. (sing)

3. They tried to cope _________________ this unexpected difficulty. (solve)

4. The secretary carried _________________ the email. (reply)

5. The contract officers worried _________________ their jobs. (lose)

6. My friend apologized _________________ late for the appointment. (be)

7. The father always keeps _________________ his boss. (complain)

8. This town is known _________________ the heaviest traffic. (have)

9. The nanny succeeds _________________ the children safe and sound. (keep)

10. She has a lot of experience _________________ with bad weather. (deal)

Exercise 3 Complete the sentence with the gerund form of verbs in brackets.

1. (to swim) ______________ can be dangerous when you are too tired.

2. After (to shop) ______________ ,we went straight home to see the big football match.

3. (to eat) ______________ too much chocolate can be unhealthy.

4. (to read) ______________ is my favorite free time activity.

5. I spend a lot of my time (to surf) ______________ on the net?

6. Does she enjoy (to run) ______________ the restaurant?

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7. At the (begin) ______________ of the year, we intended to improve ourselves in many ways.

8. Before (to go) ______________ to bed, I usually pray.

9. Be careful when (to speak) ______________ to strangers.

10. The neighbors thanked me for (to call) ______________ the police last night.

Exercise 4 Rewrite each sentence so that it contains the word in capitals.

Fossils are the remains of animals, plants, and other organism preserved in rocks. The
word fossil comes from the Latin word fossus, meaning ‘having been dug up’.

1. Does fossil-collecting interest you? INTERESTED

___Are you interested in fossil-collecting?______________________

2. Do you have to walk long distances? INVOLVE

________________________________________________________

3. I often find rocks that aren’t really fossils. KEEP

________________________________________________________

4. When you look for fossils on a cliff, you could fall. RISK

________________________________________________________

5. I really think this is the wrong place to look for fossils. HELP

________________________________________________________

6. You have to get up early to go on the club trip. MEANS

________________________________________________________

7. I left my hammer at home. REMEMBER

________________________________________________________

8. I want to sit down and have a rest. FEEL

________________________________________________________

9. I know how to find fossils. GOOD

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________________________________________________________

10. Don’t take up a hobby unless you’re serious about it. WORTH

________________________________________________________

Note. From Macmillan English Grammar in Context (p.60), by V. Micheal, 2008, Oxford: Macmillan.

Exercise 5 Rewrite each sentence so that it begins with an-ing form as subject.

1. It can be very relaxing to collect coins and banknotes.

____Collecting coins and banknotes can be very relaxing._____________________________

2. It can be very hard to give up alcohol.

___________________________________________________________________________

3. It isn’t a good idea to do an exercise without warming up.

___________________________________________________________________________

4. It is fun to learn a new foreign language.

___________________________________________________________________________

5. It takes lots of hard work to pass the final exam.

___________________________________________________________________________

6. It was very exciting to see my favorite band perform live.

___________________________________________________________________________

7. It will be possible to visit the head office in Berlin.

___________________________________________________________________________

8. It took a long time to write the speech for the president.

___________________________________________________________________________

9. It is so tiring running up this business.

___________________________________________________________________________
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10. It is illegal to avoid paying tax.

___________________________________________________________________________

Exercise 6 State whether the –ing forms given in the following sentences are participles or

gerunds.

1. Hearing a loud noise is something I can’t stand. _________________

2. The biker is now fighting for his own chance to win the match. _________________

3. Jumping over the fence, the dog escaped from the house. _________________

4. Asking questions is easier than answering them. _________________

5. They spent their whole day playing games. _________________

6. I think he is afraid of speaking the truth. _________________

7. Singing to herself is her favorite activity. _________________

8. Alice is trying to lie to her teacher. _________________

9. She was surprised at Jimmy’s being absent because she just met him. _________________

10. John was hitting the road home. _________________

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8.2 Infinitives: with/ without to

FORM

There are 2 forms of infinitives:

1. to infinitive = to + base form of verb

He wants to learn Chinese.

2. infinitive without to = base form of verb

I can swim.

The negative infinitive is formed by putting not in front of any form of the infinitive.

He decided not to study Japanese.

USE

We use the ‘to-infinitive’ after a number of main verbs

1. to indicate the purpose or intention of an action.

I am calling to ask you about our appointment.

2. to be the subject of a sentence.

To visit London is my absolute dream.

3. to follow an object of a sentence. The common verbs which often follow by an object are

such as advise, allow, cause, challenge, command, encourage, force, get, instruct, invite, lead,

order, persuade, remind, teach, tell, urge, warn, etc.

Would you like something to drink?

She told you to do the cleaning.

4. to use after an adjective. It often follows this structure.

(+ for/of + to-
Subject + to be + adjective (+ the rest of the sentence)
someone) infinitive

It is good (for me) to know him

It is good (of you) to call me back.

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5. to use with ‘too’ and ‘enough’.

It’s too cold to sit outside

It’s early enough to catch the first train.

6. to use after question words such as where, how, what, who and when. The to-infinitive often

follows the verbs ask, decide, explain, forget, know, show, tell and understand.

I don’t know what to do.

We use ‘infinitive without to’

1. after modal verbs: will, would, shall, should, can, could, may, might, must, etc. or other

expressions such as would rather, would sooner, had better, etc.

I can speak five languages.

I’d better leave soon.

2. with verbs of perception, the pattern is verb + object + infinitive without to. Verbs of

perception are such as see, hear, smell, feel, notice, observe, remark, watch, etc.

I felt the rain fall on my face.

I heard him call his dog.

I saw him cry last night.

3. after the verbs let, make, have and help (optional). The pattern is let / make / have / help +

someone + infinitive without to

Just let it go.

They made me cook the dinner for them.

He had his hair cut.

I just want to help you (to) understand the lesson better.

4. after he question word why when making suggestions.

Why not buy a new car?

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Exercise 1 Complete the sentence with the correct form of infinitive.

1. The teacher didn't let me ____ (to answer) the phone in class.

2. My parents didn't allow me _____________ (to go) out after midnight.

3. I was unable _______________ (to visit) you next week. I’m having a big presentation.

4. He made us _______________ (admit) making this mistake.

5. I couldn't _______________ (finish) the work by the deadline.

6. You don't need _______________ (to call) me back because I won’t be in till tomorrow.

7. They were forced _______________ (to exercise) every day to keep fit.

8. She agreed _______________ (bring) salads to the party.

9. They plan _______________ (to go) on a trip abroad next year.

10. You’d better _______________ (prepare) for your job interview.

Exercise 2 Fill in the correct form of infinitive or gerund.

1. He won’t go by bus. He is afraid of _____________ (to travel) long hours.

2. Have you ever learned how ______________(to cook) Thai dish?

3. She seems ______________(to like) her new office.

4. The students hope ______________(to pass) the course.

5. The teacher promised ______________(to be) back as soon as possible.

6. They were too lazy ______________(to go) out with us.

7. We expect him ______________(to join) the party.

8. Why not ______________(to spend) a night here in Bangkok?

9. Tom offered ______________(to give) me some help for this final report.

10. We had difficulties ______________(find) the way to your house.

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Exercise 3 Rewrite each sentence so that it contains the word in capitals.

The conquest of the Incas

1. Franscisco Pizarro decided that he would return to South America in 1532. TO

____ Franscisco Pizarro decided to return to South America in 1532.________

2. He hoped that he would conquer the Incas. TO

_______________________________________________________________

3. He also expected that he would become rich. TO

_______________________________________________________________

4. When he reached the Inca city of Cajamarca, he pretended that he was a friend. TO

_______________________________________________________________

5. He threatened that he would kill his prisoner, the Emperor Athualpa, unless TO

the people brought him their gold and silver.

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

6. But he had no intention of letting the Emperor go free. INTEND

_______________________________________________________________

7. His aim was to make sure that the Incas had no leader. AIMED

_______________________________________________________________

8. He made a promise that he would set the emperor free, but killed him. PROMISED

_______________________________________________________________

9. Pizarro also killed his friend Almagro, who wouldn’t obey his orders. REFUSED

_______________________________________________________________

10. Almafgro’s friends succeeded in killing Pizarro three years later. MANAGED

_______________________________________________________________

Note. From Macmillan English Grammar in Context (p.56), by V. Micheal, 2008, Oxford: Macmillan.
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Exercise 4 Complete each sentence so that it means the same as the first sentence.

1. Learning how to live in space is difficult.

It’s ______________________________________ how to live in space.

2. Eating in weightless conditions isn’t easy.

It isn’t ______________________________________ in weightless conditions.

3. Taking enough exercise is difficult.

It’s ______________________________________ enough exercise.

4. Being in good health is very important for astronauts.

It’s very important for astronauts _________________________________in good health.

5. Imagine what astronauts have to do is difficult.

It’s ______________________________________ what astronauts have to do.

6. Living a completely normal life in space is impossible.

It’s ______________________________________ a completely normal life in space.

7. Going into space is never boring.

It’s never ______________________________________ into space.

8. Returning to Earth makes most astronauts feel happy.

Most astronauts feel ______________________________________ to Earth.

Note. From Macmillan English Grammar in Context (p.56), by V. Micheal, 2008, Oxford: Macmillan.

Test Yourself

Choose the correct form of verb to complete the sentence.

1. We arranged _____________ at the office at eight sharp. (to meet)

2. I always try to avoid _____________ her family whenever I can. (to see)

3. I long _____________ in Denmark again. (to be)

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4. I demanded _____________ the manager of the restaurant. (to see)

5. I tried ________________ him to come to the school party but it was no use. (to persuade)

6. I tried _____________ this chapter but I just couldn't. (to understand)

7. In the end I gave up _____________ to persuade her to do more exercise. (to try)

8. Miss Lionel offered ________________ the guest speaker to the hotel. (to take)

9. They chose _____________ in a budget hotel instead of a luxurious hotel. (to stay)

10. I need ________________ some more information about Mozart. (to find)

11. Do you mind ________________this door? (to open)

12. Ron gave up ________________ three years ago. (to smoke)

13. I didn't mean _____________ your feelings. I'm so sorry. (to hurt)

14. I always put off _____________ my homework until the last minute. (to do)

15. I’d rather ________________ the shopping on Saturday. (to do)

16. I can't stand _____________ in a long queue like this. (to wait)

17. Jerry want to ________________ in Thailand. (to work)

18. I never risk _____________ through that quiet street. (to go)

19. Clare offered _____________ me carry this bag. (to help)

20. I don’t want ________________ in her shoes. (to be)

References