Infinitives and Gerunds: Verb Patterns
For when you want to sound like you actually know what you're doing with verbs!
What Are These Mysterious Forms?
Infinitives and gerunds are different ways to use verbs as nouns. Think of them as verbs having an identity crisis - they want to be actions but also want to be things!
The Basic Forms:
Infinitive: to + base verb (to eat, to sleep, to procrastinate)
Gerund: verb + -ing (eating, sleeping, procrastinating)
Common Verb Patterns
1. Verbs + Infinitive (to do)
These verbs are followed by to + verb:
- want: "I want to eat pizza." (Who doesn't?)
- need: "You need to study more." (Harsh but true)
- hope: "I hope to pass the exam." (Fingers crossed)
- decide: "She decided to quit her job." (Bold move)
- plan: "We plan to travel next year." (If we save money)
2. Verbs + Gerund (-ing)
These verbs are followed by verb + -ing:
- enjoy: "I enjoy reading books." (Nerd alert)
- finish: "She finished cooking dinner." (Finally)
- avoid: "He avoids doing homework." (Typical)
- suggest: "I suggest leaving early." (Good idea)
- mind: "Do you mind waiting– (Polite question)
| Infinitive Verbs |
Example |
Gerund Verbs |
Example |
| want |
I want to go |
enjoy |
I enjoy going |
| need |
You need to work |
finish |
I finished working |
| hope |
We hope to win |
avoid |
He avoids winning |
| decide |
She decided to stay |
suggest |
I suggest staying |
Tricky Verbs (Both Forms)
Some verbs can take both forms, but the meaning changes:
- remember: "I remember to call him." (I won't forget) vs "I remember calling him." (I recall doing it)
- stop: "I stopped to smoke." (I paused to have a cigarette) vs "I stopped smoking." (I quit the habit)
- try: "Try to open it." (Make an effort) vs "Try opening it." (Experiment with this method)
After Prepositions
After prepositions, always use the gerund (-ing):
- "I'm interested in learning Spanish." (Not "to learn")
- "She's good at cooking." (Not "to cook")
- "He's tired of working." (Not "to work")
- "We're excited about traveling." (Not "to travel")
As Subjects
When the verb is the subject of the sentence, use the gerund:
- "Swimming is good exercise." (Not "To swim")
- "Learning English is difficult." (But worth it)
- "Cooking relaxes me." (Therapeutic)
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Practice Exercises (Master Those Patterns)
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