Mastering Gerunds and Infinitives in English
Gerunds and Infinitives: Usage in English
Gerunds After Certain Verbs
Use a gerund after these verbs:
- admit
- avoid
- consider
- deny
- face
- feel like
- finish
- give up
- include
- keep on
- practice
- recommend
- risk
- suggest
- take up
Infinitives After Certain Verbs
Use the infinitive with “to” after these verbs:
- afford
- agree
- appear
- arrange
- decide
- expect
- fail
- happen
- help
- hope
- manage
- pretend
- promise
- refuse
- seem
- volunteer
- wait
Gerund or Infinitive (Little/No Difference)
Use either the gerund or the infinitive with “to” after these verbs with little or no difference in meaning:
- begin
- bother
- can’t bear
- can’t stand
- continue
- hate
- love
- prefer
- start
Gerund or Infinitive (Different Meaning)
Use the gerund or the infinitive with “to” after these verbs, but with an important difference in meaning:
- stop to do / stop doing
- remember to do / remember doing
- forget to do / forget doing
- like to do / like doing
- try to do / try doing
- mean to do / mean doing
- go on to do / go on doing
Gerunds and Infinitives: Object Cases
Gerunds with Objects
Use the gerund after these verbs when they are followed by an object:
- catch
- feel
- find
- hear
- notice
- overhear
- see
- watch
Infinitives with “to” and Objects
Use the infinitive with “to” after these verbs when they are followed by an object:
- advise
- allow
- ask
- authorize
- beg
- choose
- encourage
- force
- help
- hire
- inspire
- invite
- need
- order
- persuade
- pick
- recommend
- remind
- send
- teach
- tell
- want
- warn
Infinitives Without “to” and Objects
Use the infinitive without “to” after these verbs when they are followed by an object:
- feel
- hear
- help
- let
- make
- notice
- overhear
- recommend
- see
- watch
The Human Mind: Vocabulary
- Articulate – Expressive
- Baffle – Impressed
- Bewildered – Disoriented
- Child prodigy – Child prodigy
- Faze – Nervous
- Genius – Genius
- Get (your) words straight – Words come easily
- Grasp – Understand/Comprehend
- Have a gift/talent for – To be talented/good at
- Memorize – Memorize
- Nerd – Nerd
- Recall – Remember
- Recognize – Recognize
- Turn (your) mind to – Focus on…
- Mind wanders – To lose concentration/disconnect
Body Idioms
- Be all ears
- Be at each other’s throats
- Lend someone a hand
- Do something behind someone’s back
- Get on someone’s nerves
- Pick someone’s brains
- Get something off your chest
- Pull someone’s leg
- Give someone the cold shoulder
- Put your foot down
- Have someone under your thumb
- Stick your neck out for someone
Similes
- Brave (lion)
- Free (bird)
- Safe (houses)
- Busy (bee)
- Good (gold)
- Fresh (daisy)
- Solid (rock)
- Clear (crystal)
- White (sheet)
- Cold (ice)
- Plain (day)
- Be like a dream come true
- Cool (cucumber)
- Easy (ABC)
- Quick (flash)
- Quiet (mouse)
- Run like the wind
Collocations with “Take”
Take: call, control, course, cover, decision, effect, interest, offense, part, place, power, risk, test.
Collocations with “Make”
Make: apology, attempt, call, change, choice, comment, complaint, decision, difference, improvement, mistake, suggestion, use of something.
Collocations with “Do”
Do: business, course, experiment, harm, household chores, ironing, research, test, your best.
Modal Verbs
Modal Verbs: (don’t) have to, must/mustn’t, (don’t) need to, can’t, should/shouldn’t, ought to, had better not, (not) be allowed to, be supposed to, may, might.