Oh no! Gerunds and Infinitives
English students are always interested in gerunds and infinitives. This category of verbs, called verbals, can be a little confusing, but with a few examples you will be able to improve your knowledge and use of both types of verbals.
The first thing you need to know about verbals is that they are non-finite. What!!! This means they do not have tense or aspect. For more information on tense and aspect use this link. Sentence [1] is an example of a finite verb.
1. I cooked all day yesterday.
In this sentence we used the past tense of the verb [cook]. No problem, right? Now look at sentence [2].
2. Cooking is a lot of fun.
In this sentence we used a gerund [cooking]. A gerund is a present participle form of a verb. However, don't be fooled. It is NOT a present tense verb. It is a noun, and it has no tense. Do you see how it acts like a noun? It is the subject of this sentence. Now let's look at an infinitive used as a subject in sentence [3].
3. To cheat on a test is really lame.
[To cheat] is the infinitive. It is combined with the prepositional phrase [on a test] to create a nominal phrase ( a noun phrase).
Now do you see how gerunds and infinitives can act like nouns and subjects? They can also act as objects or adverbs. Look at sentence [4].
4. My father likes fishing.
This is an easy sentence. You could put any noun after the verb [like]. You could write: My father likes fish. My father likes dessert. My father likes coffee. Because a gerund acts like a noun, you can use it like any other noun object. Now look at sentence [5], which uses an infinitive in the same sentence.
5. My father likes to fish.
Let's see how you can use an infinitive as an adverb. Look now at the next sentence.
6. I went to the store to buy milk.
In sentence [6] [to buy] is the infinitive. Here it shows the reason I went to the store. If you can put the phrase [ in order] before an infinitive, that means you are using the infinitive as an adverb. Let's try it in sentence [7].
7. I went to the store in order to buy milk.
However, you do not have to have a complement after the infinitive. In sentences [5] and [6] we have [milk] after the infinitive. In sentence [8] there is no complement after the infinitive.
8. I went on vacation to rest. Or, I went on vacation in order to rest.
The first thing you need to know about verbals is that they are non-finite. What!!! This means they do not have tense or aspect. For more information on tense and aspect use this link. Sentence [1] is an example of a finite verb.
1. I cooked all day yesterday.
In this sentence we used the past tense of the verb [cook]. No problem, right? Now look at sentence [2].
2. Cooking is a lot of fun.
In this sentence we used a gerund [cooking]. A gerund is a present participle form of a verb. However, don't be fooled. It is NOT a present tense verb. It is a noun, and it has no tense. Do you see how it acts like a noun? It is the subject of this sentence. Now let's look at an infinitive used as a subject in sentence [3].
3. To cheat on a test is really lame.
[To cheat] is the infinitive. It is combined with the prepositional phrase [on a test] to create a nominal phrase ( a noun phrase).
Now do you see how gerunds and infinitives can act like nouns and subjects? They can also act as objects or adverbs. Look at sentence [4].
4. My father likes fishing.
This is an easy sentence. You could put any noun after the verb [like]. You could write: My father likes fish. My father likes dessert. My father likes coffee. Because a gerund acts like a noun, you can use it like any other noun object. Now look at sentence [5], which uses an infinitive in the same sentence.
5. My father likes to fish.
Let's see how you can use an infinitive as an adverb. Look now at the next sentence.
6. I went to the store to buy milk.
In sentence [6] [to buy] is the infinitive. Here it shows the reason I went to the store. If you can put the phrase [ in order] before an infinitive, that means you are using the infinitive as an adverb. Let's try it in sentence [7].
7. I went to the store in order to buy milk.
However, you do not have to have a complement after the infinitive. In sentences [5] and [6] we have [milk] after the infinitive. In sentence [8] there is no complement after the infinitive.
8. I went on vacation to rest. Or, I went on vacation in order to rest.
Well, since a gerund is a verb form used as a noun it is possible to show possession. Right? Look at this simple sentence. Her voice is beautiful. No problem. The pronoun [her] shows possession. In sentence [9] we will replace [voice] with the gerund [singing].
9. Her singing is beautiful.
Many times gerunds are part of phrases that give a little more information, as in the sentence below.
10. Her singing in the shower every morning is annoying.
See how the additional phrase [in the shower every morning] gives a lot more information about what and where? There are many sentences like sentence [9] that you hear every day that use gerunds. Look at the sentences below.
11. Her driving is horrible.
12. The student's writing is excellent.
13 His tutoring was helpful.
9. Her singing is beautiful.
Many times gerunds are part of phrases that give a little more information, as in the sentence below.
10. Her singing in the shower every morning is annoying.
See how the additional phrase [in the shower every morning] gives a lot more information about what and where? There are many sentences like sentence [9] that you hear every day that use gerunds. Look at the sentences below.
11. Her driving is horrible.
12. The student's writing is excellent.
13 His tutoring was helpful.
Here is a brief list of verbs that take gerunds as complements. In other words, they are verbs followed by gerunds.
1. Admit > I admit eating the last cookie.
2. Avoid > My uncle avoids doing work when he visits.
3. Consider > Have you considered taking a bath?
4. Deny > He will deny taking the money.
5. Enjoy > My grandfather enjoys smoking his pipe.
6. Imagine > Sometimes I imagine flying over castles.
7. Mention > The professor did not mention turning in essays.
8. Mind > My little brother doesn't mind waiting in the car.
9. Practice > Today I will practice playing the guitar.
10.Require > The teacher requires reading a story each week.
11. Suggest > The doctor suggested staying in bed a few days.
12. Tolerate > The woman can't tolerate hearing sad news.
Here is another brief list. These are verbs that take infinitive complements. In other words, verbs that are followed by infinitives.
1. Agree > Alex agreed to help me create a video for my web site.
2. Begin > The orchestra begins to play once the conductor appears in the orchestra pit.
3. Desire > Sam desires to play the part of Hamlet in the community theatre production.
4. Hope > I want to know if the party is still planned for tonight.
5. Laugh > He laughs to deal with stress.
6. Long > All the fairies long to become human.
7. Promise > The salesman promised to give me the best deal on the car.
8. Want > She wants to attend a world-class university.
9. Work > The brothers work to succeed.
10. Yearn > Many people yearn to be independently wealthy.
Here is a link to a chart that shows verbs that take gerunds and/or infinitives. You can use this chart to help you take the short quiz below.
Gerund and Infinitive Practice
This will help your survival skills!