Gerunds vs Infinitives

Some verbs are followed by a gerund (-ing form) and others by an infinitive (to + verb). The choice depends on the first verb, and a few verbs change meaning depending on which form follows.

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Level B2 Verbs & Verb Patterns

Summary

Some verbs are followed by a gerund (-ing form) and others by an infinitive (to + verb). The choice depends on the first verb, and a few verbs change meaning depending on which form follows.

verb + gerund (-ing) | verb + to + base verb

Examples

Common mistakes

• Use the gerund after prepositions: NOT 'good at to cook' → 'good at cooking.'
• Learn which verbs take which form: 'enjoy doing' (not 'enjoy to do'), 'want to do' (not 'want doing').

Related

Phrasal Verbs (Introduction)

More verbs & verb patterns

Used To (Past Habits and States) A2

Use 'used to' to talk about habits or states that were true in the past but are not true now.

Phrasal Verbs (Introduction) B1

A phrasal verb is a verb combined with a particle (like up, off, on, out) that often creates a new meaning. Some can be separated by their object, and some cannot.

'Have got' is a common British way to talk about possession, relationships, and characteristics. It means the same as 'have' but forms questions and negatives without 'do'.

Imperatives give orders, instructions, invitations, and warnings. They use the base form of the verb with no subject; for negatives, put 'don't' first.

Like, Love, Hate + Verb-ing A2

After verbs of liking and disliking such as like, love, enjoy, and hate, we usually use the -ing form of the next verb to talk about activities in general.

Be: Present Forms A1

The verb 'be' has three present forms: am, is, and are. It links the subject to a description, identity, or location.

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