Infinitives and -ing Forms (Gerunds)

• Infinitives and -ing forms (gerunds) are verb forms functioning as nouns, adjectives, or adverbs, but not as the main clause verb.
• These verb forms add flexibility and nuance to sentences.

Infinitives

• An infinitive is the base form of a verb preceded by "to".
• Examples include: to run, to eat, to think.
• Infinitives can function as nouns, adjectives, or adverbs.

-ing Forms (Gerunds and Present Participles)

• -ing forms are created by adding "-ing" to the base form of a verb.
• Examples include: running, eating, thinking.
• -ing forms function as nouns (gerunds), adjectives (present participles), or parts of continuous verb tenses.

Usage Rules: Verbs Followed by Infinitives

• Certain verbs are typically followed by infinitives.
• Common verbs include agree, decide, expect, hope, learn, need, offer, plan, promise, refuse, seem, want, and wish.
• Example: she decided to learn French.
• Example: they hope to travel to Europe next year.

Usage Rules: Verbs Followed by -ing Forms (Gerunds)

• Some verbs are commonly followed by -ing forms (gerunds).
• Common verbs include admit, appreciate, avoid, consider, deny, enjoy, finish, imagine, involve, keep, mind, miss, practice, quit, suggest, and understand.
• Example: He admitted stealing the cookies.
• Example: We enjoy playing soccer on weekends.

Usage Rules: Verbs Followed by Either Infinitives or -ing Forms with Little Difference in Meaning

• A few verbs can be followed by either infinitives or -ing forms with minimal meaning difference.
• Common verbs include begin, continue, hate, like, love, prefer, and start.
• Example: He started to rain.
• Example: He started rain.

Usage Rules: Verbs Followed by Either Infinitives or -ing Forms with a Significant Difference in Meaning

• Some verbs change meaning depending on whether they are followed by an infinitive or an -ing form.
• Common verbs include remember, forget, regret, try, and stop.
• "Remember" + infinitive means to remember to do something. Example: I remembered to buy milk.
• "Remember" + -ing form means to recall a past event. Example: I remember buying milk yesterday.
• "Forget" + infinitive means to fail to do something. Example: I forgot to lock the door.
• "Forget" + -ing form means to not recall a past event. Example: I'll never forget swimming in the ocean.
• "Regret" + infinitive means to be sorry to inform someone. Example: I regret to inform you that your application was rejected.
• "Regret" + -ing form means to feel sorry about a past action. Example: I regret saying that to her.
• "Try" + infinitive means attempting to do something. Example: I tried to fix the car.
• "Try" + -ing form means experimenting with something. Example: Try turning the knob clockwise.
• "Stop" + infinitive means pausing in order to do something else. Example: He stopped to take a break.
• "Stop" + -ing form means to cease an activity. Example: He stopped smoking.

Common Verbs Followed by Infinitives

• Agree: She agreed to help me with the project.
• Decide: They decided to go to the beach.
• Expect: I expect to finish the work by tomorrow.
• Hope: We hope to see you again soon.
• Learn: He is learning to play the guitar.
• Need: I need to buy groceries.
• Offer: She offered to drive us to the airport.
• Plan: We plan to visit Italy next year.
• Promise: He promised to call me later.
• Refuse: They refused to accept the offer.
• Seem: It seems to be raining.
• Want: I want to eat pizza.
• Wish: I wish to travel the world.

Common Verbs Followed by -ing Forms (Gerunds)

• Admit: He admitted stealing the money.
• Appreciate: I appreciate you helping me.
• Avoid: Try to avoid making mistakes.
• Consider: We are considering moving to a new city.
• Deny: She denied taking the cookie.
• Enjoy: I enjoy listening to music.
• Finish: He finished reading the book.
• Imagine: Can you imagine living on Mars?
• Involve: The job involves traveling.
• Keep: He keeps talking about his vacation.
• Mind: Do you mind helping me with this?
• Miss: I miss playing basketball.
• Practice: You should practice speaking English.
• Quit: She quit smoking last year.
• Suggest: I suggest going to the movies.
• Understand: I understand feeling frustrated.

Pronunciation Differences

• There are not significant pronunciation differences between infinitives and -ing forms themselves, as the pronunciation is straightforward.
• The pronunciation of the base verb is the same, and the "to" for infinitives and "-ing" suffix are pronounced as expected.
• The surrounding words and context may influence pronunciation due to natural speech patterns.

Sentence Structure: Infinitives as Subjects

• Infinitives can function as nouns and act as the subject of a sentence.
• Example: To forgive is divine.
• Example: To err is human.

Sentence Structure: Infinitives as Objects

• Infinitives can serve as the object of a verb.
• Example: He wants to travel the world.
• Example: She likes to dance.

Sentence Structure: Infinitives as Adjectives

• Infinitives can modify nouns, acting as adjectives.
• Example: I need a book to read.
• Example: She has a job to do.

Sentence Structure: Infinitives as Adverbs

• Infinitives can modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs, acting as adverbs.
• Example: He went to the store to buy milk.
• Example: She is happy to see you.

Sentence Structure: -ing Forms as Subjects

• Gerunds (the -ing form used as a noun) can be the subject of a sentence.
• Example: Swimming is good exercise.
• Example: Reading is my favorite hobby.

Sentence Structure: -ing Forms as Objects

• Gerunds can be the object of a verb or a preposition.
• Example: He enjoys playing tennis.
• Example: She is good at painting.

Sentence Structure: -ing Forms as Adjectives (Present Participles)

• Present participles (-ing forms) can modify nouns, acting as adjectives.
• Example: The running water sounds soothing.
• Example: The barking dog woke everyone up.

Sentence Structure: -ing Forms in Continuous Verb Tenses

• -ing forms are essential for forming continuous verb tenses.
• Example: I am studying English.
• Example: They were playing soccer.

Exceptions and Irregularities

• After certain prepositional phrases, use the -ing form.
• Examples include "look forward to," "be used to," and "object to."
• Example: I look forward to hearing from you.
• Example: He is used to waking up early.
• Example: She objected to paying the fee.
• "Help" can be followed by either the infinitive with or without "to".
• Example: He helped me to carry the bags.
• Example: He helped me carry the bags.
• Bare infinitives (infinitives without "to") are used after modal verbs.
• Common modal verbs: can, could, may, might, must, shall, should, will, and would.
• Example: He can swim.
• Example: They should study.
• Bare infinitives are used after perception verbs (see, hear, feel, watch) to indicate a completed action.
• Example: I saw him leave.
• Example: We heard her sing.