25/2/2016 Viv Quarry's upperintermediate grammar practice Viv Quarry's upperintermediate/advanced grammar practice (www.vivquarry.com) Gerunds and infinitives Student's name _ Date _ The gerund (verb in the present form + 'ing') is used: 1. After prepositions and adverbs I'm good at running He apologised for waking me up early After having lunch, we tidied up 2. After certain verbs She denied stealing the money I enjoy visiting my relatives 3. As subject or object of a sentence Living in a big city is exciting I find working in the city centre a pain in the neck 4. After some expressions and verbs which are followed by the preposition 'to' I'm looking forward to meeting you We can't get used to driving on the left The infinitive ('to' + the present form of the verb) is used: 1. After certain verbs I didn't mean to do that 2. After some verbs followed by an object (sb/sth) I can't afford to go abroad this year I want (you) to go home 3. After certain adjectives It's difficult to explain 4. After certain nouns There's no need to ask for permission It's time to go 5. To express purpose I came here to learn English 6. After question words (how, where etc.) and compounds of 'some' and 'any' (somebody etc.) I don't know what to do I'd like something to read 7. With 'too' and 'enough' @ I was too tired to eat It's cold enough to snow 8. Stative verbs are more common in the infinitive I began to like Susan. (not 'I began liking.') Forms of the infinitive Present simple: I want to have an icecream Present continuous: It's nice to be lying next to a swimming pool Perfect: I'd like to have seen his face when you told him Passive: I'd like to be promoted Modal verbs: You should be working She must have gone home early This exercise must be done by tomorrow Infinitive without 'to' (present form of the verb) is used: 1. After modal and auxiliary verbs You mustn't do that again! It should be done immediately 2. After 'make' and 'let' in the active voice (in the passive, the full infinitive is used) She made me do it again. / I was made to do it again He let me go home early (this is not possible in the passive) http://www.vivquarry.com/wkshts/gerinfupp.html 1/4 25/2/2016 Viv Quarry's upperintermediate grammar practice Gerunds and infinitives Special Cases * Like, love, hate, prefer (+) Sometimes both gerund and infinitive can be used: I like to get up early / getting up early When these verbs refer to something in general, the gerund must be used I like going to the beach If they refer to one specific situation, the infinitive is more common: I like to cook a roast on Sunday afternoons When 'like' means 'it's a good idea', use the infinitive: I like to go to the dentist regularly After 'would' only the infinitive is possible: I'd love to see that film again ** Begin, continue and start These verbs can be followed by both gerund and infinitive except in the present continuous form, where the infinitive must be used It started raining. / It started to rain Look! It's starting to rain! *** Stop Stop + Gerund = Finish one action She's angry with me and has stopped talking to me Stop + Infinitive = Stop one action and start another I saw Jane and she stopped to talk to me. (she stopped walking and we started chatting) **** Try Try + Gerund = What you do to get what you want I wanted to improve my English so I tried having private classes Try + Infinitive = Your objective, what you want to do I tried to learn English but I didn't have enough time to study properly In the continuous tenses, the infinitive is used He's been trying to learn the piano *5 Help (sb) and ask (sb) Help + sb. can be followed by infinitive or infinitive without 'to' He helped me tidy up the room. / He helped me to tidy up the room If there is no direct object (sb) then infinitive without 'to' is more natural He helped tidy up the room 'Can't/couldn't help' means 'can't stop oneself' and is followed by the gerund I can't help buying chocolate when I'm at the supermarket *6 Remember & forget Remember / forget + Gerund = Sth which happened before or in the past I remember having to wake up very early when I was at school http://www.vivquarry.com/wkshts/gerinfupp.html 2/4 25/2/2016 Viv Quarry's upperintermediate grammar practice I'll never forget arriving at work for the first time Remember / forget + Infinitive = Sth which happened after or will happen in the future Please remember to buy some more sugar when you go to the supermarket Don't forget to pay the electricity bill tomorrow *7 Need If a person is the subject of the sentence, the infinitive is used: John needs to take his cat to the vet's If a thing is the subject of the sentence, the gerund is more common The grass needs cutting A final note on gerunds and infinitives Verbs of perception (see, hear, observe, notice, spot) can be used with both gerund and infinitive without 'to' I could hear her crying all night long I didn't hear you come in last night However, using the gerund suggests that the activity has duration and was in progress when it was perceived We heard him playing the piano I can smell something burning Infinitive without 'to' suggests that the whole, completed action is perceived I saw the girl fall off her horse I saw her walk across the room and take a gun out of the desk drawer Viv Quarry's intermediate grammar practice Gerunds and infinitives Here is a list of the verbs and expressions and the form which any verb which follows them should take: Gerund = doing Infinitive = to do Infinitive without 'to' = do GERUND INFINITIVE INFINITIVE WITHOUT 'TO' Preps. and adverbs Verbs Adjectives Auxiliary verbs after agree be delighted sth./sb. doesn't before afford be difficult (for sb.) Does sth./sb? arrange be easy Doesn't sth./sb.? Verbs attempt be good sth./sb. didn't admit choose be hard Did sth./sb.? avoid dare be kind of sb Didn't sth./sb.? begin* decide be important will sth./sb consider forget*6 be impossible won't sth./sb continue* hope be interesting would sth./sb deny learn be lovely wouldn't sth./sb hate* long be lucky enjoy manage be mean of sb Modal verbs finish offer be nice (of sb.) can like* promise be pleased can't love* refuse be safe could mean remember *5 be sorry couldn't prefer* seem be surprised may remember *6 stop*** be unusual may not suggest try**** might start** be too+adj.+inf.@ might not stop*** Verb (+ object) be+adj+enough+inf.@ must try**** ask (sb.)*5 mustn't beg (sb.) Nouns should http://www.vivquarry.com/wkshts/gerinfupp.html 3/4 25/2/2016 Viv Quarry's upperintermediate grammar practice Expressions can't help *5 can't stand don't/doesn't mind feel like would sb mind Verb + 'to' be/get used to look forward to Subject or object Swimming is healthy I like swimming expect (sb.) help sb.*5 need (sb) *7 want (sb) would like/love (sb) would hate/prefer(sb) Verb + object advise sb allow sb encourage sb invite sb order sb persuade sb remind sb teach sb tell sb force sb warn sb (the) decision (a good) idea (no) need (the) opportunity (it's) time Question words how what when where who Compounds anybody everywhere nothing something shouldn't Verbs help sb.*5 let sb would rather Viv Quarry's upperintermediate/advanced grammar practice Gerunds and infinitives exercises Student's name _ Date _ Exercises taken from old Headway upperintermediate workbook Back to grammar worksheets Home http://www.vivquarry.com/wkshts/gerinfupp.html 4/4