Gerunds (V-ing)
Gerunds are verbs (phrasal verbs) that act as nouns. They can be used in a variety of ways:
A. As the subject of a sentence
- Jogging is Leo’s favorite exercise.
- Studying abroad costs a lot of money.
- When a gerund is used this way, it is always followed by a singular verb such as “is” or “costs.”
B. As the object of verbs or prepositions
- Hanna enjoys reading and doing yoga in her free time.
- Nicolas makes a living by playing the piano at a bar.
- Gerunds often follow the following verbs: admit, allow, consider, deny, discuss, enjoy, keep, finish, give up, mind, miss, practice, quit, suggest.
Infinitives (to V)
Infinitives are made up of “to” and the base form of a verb (such as ”to make” and “to do”). Like gerunds, they can be used in a variety of ways:
A. As the subject of a sentence
- To swim in this river is dangerous.
- To speak a foreign language well takes a lot of practice.
- When an infinitive is used this way, it is always followed by a singular verb such as “is” or “takes.”
B. As the object of verbs
- Lisa doesn’t plan to attend graduate school.
- My boss has agreed to let me lead the project.
- Infinitives often follow the following verbs: ask, agree, expect, hope, offer, plan, refuse, seem, tend, would like.
- *see p. 98 for an introduction of verbs that can be followed by both gerunds and infinitives.
C. As the complement of an adjective
- We are truly sorry to hear about your loss.
- I’m glad to know everything is fine with you.