1. As the subject of a sentence:
Eating cakes is one of my hobbies
One of my hobbies is eating cakes
Gerund VS Infinitive
guide
27 sep, 2022
It can be a little difficult to know when to use gerunds and infinitives. Let's find it out!
Buddy
Apr 29 2024
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What is a gerund?
A gerund is a verb form that ends in ing:
- working
- reading
- running
- traveling
- drawing
- learning
- playing
- watching
- sleeping
What is an infinitive?
An infinitive is the base form of a verb preceded by to:
- to work
- to read
- to run
- to travel
- to draw
- to learn
- to play
- to watch
- to sleep
Use gerunds:
2. After prepositions at, of, against, with, for, about, on, up, after, without, etc:
I'm good at eating cakes
3. After some verbs:
I enjoy eating cakes
Verbs followed only by a gerund: admit, enjoy, avoid, deny, dislike, feel like, keep, mind, miss, practise, recommend, spend time, stop, suggest.
Use infinitives:
1. After adjectives:
It's important to eat cakes
2. To express a reason or purpose of an action:
I'm saving money to buy more cakes
3. After some verbs:
I would like to buy more cakes
Verbs followed only by an infinitive: want, need, learn, offer, pretend, promise, refuse, agree, decide, expect, forget, help, hope, plan, would like, try, remember.
4. After most modal and auxiliary verbs without to:
I must buy a cake
I can't eat cakes all day
5. After make and let:
My mother let me eat a cake
Use gerunds OR infinitives:
Verbs followed by a gerund or an infinitive with little to no change in meaning: like, love, hate, continue, begin, start. For example:
I like to eat cakes
I like eating cakes