Download What is a Gerund? A gerund is a noun made from a verb. To make a

What is a Gerund?
A gerund is a noun made from a verb. To make a gerund, you add "-ing" to the verb.
For example:
In the sentence "I swim every day", the word "swim" is a verb.
In the sentence "I like swimming", the word "swimming" is a noun.
Therefore, "swimming" is a gerund.
Second example:
In the sentence "She reads several books a week", the word "read" is a verb.
In the sentence "Reading is important", the word "reading" is a noun.
Therefore, "reading" is a gerund.
More examples of gerunds: buying, fishing, running, watching, telling, and so forth.
Gerunds are often used when actions are real or completed.
Examples:
(Note how the main underlined verb relates to real or completed actions.)
 She stopped smoking.
 I finished doing my homework.
 They keep on fighting.
 We discussed moving to Florida.
 You recommended waiting until tomorrow.
 He recalled falling asleep on the couch.
 She practices playing those drums all the time.
 John completed fixing the car.
 The job involves dealing with animals.
 Brian mentioned staying up late.
 They suggested not keeping the luggage.
 We started working on this yesterday.
What is an Infinitive?
An infinitive is the basic form of the verb + "to".
Examples: to buy, to fish, to run, to watch, to tell, and so forth.
Example Sentences:
"I want to swim."
"They asked us to leave."
"To be, or not to be– that is the question."
"The goal is to win."
Infinitives are often used when actions are unreal, general, or future.
Examples:
(Note how the main underlined verb relates to unreal, general, or future actions.)
 Kate agreed to come.
 I hope to see you soon.
 We plan to finish this shortly.
 They decided to return home.
 She promised to stopsmoking.
 We agreed never to talkabout it again.
 He offered to sell the house.
 I refuse to pay!
 You seem to bedisappointed.
 She asked him not to leave.
 I want to drink.
 They need to get up early.
The basic difference between gerunds and infinitives is the following:
Using a gerund suggests that you are referring
to real activities or experiences.
Using an infinitive suggests that you are
talking about potential or possible activities or experiences.
So let's say you eat ice cream every day. This is an actual action you are doing. Then
you could say: "I like eating ice cream".
On the other hand, if you are on a diet, and you don't usually eat ice cream, then you
are talking about a potential action. You could say: "I like to eat ice cream."
When used before the main verb, gerunds tend to sound more like natural
English.
For example, the sentence "Playing tennis is a lot of fun" sounds more natural than "To
play tennis is a lot of fun". The later sentence sounds more theoretical.
Part II
After the main verb, both gerunds and infinitives can be used.
The main verb in the sentence determines whether you use a gerund or an
infinitive.
Some verbs take only a gerund.
admit
He admitted stealing the ring.
anticipate
We didn't anticipate winning this match.
appreciate
I really appreciate you coming.
avoid
Let's avoid being late.
can't help
I can't help counting those calories.
complete
He completed baking the apple pie.
consider
She never considered moving to England.
delay
We delayed moving to the new house until the spring.
deny
He will deny stealing that car.
despise
She despises asking for favors.
discuss
We discussed buying a bigger apartment.
dislike
She dislikes cooking and baking.
don't mind
I don't mind waiting.
enjoy
She enjoys reading.
forgive
Can you forgive me for not fixing the car?
imagine
Can you imagine living on the moon?
involve
The new project involves writing and rewriting many reports.
keep
She keeps coming late!
mention
I never mentioned meeting him.
mind
Will he mind switching rooms?
miss
I miss chatting with you.
postpone
Let's postpone going out of town.
practice
He practices playing the guitar daily.
recall
Can you recall ordering this product?
recommend
The doctor recommends resting in bed.
report
They reported seeing him leave with a stranger.
resent
He resents doing it all by himself.
resist
I can't resist liking him.
resume
They resumed talking after the teacher left.
risk
Would you risk losing everything?
suggest
I suggest not taking him too seriously.
tolerate
We can't tolerate being screamed at.
understand
He couldn't understand her leaving so suddenly.
Some verbs take only an infinitive.
agree
They agreed to give him a try.
appear
He appeared to know everything.
arrange
I have arranged to meet him on Monday.
ask
She asked to see her doctor.
care
He doesn't care to answer
choose
We chose to ignore it.
claim
He claims to be an expert.
decide
She decided not to go to the party.
demand
I demand to see the person in charge!
deserve
He deserves to win the contest.
expect
He expected to be home sooner.
fail
They failed to follow the instructions.
get
It's not fair that she gets to see him before the others.
happen
I happened to pass by, so we had a chat.
hesitate
Don't hesitate to call.
hope
I hope to see you soon.
intend
She didn't intend to hurt you.
know how
He knows how to run a business.
learn
He learned to speak Spanish very quickly.
manage
We managed to finish everything on time.
offer
He offered to go for a walk.
plan
You planned to meet us here.
prepare
We were preparing to leave when the phone rang.
pretend
He pretended not to hear a word.
promise
She promised to take us with her next time.
refuse
I refuse to cooperate.
seem
It seems to be broken.
swear
He swore to revenge.
tend
These plants tend to grow slowly.
threaten
He has threatened to hurt us.
undertake
She undertook to design the new collection.
wait
The runners were waiting to start.
want
I want to speak with you in private.
wish
I wish to change my address.
would like
I would like to add something before we continue.
yearn
She yearns to go free.
Part III
So when you need to decide which one to use, first check whether the main verb is
limited only to gerunds, or only to infinitives.
If the verb is not on any of the lists, you can use the following guidelines:

The word "go" + sports or recreational activities usually take a gerund.
Examples: "Let's go shopping", "They went skiing".

After a preposition you should use a gerund.
Examples: "I will talk with you before going to lunch" "I am looking forward to
working with you".

Expressions with the words "have", "spend" and "waste" take a gerund.
Examples: "She had fun skiing", "He wasted all his time worrying".

In many cases, the infinitive form is used to show the intention or purpose.
Examples: "We are here to help", "He left to catch the train".

The infinitive form is also used to show the reason.
Examples: "we were sad to hear about your difficulties", "She was shocked to
learnthe truth".

If neither of these guidelines apply, simply use the principle in Part I above.
Does it describe a concrete action? Then use a gerund.
Does it describe a general or potential action? Then use an infinitive.

Examples: "As a painter, I truly love painting",
"I love to paint. I wish I would paint well".