Verbs which can be followed by the gerund or infinitive

Some verbs can be followed by the gerund or infintive

With no change in meaning

For example:-

He began to learn English when he was eight.
He began learning English when he was eight.
I hate to leave early.
I hate leaving early.

With a change in meaning

forget | remember | stop

For example:-

I forgot to do my homework. (I didn't do it because I forgot)
I forgot doing my homework. (I did my homework and then forgot about it)

Verb Lists: Infinitives and Gerunds

Verbs Followed by an Infinitive

She agreed to speak before the game.

agree
aim
appear
arrange
ask
attempt
be able
beg
begin
care
choose
condescend
consent
continue
dare
decide
deserve
detest
dislike
expect
fail
forget
get
happen
have
hesitate
hope
hurry
intend
leap
leave
like
long
love
mean
neglect
offer
ought
plan
prefer
prepare
proceed
promise
propose
refuse
remember
say
shoot
start
stop
strive
swear
threaten
try
use
wait
want
wish

Verbs Followed by an Object and an Infinitive Everyone expected her to win.

advise

allow

ask

beg

bring

build

buy

challenge

choose

command

dare

direct

encourage

expect

forbid

force

have

hire

instruct

invite

lead

leave

let

love

motivate

order

pay

permit

persuade

prepare

promise

remind

require

send

teach

tell

urge

want

warn

Note: Some of these verbs are included in the list above

and may be used without an object.

Verbs Followed by a Gerund They enjoyed working on the boat.
admit advise appreciate avoid can't help complete consider	delay deny detest dislike enjoy escape excuse	finish forbid get through have imagine mind miss	permit postpone practice quit recall report resent	resist resume risk spend (time) suggest tolerate waste (time)

Verbs Followed by a preposition and a Gerund We concentrated on doing well.
admit to approve of argue about believe in care about complain about concentrate on confess to	depend on disapprove of discourage from dream about feel like forget about insist on object to	plan on prevent (someone) from refrain from succeed in talk about think about worry about

Infinitive or Gerund?

Some verbs can be followed by an infinitive, a gerund or both. If both are possible, then there is usually a difference in meaning. Here is a list of some of these verbs:

+ inf	+ inf with to	+ gerund	+ inf or gerund	+ inf with to or gerund	+ object + inf with to or gerund	+ object + to	+ that + clause
help	agree	appreciate	hear	attempt	admit	advise	admit
make	appear	avoid	see	begin	allow	assist	advise
let	arrange	burst out	watch	can't bear	consider	beg	agree
	ask	can't stand		continue	forbid	bribe	appear
	attempt	contemplate		forget	imagine	command	appreciate
	choose	delay		go on	permit	dare	arrange
	dare	deny		hate	require	employ	decide
	decide	detest		intend		enable	demand
	demand	dislike		love		encourage	deny
	deserve	endure		mean		instruct	expect
	expect	enjoy		plan		invite	fancy
	fail	escape		prefer		lead	forget
	grow	excuse		propose		order	happen
	happen	face		regret		persuade	hope
	hasten	fancy		remember		select	intend
	help	feel like		start		send	learn
	hope	finish		stop		teach	mean
	hurry	give up		try		tell	mention
	learn	involve				train	order
	long	it's no good/use				urge	persuade
	make (passive)	keep on				warn	plan
	manag e	leave off					pledge
	neglect	mention					pretend
	offer	mind					promise
	pay	miss					propose
	plan	postpone					regret
	pledge	practise					remember
	pretend	put off					resent
	promise	resent					resolve
	refuse	risk					seem
	resolve	spend/waste time					suggest
	seek	suggest					swear
	seem	want (coll.)					teach
	struggle						tell
	swear						threaten
	threaten						vow
	vow						warn
	want						wish
	wish

- ING' FORM

GERuND OR INFINITIVE?

B. Verbs where there is a clear difference in meaning:

Verbs marked with an asterisk* can also be followed by a that-clause.

come

forget*

go on

mean*

regret*

remember*

stop

try

NOTES:

Come:

Come + gerund is like other verbs of movement followed by the gerund, and means that the subject is doing something as they move:

She came running across the field.

Come + to-infinitive means that something happens or develops, perhaps outside the subject's control:

At first I thought he was crazy, but I've come to appreciate his sense of humour.
How did you come to be outside the wrong house?
This word has come to mean something quite different.

Forget, regret and remember:

When these verbs are followed by a gerund, the gerund refers to an action that happened earlier:

I remember locking the door (= I remember now, I locked the door earlier)
He regretted speaking so rudely. (= he regretted at some time in the past, he had spoken rudely at some earlier time in the past.)

Forget is frequently used with 'never' in the simple future form:

I'll never forget meeting the Queen.

When these verbs are followed by a to-infinitive, the infinitive refers to an action happening at the same time, or later:

I remembered to lock the door (= I thought about it, then I did it.)
Don't forget to buy some eggs! (= please think about it and then do it.)
We regret to announce the late arrival of the 12.45 from paddington. (= We feel sorry before we tell you this bad news.)

Go on:

Go on + gerund means to continue with an action:

He went on speaking for two hours.
I can't go on working like this - I'm exhausted.

Go on + to-infinitive means to do the next action, which is often the next stage in a process:

After introducing her proposal, she went on to explain the benefits for the company.
John Smith worked in local government for five years, then went on to become a Member of parliament.

Mean:

Mean + gerund expresses what the result of an action will be, or what will be necessary:

If you take that job in London it will mean travelling for two hours every day.
We could take the ferry to France, but that will mean spending a night in a hotel.

Mean + to-infinitive expresses an intention or a plan:

Did you mean to dial this number?
I mean to finish this job by the end of the week!
Sorry - I didn't mean to hurt you.

Stop:

Stop + gerund means to finish an action in progress:

I stopped working for them because the wages were so low.
Stop tickling me!

Stop + to-infinitive means to interrupt an activity in order to do something else, so the infinitive is used to express a purpose:

I stopped to have lunch. (= I was working, or travelling, and I interrupted what I was doing in order to eat.)
It's difficult to concentrate on what you are doing if you have to stop to answer the phone every five minutes.

Try:

Try + gerund means to experiment with an action that might be a solution to your problem.

If you have problems sleeping, you could try doing some yoga before you go to bed, or you could try drinking some warm milk.
'I can't get in touch with Carl.' 'Have you tried e-mailing him?'

Try + to-infinitive means to make an effort to do something. It may be something very difficult or even impossible:

The surgeons tried to save his life but he died on the operating table.
We'll try to phone at 6 o'clock, but it might be hard to find a public telephone.
Elephants and mice have to try to live together in harmony.

THE INFINITIVE

FuNCTION

The most common uses of the infinitive are:

To indicate the purpose or intention of an action (where the 'to' has the same meaning as 'in order to' or 'so as to'):

She's gone to collect her pay cheque.
The three bears went into the forest to find firewood.

As the subject of the sentence:

To be or not to be, that is the question.
To know her is to love her.
(Note: this is more common in written English than spoken)

With nouns or pronouns, to indicate what something can be used for, or what is to be done with it:

Would you like something to drink?
I haven't anything to wear.
The children need a garden to play in.

After adjectives in these patterns:

It is + adjective +to-infinitive
It is good to talk
It is + adjective + infinitive + for someone + to-infinitive.
It is hard for elephants to see mice
It is + adjective + infintive + of someone + to-infinitive.
It is unkind of her to say that.

After an adjective + noun when a comment or judgement is being made:

It was a stupid place to park the car.
This is the right thing to do.
It was an astonishing way to behave.

With too and enough in these patterns:

too much/many (+ noun) + to-infinitive
There's too much sugar to put in this bowl.
I had too many books to carry.

too + adjective + to-infinitive
This soup is too hot to eat.
She was too tired to work.

too + adverb + to-infinitive
He arrived too late to see the actors.

enough (+ noun) + to-infinitive
I've had enough (food) to eat.

adjective + enough + to-infinitive
She's old enough to make up her own mind.

not enough (+noun) + to-infinitive
There isn't enough snow to ski on.

not + adjective + enough + to-infinitive
You're not old enough to have grand-children!

'- ING' FORM

VERBS FolLOWED BY THE GERuND

The gerund is used after certain verbs.

Example:

miss: I miss living in England.

The most important of these verbs are shown below.

Those marked * can also be followed by a that-clause

Example:

VERB	GERuND
She admitted...	breaking the window
	THAT-CLAuSE
She admitted...	that she had broken the window.

acknowledge,*

admit,*

anticipate,* appreciate,*

avoid,

celebrate,

consider, contemplate,

defer,

delay,

deny,*

detest,

dislike,

dread,

enjoy,

entail,

escape,

excuse,

fancy (=imagine)*,

finish,

forgive,

imagine,*

involve,

keep,

loathe,

mean,(=have as result)*

mention,*

mind,

miss,

pardon,

postpone,

prevent,

propose,*

recall,*

recollect,*

remember,

report,*

resent,

resist,

risk,

save (=prevent the wasted effort)

stop,

suggest,*

understand,*

Notes:

Appreciate is followed by a possessive adjective and the gerund when the gerund does not refer to the subject. Compare :

I appreciate having some time off work. (I'm having the time...)

I appreciate your giving me some time off work. (You're giving me the time...)

Excuse, forgive, pardon can be followed by an object and the gerund or for + object and the gerund (both common in spoken English), or a possessive adjective + gerund (more formal and less likely to be said):

Excuse me interrupting.

Excuse me for interrupting.

Excuse my interrupting.

Suggest can be used in a number of ways, but BE CAREFuL. It is important not to confuse these patterns:

suggest/suggested (+ possessive adjective) + gerund:
He suggests going to Glastonbury
He suggested going to Glastonbury
He suggested/suggests my going to Glastonbury

suggest/suggested + that-clause (where both that and should may be omitted):
He suggests that I should go to Glastonbury
He suggested that I should go to Glastonbury
He suggested/suggests I should go to Glastonbury
He suggested/suggests I go to Glastonbury
He suggested I went to Glastonbury.

suggest/suggested + question word + infinitive:
He suggested where to go.

propose is followed by the gerund when it means 'suggest':

John proposed going to the debate

but by the infinitive when it means 'intend':

The Government proposes bringing in new laws..

Stop can be followed by a gerund or infinitive, but there is a change of meaning - see GERuND / INFINITIVE? section.

Dread is followed by the infinitive when used with 'think', in the expression 'I dread to think':

I dread to think what she'll do next.

prevent is followed

EITHER by a possessive adjective + gerund:

You can't prevent my leaving.

OR by an object + from + gerund:

You can't prevent me from leaving.

Examples:

Normally, a mouse wouldn't contemplate marrying an elephant.
Most mice dread meeting elephants.
We can't risk getting wet - we haven't got any dry clothes.
If you take that job it will mean getting home late every night.
I can't imagine living in that big house.
If you buy some petrol now, it will save you stopping on the way to London.
She couldn't resist eating the plum she found in the fridge.
They decided to postpone painting the house until the weather improved.

Gerunds and infinitives can both be used as subjects, subject complements, and direct objects of verbs. The choice of whether to use a gerund or infinitive as a subject, subject complement, or object of some verbs is left to the speaker/writer. This choice can indicate shades of meaning.

But the choice between which to use as a direct object is sometimes dictated by the verb, leaving no choice. Which verbs can be followed by gerunds, which by infinitives, (and which by either) must be memorized. In addition, some verbs require that an infinitive object have a different subject (agent) from that of the first verb, for others no other agent is possible, and for some both are possible. Again, these must be memorized. The general meanings associated with gerunds and infinitives can offer clues, but do not always predict which forms are possible.

Remember, the question here concerns verbs which control gerunds and infinitives as their objects. Of course, both infinitives and gerunds can follow an unlimited number of verbs for other reasons. For example, infinitives can also follow verbs to show purpose, in reduced adjective or adverb clauses, or with other meanings. Gerunds with noun modifiers can be the objects of many different verbs. And present participles, which may look like gerunds, are not controlled by preceding verbs. And remember that noun clauses can also be used as objects of many of these same verbs

VERBS THAT CAN HAVE INFINITIVE OR GERuND OBJECTS, with little or no difference in meaning: *____ studying.* *____ to study.*
can afford can't bear begin	cease commence continue	dread hate like	loathe love neglect	prefer propose (can't) stand	start undertake
VERBS THAT CAN HAVE GERuND OBJECTS, BuT NOT INFINITIVES: (usually actual events, often past) *_____ (his) studying* gerund subjects (agents) are usually possessive (his , etc.)
admit anticipate appreciate avoid complete consider defend delay	deny detest discuss dislike enjoy escape excuse his finish	get through give up go on can't help imagine involve keep (on) would like (him)	mention (not) mind miss postpone practice put off quit recall	recollect recommend report resent resist resume risk (can't) see	stop suggest take up tolerate understand
VERBS THAT CAN HAVE INFINITIVE OBJECTS, BuT NOT GERuNDS: (often suggesting a potential or unreal event) *_______ to study* him = infinitive must have a subject (agent) for him = infinitive must have a subject introduced by for (him) or (for him) = subject (agent) of infinitive is optional (none of the above = verb is followed directly by the infinitive)
agree aim appear appoint him arrange (for him) authorize him ask (him) beg (him) (not) care cause him challenge him choose (him) claim	command him condescend consent convince him dare (him) decide demand deserve desire direct him enable him endeavor expect (him)	fail force him get (him) happen hesitate hire him help him hope instruct him intend invite him lead him learn	long manage motivate him need (him) oblige him offer order him pay him persuade him plan prepare (him) pretend proceed	promise refuse remind him resolve seem select him send him strive struggle swear tell him tend threaten	train him trust him volunteer vow wait (for him) want (him) warn him wish (him) yearn
VERBS THAT CAN HAVE INFINITIVE OR GERuND OBJECTS, but with a difference in meaning:
		*________ studying* actual: first it happens; then there is mental activity)		>	*________ to study.* potential: first there is mental activity about a possible future event)
attempt forget mean regret remember try		do it, hoping for success do it, then have a mental lapse it exists, it has a significance do it, then feel bad do it, then be aware of it do it, hoping for success		make an effort, hoping to do it have a mental lapse, and therefore not do it have an intention to do it feel bad, but then do it think about it, and then do it make an effort, hoping to do it
VERBS THAT CAN HAVE INFINITIVE OBJECTS WITH AGENTS, OR GERuNDS : *_______ studying* *___ him to study*

advise allow	encourage forbid	permit	require	teach	urge

Explanation out of that website:

http://www.englishpage.com/gerunds/index.htm

please have a look there, it may be I forgot to copy something you are intereted in.

Gerunds and Infinitives part 1

1. A gerund is a noun made from a verb by adding "-ing." The gerund form of the verb "read" is "reading." You can use a gerund as the subject, the complement, or the object of a sentence.

Examples:

Reading helps you learn English. subject of sentence
Her favorite hobby is reading. complement of sentence
I enjoy reading. object of sentence

Gerunds can be made negative by adding "not."

Examples:

He enjoys not working.
The best thing for your health is not smoking.

2. Infinitives are the "to" form of the verb. The infinitive form of "learn" is "to learn." You can also use an infinitive as the subject, the complement, or the object of a sentence.

Examples:

To learn is important. subject of sentence
The most important thing is to learn. complement of sentence
He wants to learn. object of sentence

Infinitives can be made negative by adding "not."

Examples:

I decided not to go.
The most important thing is not to give up.

3. Both gerunds and infinitives can be used as the subject or the complement of a sentence. However, as subjects or complements, gerunds usually sound more like normal, spoken English, whereas infinitives sound more abstract. In the following sentences, gerunds sound more natural and would be more common in everyday English. Infinitives emphasize the possibility or potential for something and sound more philosophical. If this sounds confusing, just remember that 90% of the time, you will use a gerund as the subject or complement of a sentence.

Examples:

Learning is important. normal subject
To learn is important. abstract subject - less common
The most important thing is learning. normal complement
The most important thing is to learn. abstract complement - less common

4. As the object of a sentence, it is more difficult to choose between a gerund or an infinitive. In such situations, gerunds and infinitives are not normally interchangeable. usually, the main verb in the sentence determines whether you use a gerund or an infinitive.

Examples:

He enjoys swimming. "Enjoy" requires a gerund.
He wants to swim. "Want" requires an infinitive.

5. Some verbs are followed by gerunds as objects. List of Verbs Followed by Gerunds

Examples:

She suggested going to a movie.
Mary keeps talking about her problems.

6. Some verbs are followed by infinitives. List of Verbs Followed by Infinitives

Examples:

She wants to go to a movie.
Mary needs to talk about her problems.

Exercises Based on part 1 of the Gerunds and Infinitives Tutorial

Verbs Followed by Gerunds

9 = verb followed by a gerund OR a noun + an infinitive

13 = verb followed by a gerund OR an infinitive with a difference in meaning

14 = verb followed by a gerund OR an infinitive with little difference in meaning

admit	He admitted cheating on the test.
advise [9]	The doctor generally advised drinking low-fat milk.
allow [9]	Ireland doesn't allow smoking in bars.
anticipate	I anticipated arriving late.
appreciate	I appreciated her helping me.
avoid	He avoided talking to her.
begin [14]	I began learning Chinese.
can't bear [14]	He can't bear having so much responsibility.
can't help	He can't help talking so loudly.
can't see	I can't see paying so much money for a car.
can't stand [14]	He can't stand her smoking in the office.
cease [14]	The government ceased providing free healthcare.
complete	He completed renovating the house.
consider	She considered moving to New York.
continue [14]	He continued talking.
defend	The lawyer defended her making such statements.
delay	He delayed doing his taxes.
deny	He denied committing the crime.
despise	She despises waking up early.
discuss	We discussed working at the company.
dislike	She dislikes working after 5 pM.
don't mind	I don't mind helping you.
dread [13]	She dreads getting up at 5 AM.
encourage [9]	He encourages eating healthy foods.
enjoy	We enjoy hiking.
finish [13]	He finished doing his homework.
forget [13]	I forgot giving you my book.
hate [14]	I hate cleaning the bathroom.
imagine	He imagines working there one day.
involve	The job involves traveling to Japan once a month.
keep	She kept interrupting me.
like [14]	She likes listening to music.
love [14]	I love swimming.
mention	He mentioned going to that college.
mind	Do you mind waiting here for a few minutes.
miss	She misses living near the beach.
need [13]	The aquarium needs cleaning.
neglect [14]	Sometimes she neglects doing her homework.
permit [9]	California does not permit smoking in restaurants.
postpone	He postponed returning to paris.
practice	She practiced singing the song.
prefer [14]	He prefers sitting at the back of the movie theater.
propose [14]	I proposed having lunch at the beach.
quit [13]	She quit worrying about the problem.
recall	Tom recalled using his credit card at the store.
recollect	She recollected living in Kenya.
recommend	Tony recommended taking the train.
regret [13]	She regretted saying that.
remember [13]	I remember telling her the address yesterday.
report	He reported her stealing the money.
require [9]	The certificate requires completing two courses.
resent	Nick resented Debbie's being there.
resist	He resisted asking for help.
risk	He risked being caught.
start [14]	He started studying harder.
stop [13]	She stopped working at 5 o'clock.
suggest	They suggested staying at the hotel.
tolerate	I tolerated her talking.
try [13]	Sam tried opening the lock with a paperclip.
understand	I understand his quitting.
urge [9]	They urge recycling bottles and paper.

Verbs Followed by Infinitives

8 = verb followed by an infinitive OR an optional noun + an infinitive

13 = verb followed by a gerund OR an infinitive with a difference in meaning

14 = verb followed by a gerund OR an infinitive with little difference in meaning

agree	Tom agreed to help me.
appear	His health appeared to be better.
arrange	Naomi arranged to stay with her cousin in Miami.
ask [8]	She asked to leave.
begin [13]	He began to talk.
can't bear [14]	He can't bear to be alone.
can't stand [14]	Nancy can't stand to work the late shift.
care	He doesn't care to participate in the activity.
cease [14]	The government ceased to provide free healthcare.
choose [8]	I chose to help.
claim	She claimed to be a princess.
continue [14]	She continued to talk.
decide	We decided to go to Hawaii.
demand	He demanded to speak to Mr. Harris.
deserve	He deserves to go to jail.
dread [13]	I dread to think what might happen.
expect [8]	They expect to arrive early.
fail	He failed to get enough money to pay for the new project.
forget [13]	I forgot to lock the door when I left.
get (be allowed to)	Debbie gets to go to the concert next week! Why can't I?
happen	She happened to be at the bank when it was robbed.
hate [14]	He hates to clean dishes.
hesitate	She hesitated to tell me the problem.
hope	I hope to begin college this year.
intend	We intend to visit you next spring.
learn	I learned to speak Japanese when I was a kid.
like [14]	Samantha likes to read.
love [14]	We love to scuba dive.
manage	He managed to open the door without the key.
need [8,13]	I need to study.
neglect [14]	She neglected to tell me the date of the meeting.
offer	Frank offered to drive us to the supermarket.
plan	We plan to go to Europe this summer.
prefer [14]	He prefers to eat at 7 pM.
prepare [8]	They prepared to take the test.
pretend	The child pretended to be a monster.
promise [8]	She promised to stop smoking.
propose [14]	Drew proposed to pay for the trip.
refuse	The guard refused to let them enter the building.
regret [13]	I regret to inform you that your application was rejected.
remember [13]	Did you remember to lock the door when you left?
seem	Nancy seemed to be disappointed.
start [13]	Marge started to talk really fast.
swear	She swore to tell the truth.
tend	He tends to be a little shy.
threaten [8]	He threatened to leave forever.
try [13]	Mary tried to lift the table, but it was too heavy.
vow	He vowed to get revenge.
wait	She waited to buy a movie ticket.
want [8]	I want to study Spanish.
wish [8]	I wish to stay.
would like [8] (meaning "wish" or "want")	We would like to start now.
yearn	Melanie yearns to travel somewhere exotic.

Gerunds and Infinitives part 2

7. Gerunds can often be modified with possessive forms such as his, her, its, your, their, our, John's, Mary's, the machine's, and so on. This makes it clearer who or what is performing the action.

Examples:

I enjoyed their singing. They were singing.
She understood his saying no to the offer. He said no.
Sam resented Debbie's coming late to the dinner. Debbie came late to the dinner.
We discussed the machine's being broken. The machine is broken.

8. Some verbs are followed by a noun plus an infinitive. In some situations, the noun is required. In other situations, the noun is optional. List of Verbs Followed by a Noun + an Infinitive

Examples:

The police ordered the man to stop. noun is required
She asked to leave. noun is optional
She asked him to leave. noun is optional

9. Some verbs are usually followed by a gerund, BuT they can also be followed by a noun plus infinitive. using a noun plus infinitive will usually change who is performing the action. List of Verbs followed by a Gerund OR a Noun + Infinitive

Examples:

I advised taking the train. in general
I advised him to take the train. He will take the train.

10. There are many "go + gerund" expressions used for adventure sports and individual recreational activities. List of Go + Gerund Combinations

Examples:

I go swimming every weekend.
Would you ever go skydiving?

11. Gerunds are used after prepositions. Most commonly, these are "verb + preposition" combinations. For reference, see the Verb + preposition Dictionary and the phrasal Verb Dictionary. You don't have to memorize these resources, you just need to remember that gerunds are used after prepositions!

Examples:

They admitted to committing the crime.
Leslie made up for forgetting my birthday.
He is thinking about studying abroad.

12. Remember that there are many "adjective + preposition" combinations and "noun + preposition" combinations in English as well. These are also followed by gerunds. List of Adjective + preposition Combinations Followed by Gerunds and List of Noun + preposition Combinations Followed by Gerunds. Once again, you don't have to memorize these resources, you just need to remember that gerunds are used after prepositions!

Examples:

Sandy is scared of flying. adjective + preposition
Nick is anxious about taking the examination. adjective + preposition
His interest in becoming a professional snowboarder was well known. noun + preposition
Thomas' story about seeing a grizzly bear was really exciting. noun + preposition

Verbs Followed by Nouns + Infinitives

9 = verb followed by a gerund OR a noun + an infinitive

13 = verb followed by a gerund OR an infinitive with a difference in meaning

List 1: Verb + Required Noun + Infinitive

advise [9]	I advised them to see a doctor.
allow [9]	Ireland doesn't allow people to smoke in bars.
cause	He caused her to make a mistake.
convince	Ned convinced me to quit my job.
enable	Financial aid enabled the students to pay such expensive tuition fees.
encourage [9]	He encourages his patients to eat healthy foods.
force	The commander forced the soldiers to march in the rain.
get (cause to)	Isabelle got Mike to wash her car.
hire	Mr. Donelly hired Sarah to work as a receptionist.
invite	We invited them to join us.
order	The police ordered him to put his hands in the air.
permit [9]	California doesn't permit people to fish without a fishing license.
remind	They reminded me to pay the bills before the end of the month.
require [9]	The certificate requires students to complete two courses.
tell	He told me to shut up.
urge [9]	They urge citizens to recycle bottles and paper.
warn	She warned him not to be late.

List 2: Verb + Optional Noun + Infinitive

Notice in the examples below that the verbs can be followed by an infinitive or a noun plus an infinitive. When a noun is added, it usually changes who or what is performing the action. To understand this better, look at the first verb "ask" and its examples. In the first sentence, she is asking if she herself can leave. In the second sentence, she is requesting that a man leave. Study the examples below and consider how the optional noun changes the meaning.

ask	She asked to leave.	She asked him to leave.
choose	I chose to help out.	I chose him to help out.
expect	They expect to arrive early.	The expect him to arrive early.
need [13]	I need to clean the house.	I need her to clean the house.
prepare	They prepared to take the test.	They prepared her to take the test.
promise	She promised to stop smoking	She promised him to stop smoking.
threaten	He threatened to leave forever.	He threatened her to leave forever.
want	I want to study Spanish.	I want my son to study Spanish.
wish	I wish to stay.	I wish him to stay. rare form
would like	We would like to start now.	We would like him to start now.

Verbs Followed by Either Gerunds OR Nouns + Infinitives

advise	I advised seeing a doctor.	I advised them to see a doctor.
allow	Ireland doesn't allow smoking in bars.	Ireland doesn't allow people to smoke in bars.
encourage	He encourages eating healthy foods.	He encourages his patients to eat healthy foods.
permit	California doesn't permit fishing without a fishing license.	California doesn't permit people to fish without a fishing license.
require	The certificate requires completing two courses.	The certificate requires students to complete two courses.
urge	They urge recycling bottles and paper.	They urge citizens to recycle bottles and paper.

Adjective + preposition Combinations Followed by Gerunds

The following is ONLY A SAMpLE liST of the most commonly used adjective + preposition combinations that can be followed by gerunds.

accustomed to	He is accustomed to having his own office.
addicted to	She is addicted to watching TV.
afraid of	She is afraid of speaking in public.
anxious about	Norma is anxious about making the presentation.
bored of	I am bored of doing the same old job.
capable of	He is capable of winning a gold medal.
committed to	She is committed to improving her English.
concerned about	Nancy was concerned about being late.
content with	Tim is content with winning second place.
dedicated to	The organization is dedicated to ending poverty.
devoted to	The money will be devoted to protecting the environment.
disappointed with	Fiona was disappointed with coming in third place.
discouraged by	He was discouraged by not getting the job.
excited about	The researcher was excited about going to Africa.
famous for	That actor is famous for being extremely weird.
fond of	She is fond of having picnics.
frightened of	She is frightened of being alone at night.
guilty of	The banker was guilty of stealing money.
happy about	He was happy about winning the lottery.
interested in	She is interested in becoming a doctor.
involved in	He was involved in making the movie.
known for	She was known for causing problems.
opposed to	They are opposed to building a new road in the park.
proud of	He was proud of having completed the marathon.
remembered for	She is remembered for protecting mountain gorillas.
responsible for	He is responsible for causing the damage.
scared of	Tina is scared of being alone at night.
terrified of	The surfer is terrified of being attacked by a shark.
tired from	She is tired from working all day.
tired of	Margaret is tired of making dinner every night.
worried about	The hikers were worried about not having enough water.

Noun + preposition Combinations Followed by Gerunds

The following is ONLY A SAMpLE liST of the most commonly used noun + preposition combinations that can be followed by gerunds.

addiction to	His addiction to surfing the Internet is a problem.
advantage of	He has the advantage of speaking English fluently.
anxiety about	Her anxiety about speaking in public caused her to lose the job.
belief in	His belief in not harming animals was something he learned from his mother.
credit for	She took credit for improving the filing system.
dedication to	His dedication to teaching was impressive.
delay in	The delay in processing the visa caused problems.
devotion to	His devotion to biking allowed him to win the competition.
disadvantage of	The disadvantage of flying is that you can't see the scenery along the way.
experience in	She has a great deal of experience in introducing new products to international markets. With the noun "experience," sometimes a gerund is added without the preposition "in." "Experience introducing new products" would also be acceptable.
fear of	His fear of flying made travel difficult.
fondness for	Her fondness for traveling led to her career in the travel industry.
habit of	His habit of smoking in restaurants caused many problems in California.
interest in	Her career as a pilot evolved out of her interest in flying.
knowledge of	Her knowledge of climbing helped her during the competition.
love of	His love of singing developed when he was a child.
memory of	Their memories of traveling in Africa will stay with them forever.
preference for	I think his preference for speaking his native language is natural.
process of	The process of painting such a large mural is more complicated than you might think.
reaction to	His reaction to winning the prize was quite funny.
reason for	The main reason for taking the course is to improve your language skills.
regret for	The criminal's regret for committing the crime did not convince the judge.
report on	The magazine's report on choosing the right car was not well researched.
reputation for	Her reputation for lying is well known.
responsibility for	His responsibility for completing the project on time was acknowledged by the company.
story about	I don't know if I believe his story about seeing a uFO.
talent for	His talent for learning languages was impressive.

Gerunds and Infinitives part 3

13. Some verbs can be followed by a gerund or an infinitive, but with a difference in meaning. List of Verbs Followed by a Gerund or Infinitive (Different Meaning)

Examples:

Nancy remembered getting married. Nancy has a memory of getting married.
Fred remembered to bring sunblock to the beach. Fred remembered that he needed to bring sunblock.

14. Some verbs can be followed by a gerund or an infinitive with little difference in meaning. List of Verbs Followed by a Gerund or Infinitive (Similar Meaning)

Examples:

She likes swimming.
She likes to swim.

Although the difference in meaning is small with these particular verbs, and gerunds and infinitives can often be used interchangeably, there is still a meaning difference. 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. Because of this small difference in meaning, gerunds and infinitives cannot always be used interchangeably, such as in the examples below.

Examples:

The British reporter likes living in New York. He lives in New York and he likes what he experiences there.
The British reporter likes to live in New York whenever he works in the united States. He likes the option or possibility of living in New York when he works in the united States.
I like speaking French because it's such a beautiful language. I like the experience of speaking French, and the way it makes me feel when I speak the language.
I like to speak French when I'm in France. I prefer the option of speaking French when I am in France.

15. There are many "be + adjective" combinations that are commonly followed by infinitives. List of Be + Adjective Combinations Followed by Infinitives

Examples:

They were anxious to begin.
She was delighted to receive such good feedback.
He is lucky to have such good friends.

16. There are also many nouns that are commonly followed by infinitives. List of Nouns Followed by Infinitives

Examples:

It was a good decision to move to San Francisco.
His wish to become an actor was well known.
Laura's desire to improve impressed me.

17. Sometimes infinitives are used to express the idea of "in order to do something."

Examples:

He bought the English dictionary to look up difficult words. in order to look up
Janine sold her car to get the money that she needed. in order to get
Juan uses Englishpage.com to learn English. in order to learn

This idea of "in order to do something" is found in many English patterns.

too + adjective/adverb + infinitive

Examples:

The box is too heavy to carry.
The television is too expensive to buy.
Fiona ran too slowly to win the race.
We arrived too late to see the beginning of the movie.

adjective/adverb + enough + infinitive

Examples:

She is tall enough to reach the book on the shelf.
Brian was smart enough to enter college at the age of 12.
Linda runs quickly enough to win the race.

enough + noun(s) + infinitive

Examples:

He has enough money to buy his own car.
Cheryl owns enough books to start her own library!
Diane needs enough time to finish writing her book.

18. Certain expressions are followed by "ING" forms. List of Expressions followed by Verb+ing Forms

Examples:

He had fun fishing.
They had difficulty finding a parking place.
She spent her time practicing the piano.

19. Verbs which indicate location can often be followed by "ING" forms. This pattern is VERB OF LOCATION + LOCATION + VERB+ING. List of Verbs of Location

Examples:

Sarah stood at the corner waiting for Tom.
Melissa lay in bed thinking about her future.
Don clung to the side of the cliff looking down.

20. In addition to simple gerund and infinitive forms, there are progressive gerund and infinitive forms, passive gerund and infinitive forms and perfect gerund and infinitive forms as well as combinations of these forms. progressive forms are used to emphasize that an action is taking place now. passive forms are used to emphasize that the subject of the sentence is being acted upon. perfect gerund and infinitive forms are used to emphasize completion in both the past and the future. Study the examples below to help understand these concepts. To learn more about progressiveness, the passive voice and the perfect aspect, complete the Englishpage.com Verb Tense Tutorial.

	GERuND FORMS	INFINITIVE FORMS
SIMpLE	The teacher enjoys teaching.	The teacher wants to teach.
pROGRESSIVE	Mr. Smith is really enjoying teaching his class. Looks the same as simple form above.	Mr. Smith would like to be teaching his class.
pASSIVE	The students enjoy being taught.	The students want to be taught.
pERFECT	The retired teacher recalled having taught.	The teacher was expecting to have taught that already.
pASSIVE + pROGRESSIVE	The students are enjoying being taught by such an exciting new teacher. Looks the same as the passive form above.	The students would like to be being taught by Mr Smith.
pASSIVE + pERFECT	The older students recalled having been taught that already.	The students were expecting to have been taught that by now.

Verbs Followed by Gerunds OR Infinitives (Different Meaning)

begin

She began singing.

She began to sing.

When "begin" is used in non-continuous tenses, you can either use a gerund or an infinitive.

She is beginning to sing.

When "begin" is used in continuous tenses, an infinitive is used.

dread

She dreaded taking the test.

usually "dread" is followed by a gerund.

He dreaded to think of the consequences of his actions.

"Dread" is sometimes used with infinitives such as "think" or "consider." In the sentence above, "dreaded to think" means "did not want to think."

forget

She forgot reading the book when she was a kid.

When "forget" is used with a gerund, it means "to forget that you have done something." The sentence above means that she read the book when she was a kid, and that she has forgotten that fact.

She forgot to pay the rent this month.

When forget is used with an infinitive, it means "to forget that you need to do something." The sentence above means that she forgot that she needed to pay the rent.

keep

She kept talking.

"Keep" is normally used with a gerund to mean that you continue doing an action.

The attackers kept hostages to prevent the police from entering.

"Keep" can also be used with an object followed by an infinitive, but then the infinitive takes on the meaning of "in order to... ." In the sentence above, the attackers kept hostages in order to prevent the police from entering.

need

The house needs cleaning.

When "need" is used with a gerund, it takes on a passive meaning. The sentence above means "the house needs to be cleaned."

He needs to call his boss.

He needs him to call his boss.

"Need" is usually used with an infinitive or an object + an infinitive.

regret

I regretted being late to the interview.

"Regret" is normally used with a gerund.

We regret to inform you that your position at the company is being eliminated.

"Regret" is sometimes used with infinitives such as "to inform." In the sentence above, "We regret to inform you" means "We wish we did not have to tell you (bad news)."

remember

I remember mentioning the meeting yesterday.

When "remember" is used with a gerund, it means "to remember that you have done something." The sentence above means that I mentioned the meeting, and that I remember the fact that I did that.

He remembered to turn off the lights before he left.

When "remember" is used with an infinitive, it means "to remember that you need to do something." The sentence above means that he remembered that he needed to turn the lights off.

start

Marge started talking really fast.

Marge started to talk really fast.

When "start" is used in non-continuous tenses, you can either use a gerund or an infinitive.

Marge is starting to talk really fast.

When "start" is used in continuous tenses, an infinitive is used.

I started to learn Russian, but it was so much work that I finally quit the class.

In other situations, an infinitive means that you did not complete or continue an action.

stop

He stopped smoking for health reasons.

"Stop" is normally used with a gerund.

He stopped to rest for a few minutes.

When "stop" is used with an infinitive, the infinitive takes on the meaning of "in order to." In the sentence above, he stopped in order to rest for a few minutes.

try

She can't find a job. She tried looking in the paper, but there was nothing. She tried asking friends and family, but nobody knew of anything. She also tried going shop to shop, but nobody was hiring.

"Try + gerund" means to try or to experiment with different methods to see if something works.

She tried eating the snake soup, but she didn't like it.

"Try + gerund" is often used when you experiment with something, but you do not really like it or want to do it again.

She tried to climb the tree, but she couldn't even get off the ground.

When you "try to do" something, you want to do it, but you do not succeed in actually doing it. In the sentence above, an infinitive is used because she cannot successfully climb the tree.

Try not to wake the baby when you get up tomorrow at 5 AM.

An infinitive is also used if you are asking someone to try something they may or may not be able to accomplish.

Verbs Followed by Gerunds OR Infinitives (Similar Meaning)

can't bear	He can't bear being alone.	He can't bear to be alone.
can't stand	Nancy can't stand working the late shift.	Nancy can't stand to work the late shift.
cease	The government ceased providing free health care.	The government ceased to provide free health care.
continue	She continued talking.	She continued to talk.
hate	He hates cleaning dishes.	He hates to clean dishes.
like	Samantha likes reading.	Samantha likes to read.
love	We love scuba diving.	We love to scuba dive.
neglect	He neglected doing his daily chores.	He neglected to do his daily chores.
prefer	He prefers eating at 7 pM.	He prefers to eat at 7 pM.
propose	Drew proposed paying for the trip.	Drew proposed to pay for the trip.

REMEMBER

Examples:

The British reporter likes living in New York. He lives in New York and he likes what he experiences there.
The British reporter likes to live in New York whenever he works in the united States. He likes the option or possibility of living in New York when he works in the united States.
I like speaking French because it's such a beautiful language. I like the experience of speaking French, and the way it makes me feel when I speak the language.
I like to speak French when I'm in France. I prefer the option of speaking French when I am in France

Be + Adjective Combinations Followed by Infinitives

be amazed	He was amazed to discover the truth.
be anxious	She was anxious to start her new job.
be ashamed	He was ashamed to admit he had lied.
be bound	She is bound to be elected class president.
be careful	They were careful not to reveal the winner of the prize until the end.
be certain	She is certain to get the job.
be content	The student was content to receive second place in the competition.
be delighted	We were delighted to be invited to the wedding.
be determined	He was determined to finish the marathon.
be eager	He was eager to begin.
be eligible	They were not eligible to participate in the program.
be fortunate	She was fortunate to receive the research grant.
be glad	I would be glad to help out.
be happy	She was happy to see them at the party.
be hesitant	Mary was hesitant to say anything.
be liable	The mountain climber is liable to hurt himself if he doesn't use well-made equipment.
be likely	They are likely to show up at any time.
be lucky	You were lucky to have such an opportunity.
be pleased	I am pleased to meet you.
be proud	He was proud to have been chosen to lead the project.
be ready	I'm ready to go now.
be reluctant	The witness was reluctant to reveal what he had seen.
be sad	She was really sad to leave.
be shocked	He was shocked to discover the truth.
be sorry	I am sorry to have to tell you that the tickets are sold out.
be surprised	She was surprised to discover that he had never learned how to swim.

Nouns Followed by Infinitives

advice	His advice to continue was good.
appeal	The appeal to reduce pollution was ineffective.
attempt	Her attempt to locate them was unsuccessful.
chance	In Britain, you will have a chance to improve your English.
decision	The decision to increase taxes was not popular.
desire	His desire to get a good job motivated him.
dream	Her dream to become an actress was never realized.
goal	His goal to run a marathon seemed unrealistic.
motivation	Her motivation to enter university impressed them.
need	Bob's need to be the center of attention was irritating.
opportunity	The opportunity to live in New York interested Sandra.
order	They followed the general's order to retreat.
permission	permission to enter the area was difficult to get.
plan	Sandy's plan to move to Madrid bothered her parents.
preparation	NASA's preparations to launch on Monday moved forward.
proposal	Her proposal to host the party impressed the committee.
recommendation	His recommendation to close the school upset the community.
refusal	Debra's refusal to help did not go unnoticed.
reminder	Her reminder to review the vocabulary helped me pass the test.
request	Their request to participate was granted.
requirement	Their requirement to speak four languages was unreasonable.
suggestion	His suggestion to leave seemed like a good idea.
tendency	His tendency to tap his desk during a test annoyed me.
wish	Her wish to be treated normally was respected.
way	One way to improve your English is to read novels.

Expressions followed by VERB+ing

have (some) problems	He had some problems reading without his glasses.
have a difficult time	She had a difficult time hiking up the mountain.
have a good time	They had a good time snorkeling.
have a hard time	She had a hard time explaining the situation.
have a problem	Debbie had a problem understanding his accent.
have an easy time	She had an easy time selling the delicious cookies.
have difficulty	Wanda had difficulty translating the letter by herself.
have fun	The had fun skiing.
have no difficulty	They had no difficulty finding a discount flight to London.
have no problem	Francis had no problem getting from the airport to the hotel.
spend one's time	He always spends his time working out at the gym.
waste one's time	She always wastes her time playing video games.

Location Verbs Followed by VERB+ing

cling	She clung to the bottom of the bridge trying to resist the swift current.
cower	The family cowered in their basement hoping the tornado would change directions.
crouch	The mountain lion crouched on a bolder watching the deer walk by below.
hang	The monkey hung in the tree chewing on the ripened fruit.
lean	Tom leaned against the wall resting a few moments before he continued on.
lie	He lay in bed thinking about the day's events.
sit	She always sits on the couch watching TV.
stand	Nancy stood at the corner looking up and down the street.