Gerunds and Infinitives: Rules, Examples and Practice

Use the verb pattern, not a single rule based on time. English uses forms such as enjoy reading, decide to read and can read. The first verb or expression, and sometimes the intended meaning, determines the next form.

Start with the examples below, then try the three-question interactive quiz. Two especially useful patterns are refuse to do something and consider doing something.

Gerunds, to-infinitives and bare infinitives

• Gerund: an -ing form used in a noun-like role: “Reading helps me relax.” “I enjoy reading.”
• To-infinitive: to + base verb: “I hope to read the book soon.”
• Bare infinitive: the base form without to: “I can read it.”

Not every -ing form is called a gerund in traditional grammar. In “She is reading,” it is part of a continuous verb form. Learn the whole phrase and its function rather than identifying a gerund from spelling alone.

Refuse to or refuse -ing?

When refuse is directly followed by another verb to name the rejected action, use to + base verb: “He refused to answer.” “They refused to change the timetable.” Do not use “refused answering” for this pattern.

Other useful to-infinitive patterns include agree to, decide to, hope to, plan to, promise to and want to. For example: “We agreed to meet outside.”

Consider a gerund or an infinitive?

Use consider + -ing when thinking about an action: “We are considering moving the class.” “She considered taking a different route.” Avoid “considered to take” in this meaning.

The rule is about this particular pattern. Consider can also take a noun (“consider the proposal”) or another construction (“They consider her to be an expert”). Those do not make “consider to do” the normal pattern for contemplating an action.

Also learn enjoy doing, avoid doing, finish doing, mind doing and suggest doing. Example: “Nila suggested meeting after lunch.” Some verbs, including like and love, allow both forms in many contexts, so avoid treating every verb as belonging to only one group.

After prepositions, including prepositional to

An ordinary preposition is commonly followed by an -ing form when the next element is a verb: “before leaving,” “without asking” and “good at drawing.”

In look forward to, the word to is a preposition: “I look forward to meeting you.” Compare “I want to meet you,” where to introduces the infinitive. The presence of to alone does not settle the question.

When the meaning changes: stop, remember and try

• Stop doing: end that activity. “We stopped chatting” means the chatting ended. Stop to do: pause another activity for a purpose. “We stopped to chat” means we paused so we could chat.
• Remember doing: have a memory of an earlier action. “I remember posting the letter.” Remember to do: recall a task before carrying it out. “Remember to post the letter.”
• Try doing: test a possible method. “Try reading the sentence aloud.” Try to do: make an effort. “I tried to read the faded handwriting.”

These contrasts explain the intended meaning; they are not a universal rule that -ing means past and to means future.

Bare infinitives, help and the passive of make

Use a bare infinitive after modals such as can and must: “She can explain.” “We must leave.” In active constructions, let and make also take object + bare infinitive: “They let us leave.” “They made us wait.”

In the passive of make, restore to: “We were made to wait.” Help permits either form: “She helped me carry the bags” and “She helped me to carry the bags.” There is no need to mark one of those help patterns wrong simply because a learner uses British or American English.

Three correction exercises

Practice 1

Correct the sentence: “I considered to join the class, but refused paying in advance.”

Practice 2

Explain the difference: “She stopped checking the clock” and “She stopped to check the clock.”

Practice 3

Are both correct: “He helped me revise” and “He helped me to revise”?

Keep learning

Complete the interactive gerunds and infinitives quiz, review finite and non-finite clauses, or choose an activity in the learning app.

Grammar references: British Council LearnEnglish on verb patterns and patterns that change meaning; Cambridge English Grammar Today on make and its passive form. Examples and exercises are written for English Skill Studio.