Gerunds And Infinitives

FCE B - Grammar reference

1....is used after these main verbs: Admit Appreciate Consider Enjoy

Escape

Face

Imagine Involve Mention Prefer

Put off

Recommend

Delay

Deny

Detest

Feel like

Finish

Forgive Give up

Mind

Miss

Postpone Practise

Resent

Risk

Suggest

e.g.: I appreciate going to the movies with her. You need to finish reading that book.

Dislike

Understand

2.

...is used after an adjective, verb or noun followed by a preposition:

e.g.: She’s really good at swimming He apologised for arriving late. I quite like the thought of working in a travel agency.

3.

...is also used in some fixed expressions:

e.g.: I can’t bear listening to people who complain. I can’t help feeling that he’s cheating us. That book is not worth reading.

1.

...is used after these main verbs:

Afford Care

Agree

Appear

Choose Consent

Arrange

Ask

Decide Determine Expect

Happen

Hate

Help

Hesitate

Hope

Love

Manage

Mean

Offer

Prefer

Seem

Start

Propose

Refuse Remember

Attempt

Intend

Bear

Begin

Fail

Forget

Learn

Like

Prepare Pretend Promise Swear

Try Wish

Want

e.g.: I can’t afford to eat in that restaurant. I hate to go shopping with Alice, I prefer to go there with my family.

2.

...is used after some adjectives:

e.g.: I was happy to see her. They were wrong to refuse. 3.

...is used after some nouns:

e.g.: She never regretted her decision to be a teacher. It’s time to leave. He has no wish to become involved in the matter. 4.

...is also used to express purpose:

e.g.: I wanna go to Montréal to visit my cousins.

o

These verbs are followed by object + infinitive with to :

Advise

Allow

Ask

Cause

Command Encourage

Forbid

Force

Get

Hate

Help

Instruct

Intend

Invite

Leave

Like

Mean

Need

Oblige

Order

Permit

Persuade

Prefer

Press

Recommend

Remind

Request

Teach

Tell

Tempt

Trouble

Want

Warn

Wish

e.g.: He asked me to help him. Her parents forbade her to see Tom again. The principal recommended us to stop fighting.

Expect

1.

...is used after these main verbs followed by an object + infinitive (without to): let, let make, make hear, hear help and see. see

e.g.: The teacher made us repeat the exercises. Their parents don’t let them stay out late. We heard his play in Zurich. Watch Out! In passive sentences, sentences the verbs above are followed by an infinitive with to. e.g.: My parents let me stay out late. I am allowed to stay out late by my parents.

...is used after modal verbs. e.g.: You must leave now! She can sleep here. 2.

...is used after would rather/had better : e.g.: You’d better come in now. 3.

1.

Can’t bear/stand, hate, like, love, prefer When these verbs above are used with the infinitive ,they refer to more specific situations. When they are used with the gerund, they refer to more general situtions. The difference in meaning is very slight: e.g.: I prefer to work on a computer than to write by hand. I can’t stand listening to her complaining all the time.

2)

Remember, forget, regret, stop, try

• remember/forget + ing refers to na action that happened before the moment of remembering/forgetting; •remember/forget + infinitive refers to an action after the moment of remember/forgetting. e.g.: I remember seeing you somewhere before (= that I have seen you) Did you remember to lock the door? She had completely forgotten telling him about her

 Regret

+ ing means be sorry about an action in the past.  Regret + infinitive means be sorry about an action in the past e.g.: I regret going to the party last night I regret to have to tell you that your car has been stolen.

 Stop

+ ing means stop something you

do Stop + infinitive with to means stop in order to do something e.g.: I stopped drinking coffee because it kept me awake at night. We stopped to have a coffee on the way home.

 Try

+ ing means do an experiment (doing the action may not be successful) Try + infinitive means make an effort (the action may be difficult or impossible to do)

e.g.: Try studing at a different time of day – it might suit you better. Try to study at regular times.