GERUNDS AND INFINITIVES

THE INFINITIVE WITH TO IS USED:

to say why you do something.
We gave the children some sweets to keep them quiet.
after certain adjectives.
eg (It is/was etc) difficult, easy, essential, important, lovely, (un)necessary, (im)possible,
(un)usual, wonderful
(I am/She will be etc) delighted, disappointed, (un)happy, (un)lucky, sad, surprised
Were sad to hear you cant come; it would have been wonderful to see you again.
after certain nouns.
eg ability, chance, decision, failure, idea, opportunity, plan, refusal, right, way
Whats the best way to get to the station?
after certain verbs.
eg afford, agree, appear, arrange, attempt, choose, decide, demand, deserve, hesitate,
hope, learn, manage, offer, prepare, promise, pretend, refuse, seem, threaten
Pattys arranged to meet Mike on Saturday.
not is placed before the infinitive to make it negative:
Jodie called to her son but he pretended not to hear her.
With some verbs a direct object is needed.
eg advise, allow, enable, encourage, force, invite, order, persuade, recommend, remind,
teach, tell, warn
Pattys persuaded him to go to the opera with her!
Some verbs can be used either with or without a direct object.
eg ask, expect, help*, need, want, would like, would love, would hate, would prefer
Julie wants to buy a new coat and she wants me to go with her.
* Help can also be used with an infinitive without to: see below.

THE INFINITIVE WITHOUT TO IS USED:

after modal verbs.
You can go to the party, but you must be home by midnight.
after help, let, make, would rather, had better.
Id better go its very late. Id rather stay here, though.
Make and let are followed by a direct object; help can be used with or without a direct
object.
Can you help (me) clean the kitchen?

THE GERUND IS USED:

as the subject, object or complement of a sentence or clause.
Walking makes me hungry.
Robs given up smoking.
Joes favourite pastime is doing nothing.
after prepositions.
Are you interested in going to the cinema tonight?
after look forward to and be/get used to, where to is a preposition.
Ive got used to being on holiday, and Im not looking forward to going back home on
Saturday.
after certain verbs.
eg admit, adore, appreciate, avoid, cant help, cant stand, consider, delay, deny,
detest, dislike, enjoy, feel like, finish, imagine, involve, keep, mind, miss, postpone,
practise, prevent somebody, resist, risk, suggest
I like the countryside but I miss living in the city.
We planted that tree to prevent people looking into our house from the street.
not is placed before the gerund to make it negative:
Its hard to imagine not having a mobile phone.
after these expressions.
have difficulty/problems/trouble, its/theres no use, its (not) worth, theres no point
(in)
Its worth buying a good guidebook before you go to Rome.
She had difficulty understanding his Scottish accent at first.
If the subjects of the main verb and the gerund are different, an object (pronoun) is
added or, in formal English, a possessive determiner.
I cant imagine him (or his) playing football.

VERBS FOLLOWED BY EITHER A GERUND OR AN INFINITIVE WITH TO

Begin, start and continue can be followed by either a gerund or infinitive with to,
without any difference in meaning. The gerund is not usually used after a progressive
form of these verbs. He continued writing/to write until his hand began aching/to
ache.
Its starting to rain. [not Its starting raining]
Either form can also be used after hate, like, love and prefer with no difference in
meaning.
I like singing/to sing in the shower.
With remember, forget, stop and go on the gerund refers to actions or states
occurring before these verbs; the infinitive with to refers to things occurring
afterwards.
remember doing something = to recall a previous action
I remember reading something about Andorra last year.
forget doing something is not often used to talk about an action you do not recall.
Instead, not remember is used.
I dont remember telling you Id lend you some money.
remember/forget to do something = (not) to do something you have to do or intend to
do
I remembered to buy your stamps here you are.
But I forgot to post your letter Im really sorry.
stop doing something = no longer do something
You can put your umbrella down its stopped raining.
stop to do something = interrupt one activity to do another
On his way home from school, Ian stopped to buy some sweets.
go on doing something = continue doing something
If you go on eating like that, youll have a stomach ache.
go on to do something = do something after doing something else
After losing their first two matches, the Italians went on to win the tournament.
mean doing something = involve
If you come fishing with me, itll mean getting up early.
mean to do something = intend
I didnt mean to break the window it was an accident
try doing something = do something to see what will happen
If you have problems sleeping, try counting sheep.
try to do something = attempt/make an effort to do something
I tried to tell her I was sorry, but she didnt want to listen.
need + gerund has a passive meaning
This kitchen needs cleaning. (= needs to be cleaned)
need + infinitive with to has an active meaning
We need to clean this kitchen.