Learn Gerunds and Infinitives with These 5 Simple Tips

February 6, 2024 | 7-min. read

Introduction

The English language has a wide range of features that are sometimes confusing. These confusing features are commonly seen in grammar. There are words that you are sometimes unaware if you are using correctly or appropriately in context.

Gerunds and infinitives are examples of these grammar aspects. In sentences, both gerunds and infinitives are not easy to determine if you are unaware of their rules and usage. Understanding these aspects is challenging, especially when you are unconsciously using them without any background knowledge.

Some ESL students are often confused with the appropriate word to use, whether gerunds or infinitives when having a conversation with another person. With this, the communication process is compromised and sometimes makes the conversation less meaningful.

Are you struggling to understand the nature of gerunds and infinitives? Fear not, because we will share some simple tips to help you with your language-learning journey. Stay on this article and we will keep you updated.

What are Gerunds and Infinitives?

The simplest way to identify that a word is a gerund or an infinitive is by looking at its spelling. Gerunds are verbs ending in –ing and infinitives are the root words. Gerunds and infinitives have differences not just in spelling. They also differ in functions in sentences.

Gerunds are formed by adding the suffix –ing to the verb like sleeping, reading, running, and the like. However, they are not verbs in the present or past continuous tense. If you look at them at first glance, you would think that they are verbs because of their form. Gerunds are nouns and can function as a subject or object in a sentence.

Infinitives, on the other hand, are simple words or root words that do not have any prefixes or suffixes added to them. Infinitives are also simply identified if you see the words “to” at the beginning like “to sleep, to read, and to run.” They are called “to-infinitives.”

Gerunds and Infinitives in Sentences

Gerunds and infinitives make the meaning of sentences clear and meaningful. Gerunds are followed by prepositions such as “to, about, and of.” Look at the examples below:

                He is so keen in achieving her dreams.
                She thought about travelling next year.
                My father did not have a fear of flying when he was a child.

Notice the structure of the sentences above. We cannot say that the words “achieving, travelling, and flying” function as verbs in the present continuous tense because there is already a verb in the sentence.

He is so keen in achieving her dreams. – in this sentence, the verb is “is” followed by an adjective. The adjective is then followed by the preposition “in” and then the gerund “achieving.”

She thought about travelling next year. – this sentence already contains the verb “thought” then followed by the preposition “about” and the gerund “travelling.”

My father did not have a fear of flying when he was a child. – this sentence contains the negative verb “did not have” then the noun phrase “a fear’” the preposition “of” and the gerund “flying.”

Gerunds can function as a subject or object in sentences. Check out the following examples:

                Reading makes me a fluent communicator. – subject of a sentence
                My mother enjoys painting. – object of the verb

Infinitives in sentences also follow specific parts of speech like adjectives and certain verbs like “ask, need, remind, teach, require, tell,” and more.

The following are examples of infinitives with “to” follow adjectives.

                English is difficult to understand.
                I can’t have a new phone; it’s too expensive to buy one.
                Women are really hard to please. 

The sentences below are examples of infinitives that function as an object in the sentence.

                My friend asked me to bring his umbrella.
                I need you to go to the grocery store now.
                Please remind your members to check their dashboards.
                The teacher taught the students to be respectful.
                The applicants are required to submit their applications online.
                Who told you to open the door in the kitchen?

Gerunds and infinitives can easily be spotted in sentences, but their functions cannot. If you want to know how to use gerunds and infinitives appropriately, it is best to check first how you are going to use them in your sentence and what message you want to convey.