Gerunds and Infinitives, Explained

If you’re working on your English grammar skills, you’ll need to master gerunds and infinitives. These two verb forms can be a little bit tricky, but getting them right will help you write and speak more fluently and sound more like a native English speaker.

In this guide, we’ll cover what defines a gerund and an infinitive, examples and rules for each, and tips to help you know when to use a gerund vs infinitive.

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Gerunds vs. Infinitives: The short version

What is a gerund?

A gerund is the verb form that ends in -ing and is used as a noun.

For example:

He recommended eating at the sushi restaurant next door.

What is an infinitive?

The infinitive is the name for the base form of a verb, formed as “to” + ____

For example:

I wanted to eat at the French bistro.

To eat well is to be happy.

Gerunds and infinitives: definitions and examples

Let’s dive a little deeper into the nitty gritty of these two verb forms.

1. Gerund

A gerund is a verb form that ends in -ing and functions as a noun. This is an important distinction, because not all verbs ending in -ing are gerunds. 

When used as part of a verb phrase or as an adjective, the verb form ending in -ing is called the present participle and indicates continuous action taking place. When it’s used as part of an adjective or adverb, it’s a participial phrase. 

Here are some examples to help make that clearer.

Gerund: 

Singing is my passion.

The Olympic commission removed breakdancing from its list.

Present participle: 

Verb phrase:

We were walking by the Seine.

I’m thinking about pizza.

Adjective:

The chirping birds woke me up.

The driving crooner is under attack.

Participial phrase:

He found me reading in the library.

When eating a baguette voraciously, he almost choked.

Pro Tip: If you find these distinctions a little challenging, you can always reread

this guide to the parts of speech.

2. Infinitive

The infinitive, on the other hand, is always called the infinitive form of a verb, no matter how it’s used.

The infinitive is the base form of a verb from which other verb forms are created. The infinitive is preceded by the word “to.”

For example:

To run

To skip

To jump

The infinitive alone does not indicate a subject or timeframe, and can be used ​​in many different parts of speech.

For example:

Subject (noun): 

To err is human.

Direct object (noun/verb phrase): 

I love to jog outside this time of year.

Infinitive adverbial phrase: 

To buy another jacket like this one, I’ll need to fly to Italy.

3. Gerunds vs infinitives

Now that you know what you’re looking for, it should be easy to tell the difference between gerunds and infinitives.

Quick! Test your skills. Which sentence has a gerund and which has an infinitive?

He hates rushing.

He hates to rush.

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When to use gerunds vs infinitives

There are certain situations where you can use either a gerund or an infinitive, and certain situations where only one is grammatically correct. 

Here are some ground rules to help you choose when to use a gerund and when to use an infinitive:

1. Both gerunds and infinitives can both take the place of a noun in a sentence.

2. Either a gerund or infinitive can be used as a subject when acting as a noun.

3. Both gerunds and infinitives can become a direct object, but which one you need depends on the verb.

4. Generally, though not always, a gerund is used for more abstract situations and an infinitive is used for more active situations.

5. You should use gerunds after a preposition.

6. You should use the infinitive after an indirect object.

Let’s take a closer look at these guidelines.

1. As a subject – gerunds and infinitives

Gerunds and infinitives can both be used as a subject.

For example:

To dance is to move your body rhythmically.

Dancing scares me.

2. As an object – depending on the verb

Gerunds and infinitives can both be used as a direct object, but which you should use depends on the verb. This is the trickiest part of learning to use gerunds and infinitives. And unfortunately, it typically means a little memorization.

The good news is, while it’s not a perfect rule, you can generally remember that more abstract verbs tend to get gerunds, while more action oriented ones tend to get the infinitive.

For example:

Abstract, gerund:

I’m dreaming of moving abroad.

Action, infinitive:

I’m planning to be there tomorrow.

3. After a preposition – gerunds only

Remember your

English prepositions

For example:

I went to the diner

after

This blender is

for

I can’t go too long

without

This is a nice, hard and fast rule, with only one tiny thing to watch out for: don’t confuse the “to” that goes before an infinitive with the preposition! Ask yourself when you see a “to,” is this “to” used to indicate going somewhere, literally or figuratively? Or is it coupled with a verb phrase?

For example:

Preposition:

I’m going to swimming class.

He went back to daydreaming.

Infinitive:

She decided to stay.

There’s nothing left to do.

4. After an indirect object – infinitive only

If the verb is following an indirect object and referring back to the subject, it will always be an infinitive unless describing an ongoing action, something that was in progress at the time it was observed. In that case, the -ing verb form used is a present participle or part of a participial phrase, not a gerund.

For example:

Infinitive:

She will ask you to stay.

I want Dad to cook tonight.

The teacher encouraged him to write more.

I eat beef jerky to get stronger.

Participial:

I saw him running.

Lisa heard me working in the kitchen.

Gerunds and infinitives after verbs: examples 

The most challenging part of mastering when to use a gerund vs infinitive is memorizing which one goes after which verb when in the object position, and which can take either. Here’s a handy chart to help you get started.

Verb chart: Gerund vs infinitive

*Note that “remember” and “stop” can go with either a gerund or an infinitive, depending on the situation.

For remember, gerunds are more commonly used when talking about memories and remembrances of the past, while infinitives are used when talking about remembering to do something in the present (ex. Remember to call, remember to get milk, vs. Remember getting married, remember going to Thailand).

For stop, stop + gerund = cease an ongoing action, stop + infinitive means halt what you’re doing and perform the action. Stop thinking and stop to think are opposites!

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