Two ways to use a verb as a noun — and when the choice changes the meaning entirely.
Gerund: "She enjoys swimming." · "Smoking is harmful." Infinitive: "She wants to swim." · "He decided to leave."
What Are Gerunds and Infinitives?
Both allow a verb to act like a noun in a sentence — as the subject, object or complement.
A gerund is a verb with -ing that functions as a noun: "Swimming is relaxing."
An infinitive is to + base verb that also functions as a noun: "To swim is relaxing."
The challenge is knowing which one follows which verbs — and the special cases where the choice changes the meaning entirely.
💡 Think of gerunds and infinitives as two different ways to package an action so it can sit in a noun's position. Most verbs in English have a preference for one or the other — or sometimes both.
Exercise 1
Click the Gerund or Infinitive
Read the task, then click all the words that make up the gerund or infinitive phrase.
Sentence 1 of 5
🎯 Click the gerund used as the subject of the sentence.
Click all the words in the gerund phrase.
Sentence 2 of 5
🎯 Click the infinitive that follows the verb offered.
Click all the words in the infinitive phrase.
Sentence 3 of 5
🎯 Click the gerund after a preposition.
Click all the words in the gerund phrase.
Sentence 4 of 5
🎯 Click the gerund that is the object of the verb admitted.
Click all the words in the gerund phrase.
Sentence 5 of 5
🎯 Click the infinitive that follows the verb managed.
Click all the words in the infinitive phrase.
Which Verbs Take Which Form?
Most verbs that take a gerund or infinitive do so consistently — these lists are worth learning by heart.
Verbs followed by Gerund only
verb + -ing
enjoy · avoid · finish · mind suggest · recommend · consider keep · admit · deny · risk practise · miss · imagine can't help · give up · put off
"She enjoys swimming." ✓
"He admitted taking the money." ✓
"They suggested meeting later." ✓
❌ "She enjoys to swim."
"She wants to leave." ✓
"He managed to finish on time." ✓
"They agreed to meet at noon." ✓
❌ "She wants leaving."
Verbs + either form (same meaning)
verb + -ing or to + base verb
begin · start · continue like · love · hate · prefer intend · attempt · bother
"She started crying." = "She started to cry."
"I like swimming." = "I like to swim."
"He continued working." = "…to work."
Gerund as subject of a sentence
When a gerund comes first in a sentence, it is the grammatical subject — treated as singular.
"Swimming every day is great for your health."
"Smoking is harmful."
"Learning a language takes time." Note: "To swim is great" is possible but formal; gerunds are more natural as subjects.
Exercise 2
Gerund or Infinitive?
Choose the correct form of the verb in brackets.
Question 1 of 6
She enjoys ___ early in the morning. (run)
Question 2 of 6
He decided ___ the job. (accept)
Question 3 of 6
I can't imagine ___ in a city this cold. (live)
Question 4 of 6
They agreed ___ at the café at noon. (meet)
Question 5 of 6
She is very good at ___ under pressure. (work)
Question 6 of 6
I'm looking forward to ___ you at the conference. (see)
Same Verb, Different Meaning
With these verbs, choosing gerund or infinitive changes the meaning significantly. This is the most important — and most tested — area of this topic.
stop
+ gerund
"She stopped smoking."
= She quit the habit permanently. Smoking was the activity she stopped doing.
+ infinitive
"She stopped to smoke."
= She paused what she was doing in order to have a cigarette. She is still a smoker.
remember
+ gerund
"I remember locking the door."
= I have a memory of doing it. The action happened first; the memory is now.
+ infinitive
"Remember to lock the door!"
= Don't forget to do it. The action hasn't happened yet — it needs to happen in the future.
forget
+ gerund
"I'll never forget meeting her."
= I cannot forget the memory of that past event. Meeting happened first.
+ infinitive
"I forgot to meet her."
= I failed to do something I was supposed to do. I didn't meet her — it was an obligation I missed.
try
+ gerund
"Try drinking more water."
= Experiment with it as a possible solution. It might help — give it a go.
+ infinitive
"I'm trying to finish this report."
= Making an effort to achieve something difficult. There is a sense of struggle or challenge.
regret
+ gerund
"I regret saying that."
= I feel sorry about something I said in the past. The action has already happened.
+ infinitive
"I regret to inform you…"
= A formal phrase used when delivering bad news. The regret is about the present action of telling.
go on
+ gerund
"She went on talking for an hour."
= She continued doing the same thing without stopping.
+ infinitive
"She went on to become CEO."
= She did something different next — a new stage or achievement followed.
🔑 The pattern for remember, forget, regret: gerund = past action (it already happened) · infinitive = future action (it still needs to happen or is being communicated now).
Exercise 3
What Does It Mean?
Each sentence uses one of the tricky verbs. Choose the correct interpretation.
Question 1 of 5
"He stopped to check his phone."
Question 2 of 5
"Remember to call your mother tonight."
Question 3 of 5
"I regret saying that to her."
Question 4 of 5
"Try taking a different route to work."
Question 5 of 5
"She went on to win three international awards."
After Prepositions — Always Gerund
When a verb follows a preposition, it must be a gerund. No exceptions.
Rule: preposition + gerund (-ing)
Any preposition (at, for, about, in, of, on, without…) must be followed by a gerund, not an infinitive.
"She is good at cooking." · "He's thinking about leaving."
"I'm interested in learning more." · "They left without saying goodbye."
"She's afraid of failing." · "Thank you for helping me."
⚠️ The "to" preposition trap
Sometimes to is a preposition, not the infinitive marker. In these cases, the verb that follows must be a gerund:
"I'm looking forward tosee you." → "…looking forward to seeing you." ✓
"She's used towork late." → "…used to working late." ✓
"He objects tobe treated like that." → "…objects to being treated…" ✓
Test: if you can replace "to" with "towards" or "about", it is a preposition → use gerund.
Exercise 4
After a Preposition, Use -ing
A verb after a preposition must be a gerund (-ing form). Choose the correct form.
Question 1 of 4
She is good at __________ new languages.
Question 2 of 4
Thank you for __________ me with my homework.
Question 3 of 4
I'm looking forward to __________ you next week.
Question 4 of 4
They left without __________ goodbye.
Exercise 5
Mixed Review
A mix of everything — gerund-only and infinitive-only verbs, verbs taking either, verbs that change meaning, and prepositions.
Gerund-Only vs Infinitive-Only Verbs
Question 1 of 16
She enjoys ___ in her free time. (paint)
Question 2 of 16
He decided ___ the company. (leave)
Question 3 of 16
They suggested ___ earlier next time. (meet)
Question 4 of 16
We agreed ___ the meeting. (postpone)
Verbs Taking Either Form & Gerund as Subject
Question 5 of 16
She started ___ when she heard the news. (cry)
Question 6 of 16
___ a new language takes time and patience. (learn — as the subject)
Question 7 of 16
He continued ___ even after everyone left. (work)
Question 8 of 16
___ regularly improves your mood. (exercise — as the subject)
Same Verb, Different Meaning
Question 9 of 16
He stopped ___ five years ago. (smoke — quit the habit)
Question 10 of 16
She stopped ___ some milk on her way home. (buy — paused in order to)
Question 11 of 16
I remember ___ the door — I clearly recall doing it. (lock — a past memory)
Question 12 of 16
Please remember ___ me when you arrive. (call — a future reminder)
Prepositions & Mixed Practice
Question 13 of 16
She's good at ___ puzzles. (solve — after a preposition)
Question 14 of 16
She's interested in ___ French. (learn — after a preposition)
Question 15 of 16
He apologised for ___ late. (be — after a preposition)
Question 16 of 16
They regret ___ you that the flight has been cancelled. (inform — formal bad news)