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One of the trickiest areas in English grammar is deciding whether to use a gerund (-ing form) or an infinitive (to + base form) after certain verbs. My students often ask, “Is it ‘I want to go’ or ‘I want going’?” The answer isn’t always obvious, and some verbs accept both forms with slightly different meanings. This is a skill that requires learning — there’s no universal rule that covers every case.
I’ll give you two clear reference lists: verbs followed by gerunds and verbs followed by infinitives. I’ll also show you the small group of verbs that accept both, explain the difference between prepositions and infinitives (a common source of confusion), and provide dialogue and quizzes to help you lock in the patterns.
Key Takeaways
- Gerunds are -ing forms — they function as nouns: “I enjoy swimming” (swimming is the object).
- Infinitives use “to” — they also function as nouns: “I want to swim” (to swim is the object).
- Some verbs always take gerunds — admit, avoid, consider, discuss, enjoy, involve, postpone, risk, suggest, tolerate.
- Some verbs always take infinitives — agree, appear, afford, decide, expect, hope, learn, manage, offer, plan, promise, refuse, want, wish.
- A few verbs take both — begin, continue, like, love, prefer. Context determines the shade of meaning.
Understanding Gerunds and Infinitives
Gerunds and infinitives are verb complements — they complete the meaning of another verb. Both can function as subjects or objects in a sentence, but they have different forms and different rules about which verbs they follow.
What Is a Gerund?
A gerund is the -ing form of a verb used as a noun.
Examples:
- Swimming is my favorite sport. (gerund as subject)
- I enjoy reading. (gerund as object)
- Thank you for helping me. (gerund after a preposition)
What Is an Infinitive?
An infinitive is the “to” form of a verb, also used as a noun.
Examples:
- To succeed requires hard work. (infinitive as subject)
- I want to go home. (infinitive as object)
- He is ready to leave. (infinitive after an adjective)
Key difference: Do not confuse the preposition “to” (in “to the store,” “to me”) with the infinitive marker “to” (in “to go,” “to eat”). Prepositions are followed by gerunds; infinitive markers are followed by the base form.
Verbs Followed by Gerunds (Not Infinitives)
These verbs are always followed by a gerund (-ing form). If you see these verbs, use the -ing form automatically.
Common Gerund-Taking Verbs
| Verb | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Acknowledge | To admit or recognize | She acknowledged receiving assistance. |
| Admit | To confess | They admitted falsifying the data. |
| Advise | To recommend | The author advises undertaking further study. |
| Anticipate | To expect | He anticipates having trouble with his supervisor. |
| Appreciate | To value | I appreciated having a chance to read your draft. |
| Avoid | To stay away from | He avoided answering my question. |
| Complete | To finish | I finally completed writing my thesis. |
| Consider | To think about | They will consider granting you money. |
| Defer | To postpone or delay | She deferred writing her report. |
| Delay | To postpone | We delayed reporting the results until we were sure. |
| Deny | To refuse to admit | They denied copying the information. |
| Discuss | To talk about | They discussed running the experiments again. |
| Enjoy | To take pleasure in | I enjoy swimming. |
| Involve | To include or require | This procedure involves testing each sample twice. |
| Justify | To show reasons for | My results justify taking drastic action. |
| Mention | To refer to briefly | The author mentions seeing this event. |
| Postpone | To delay | The committee has postponed writing the report. |
| Recall | To remember | I cannot recall getting those results before. |
| Recommend | To suggest | She recommends reading Marx. |
| Resist | To oppose | The writer resists giving any easy answers. |
| Risk | To put in danger | She risks losing her viewing time. |
| Suggest | To propose | I suggest repeating the experiment. |
| Tolerate | To accept | She can’t tolerate waiting for results. |
Gerunds After Prepositions
All prepositions are followed by gerunds, never infinitives. This is one of the clearest rules in English grammar.
Common prepositions: in, on, at, by, for, about, before, after, without, despite, instead of, due to.
Examples:
Can you touch your toes without bending your knees?
He was fined for driving over the speed limit.
She got the money by selling the car.
A corkscrew is a tool for removing corks from bottles.
Caution: Do not confuse the preposition “to” with the infinitive marker “to.” If “to” is a preposition (as in “I’m going to the store”), it must be followed by a gerund. If “to” is an infinitive marker (as in “I want to go”), it’s followed by the base form. Context will tell you which it is.
Verbs Followed by Infinitives (Not Gerunds)
These verbs are always followed by an infinitive (to + base form). If you see these verbs, use the infinitive automatically.
Common Infinitive-Taking Verbs
| Verb | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Afford | To have the means for | We cannot afford to hesitate. |
| Agree | To consent | The professors agreed to disagree. |
| Appear | To seem | The results appear to support your theory. |
| Arrange | To plan or organize | They had arranged to meet at noon. |
| Claim | To assert | She claims to have new data. |
| Decide | To make a choice | When did he decide to withdraw? |
| Demand | To insist on | I demand to see the results. |
| Deserve | To earn or merit | She deserves to have a fair hearing. |
| Expect | To anticipate | The committee expects to decide by tomorrow. |
| Fail | To not succeed | The trial failed to confirm his hypothesis. |
| Hope | To wish or desire | What do you hope to accomplish? |
| Learn | To acquire knowledge | We have learned to proceed with caution. |
| Manage | To succeed in doing | How did she manage to find the solution? |
| Need | To require | Do we need to find new subjects? |
| Offer | To propose or provide | We could offer to change the meeting time. |
| Plan | To intend | They had planned to attend the conference. |
| Promise | To commit to | They promise to demonstrate the new equipment. |
| Refuse | To decline | She refused to cooperate any longer. |
| Seem | To appear | Something seems to be wrong. |
| Struggle | To work hard against | We struggled to understand her point of view. |
| Threaten | To warn of danger | The team threatened to stop their research. |
| Volunteer | To offer willingly | Will you volunteer to lead the group? |
| Want | To desire | She did not want to go first. |
| Wish | To desire or hope | Do you wish to participate? |
Infinitives After Objects
When certain verbs are followed by an object (a noun or pronoun), the infinitive comes after the object.
Common object-infinitive verbs: ask, beg, cause, challenge, convince, encourage, expect, forbid, force, hire, instruct, invite, need, order, persuade, remind, require, teach, tell, urge, want, warn.
Examples:
I must ask you to reconsider your statement.
They begged her to stay for another term.
Can we convince them to fund our study?
She encouraged him to look beyond the obvious.
Verbs That Take Both Gerunds and Infinitives
A small group of verbs can be followed by both gerunds and infinitives, but the choice often affects the meaning.
Verbs That Accept Both Forms
| Verb | With Gerund | With Infinitive | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Begin | It began raining. | It began to rain. | Gerund: action already happening; Infinitive: action about to start |
| Continue | She continued reading. | She continued to read. | Minimal difference; both are correct |
| Like | I like swimming. | I like to swim. | Gerund: general preference; Infinitive: preference in a specific context |
| Love | He loves dancing. | He loves to dance. | Gerund: general passion; Infinitive: intention or willingness |
| Prefer | She prefers walking. | She prefers to walk. | Gerund: general habit; Infinitive: preference in a specific situation |
| Start | It started snowing. | It started to snow. | Gerund: action already happening; Infinitive: action about to start |
Example 1: I like swimming (general activity I enjoy) vs. I like to swim in the mornings (preference for when I swim).
Example 2: She loves dancing (her passion) vs. She loves to dance at parties (willingness to dance in certain situations).
Common Mistakes and How to Fix Them
✗ Incorrect: I avoided to answer his question.
✓ Correct: I avoided answering his question.
Why: “Avoid” always takes a gerund. Never use an infinitive after avoid, deny, admit, or postpone.
✗ Incorrect: He wants going home now.
✓ Correct: He wants to go home now.
Why: “Want” always takes an infinitive. Never use a gerund after want, need, agree, or decide.
✗ Incorrect: I am interested in to learn French.
✓ Correct: I am interested in learning French.
Why: “In” is a preposition. All prepositions are followed by gerunds, not infinitives.
Sample Dialogue
Student: I’m confused about gerunds and infinitives. How do I know which one to use?
Teacher: Good question. Is the verb you’re looking at in one of your lists? Let’s try: you enjoy ____.
Student: “You enjoy” — is that “to read” or “reading”?
Teacher: “Enjoy” takes a gerund. “You enjoy reading.” Now try: “I want ____.”
Student: “Want” takes an infinitive, so “I want to go.”
Teacher: Exactly. For prepositions, it’s always gerunds. “I’m interested in reading.” “She’s good at dancing.” Make a list and carry it with you.
Quick Quiz
- Fill in: “I enjoy ____ swimming / to swim?” Which is correct?
- Fill in: “He wants ____ going / to go?” Which is correct?
- Is this correct? “I’m tired of to study.” (yes / no)
- Fill in: “She decided ____ the project.” (finish / to finish / finishing)
- After a preposition, do you use a gerund or infinitive?
Answers: 1. swimming · 2. to go · 3. No (should be “of studying”) · 4. to finish · 5. gerund
Related Articles
- ↑ Master Pillar: English Grammar
- Regular and Irregular Verbs — master the principal parts of English verbs
- Modal Verbs in English Grammar — how to use can, should, must, and others
- English Verb Tenses — the complete guide to tense formation and usage
- Phrasal Verbs — how verbs combine with particles like up, down, out
- ↑ Back to pillar: English Verbs (Pillar)
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between a gerund and an infinitive?
A gerund is the -ing form of a verb used as a noun (I enjoy reading). An infinitive is the “to” form of a verb used as a noun (I want to read). Both can function as subjects or objects, but different verbs take one or the other.
How do I know which verbs take gerunds and which take infinitives?
The best approach is to learn reference lists of common gerund-taking verbs (avoid, admit, enjoy, consider) and infinitive-taking verbs (want, need, decide, agree). With practice, these patterns become automatic. For verbs not on your list, check a learner’s dictionary.
Can a verb take both a gerund and an infinitive?
Yes, a few verbs like begin, continue, like, love, and prefer can take both. Sometimes the choice doesn’t matter (She continued reading / She continued to read). Other times the meaning shifts slightly (I like swimming vs. I like to swim at dawn).
What is the difference between the preposition “to” and the infinitive marker “to”?
The preposition “to” (as in “I’m going to the store” or “I’m interested in learning”) is followed by a gerund. The infinitive marker “to” (as in “I want to go”) is followed by the base form of the verb. Context tells you which is which.
Why can’t I use an infinitive after a preposition?
In English grammar, prepositions are always followed by nouns or noun phrases (including gerunds, which are nouns). Infinitives with “to” don’t work as objects of prepositions. This is a fundamental rule: preposition + gerund (not infinitive).
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