Gerunds are nouns formed by adding –ing to a verb, such as running. Infinitives are nouns formed from the “to” form of a verb, such as to run. These two noun forms are called verbals, because they are formed from verbs. Experience with English will teach you which form to use in which situation. In the meantime, the following lists provide a brief overview.
Verbs That Should Be Followed Only by Gerunds and Not by Infinitives
These Verbs Could Fill This Blank: _______ (His) Walking
- admit
- avoid
- complete
- consider
- delay
- deny
- dislike
- finish
- imagine
- miss
- postpone
- quit
- recommend
- resist
- stop
- suggest
- understand
Verbs That Should Be Followed Only by Infinitives and Not by Gerunds
These Verbs Could Fill This Blank: ________ to Walk
- agree
- appear
- ask
- beg
- claim
- decide
- demand
- desire
- fail
- happen
- hesitate
- intend
- manage
- offer
- plan
- pretend
- struggle
Verbs That Can Be Followed by Either Gerunds or Infinitives
These Verbs Could Fill Either of These Blanks: ________ (His) Walking or ________ to Walk
- begin
- can(’t) afford
- can(’t) bear
- cease
- commence
- continue
- dread
- hate
- intend
- like
- loathe
- love
- neglect
- prefer
- start
- try
- undertake
See Chapter 20 “Grammar”, Section 20.1.7 “Deciding If Relative Pronouns Take a Singular or Plural Verb” for more information regarding gerunds and infinitives.
Adapted from Appendix A, “Writing for Nonnative English Speakers” in Writer’s Handbook v 1.0 used according to Creative Commons CC BY-NC-SA 3.0