Parts of Speech & Usage

Gerund vs. Infinitive (e.g. enjoy doing vs. want to do)

2 min read

In English, some verbs are followed by the gerund (verb + -ing), and others by the infinitive (to + base verb). The choice depends on the main verb and how the sentence is structured. It’s not always logical — so you have to learn the patterns.

1. Verbs followed by a gerund (verb + -ing)

Use the gerund after verbs that describe likes, dislikes, and general activities.

She enjoys reading historical novels.
They avoid driving during rush hour.
I don’t mind helping with the dishes.

Common verbs followed by the gerund:

enjoy, avoid, admit, consider, suggest, finish, mind, keep, recommend, imagine

2. Verbs followed by the infinitive (to + verb)

Use the infinitive after verbs that talk about plans, hopes, decisions, and offers.

He wants to travel abroad this year.
They decided to cancel the meeting.
We hope to see you soon.

Common verbs followed by the infinitive:

want, hope, decide, plan, agree, offer, need, learn, promise, refuse

3. Some verbs can take both (but with a change in meaning)

I remember going to that beach as a child. (a memory)
I remember to lock the door. (a reminder to do something)

Other verbs like this include: stop, forget, try, regret

💡 Tip

Verbs of enjoyment or habits → usually followed by the gerund.
Verbs of decisions, intentions, or plans → usually followed by the infinitive.
Learn common verb patterns in context — not all are logical!

Test your knowledge 📝

Question 1 sur 8Score: 0/8

She enjoys ___ to the cinema on weekends.

Discover the app: Shaky English

Join 100,000 people who are improving their English skills on the Shaky English app

Other similar rules

A bit of theory

Lose vs. Loose

Lose and loose are two common words that look similar but have completely different meanings. Mixing them up is a very frequent mistake — even for advanced learners — so it’s important to know the dif...

Conjugation

What Is an Adverb?

An adverb is a word that modifies or gives more information about a verb, adjective, another adverb, or even a whole sentence. It helps answer questions like how?, when?, where?, and how often? Adver...

Agreement rules

So vs. Such

So and such are used to add emphasis. They both mean “very,” but they are used with different grammatical structures. 1. So → before adjectives and adverbs Use so before an adjective or an adverb....

Agreement rules

Omission of Auxiliary Verbs in Questions/Negatives (e.g. He not go)

In English, we almost always need an auxiliary verb (like do, does, did, is, are, have) when forming questions and negatives in the present simple or past simple tenses — unless “be,” “have,” or a mod...

Common confusions

Defuse vs. Diffuse

Defuse and diffuse sound very similar, but their meanings are completely different. One is about reducing danger or tension, and the other is about spreading something out. Defuse Defuse means to mak...

Common mistakes

Since vs. For

We use since and for to talk about how long something has been happening — but they are used in different ways depending on the type of time reference. When to use “since” Since is used with a speci...

Conjugation

What is a Preposition?

A preposition is a small word that shows a relationship between other words in a sentence. It often describes direction, location, time, or introduces an object. Common Functions of Prepositions...

Common confusions

Like vs. Such as

“Like” and “such as” are both used to give more information — but they don’t mean the same thing! Learning the difference helps you sound more clear and natural. 🙂 When to use “like” Like is used to...

Parts of Speech & Usage

Gerund vs. Infinitive (e.g. enjoy doing vs. want to do)

2 min read

1. Verbs followed by a gerund (verb + -ing)

Use the gerund after verbs that describe likes, dislikes, and general activities.

She enjoys reading historical novels.
They avoid driving during rush hour.
I don’t mind helping with the dishes.

Common verbs followed by the gerund:

enjoy, avoid, admit, consider, suggest, finish, mind, keep, recommend, imagine

2. Verbs followed by the infinitive (to + verb)

Use the infinitive after verbs that talk about plans, hopes, decisions, and offers.

He wants to travel abroad this year.
They decided to cancel the meeting.
We hope to see you soon.

Common verbs followed by the infinitive:

want, hope, decide, plan, agree, offer, need, learn, promise, refuse

3. Some verbs can take both (but with a change in meaning)

I remember going to that beach as a child. (a memory)
I remember to lock the door. (a reminder to do something)

Other verbs like this include: stop, forget, try, regret

💡 Tip

Verbs of enjoyment or habits → usually followed by the gerund.
Verbs of decisions, intentions, or plans → usually followed by the infinitive.
Learn common verb patterns in context — not all are logical!

Test your knowledge 📝

Question 1 sur 8Score: 0/8

She enjoys ___ to the cinema on weekends.

Discover the app: Shaky English

Join 100,000 people who are improving their English skills on the Shaky English app

Other similar rules

A bit of theory

Lose vs. Loose

Conjugation

What Is an Adverb?

Agreement rules

So vs. Such

Agreement rules

Omission of Auxiliary Verbs in Questions/Negatives (e.g. He not go)

Common confusions

Defuse vs. Diffuse

Common mistakes

Since vs. For

Conjugation

What is a Preposition?

A preposition is a small word that shows a relationship between other words in a sentence. It often describes direction, location, time, or introduces an object. Common Functions of Prepositions...

Common confusions