3. List of verbs followed by ‘gerund’ form
Verbs followed by a ‘ gerund’
“They enjoyed working on the boat”.
admit
advise
appreciate
avoid
can't help
complete
consider
delay
deny
detest
dislike
enjoy
escape
excuse
finish
forbid
get through
have
imagine
mind
miss
permit
postpone
practice
quit
recall
report
resent
resist
resume
risk
spend
(time)
suggest
tolerate
waste
(time)
4. SUBJECT of a sentence
To create a noun from a verb to express a general
idea.
Paying attention is essential in class.
5. (continue, enjoy, like, love, prefer, suggest,
recommend, practice, risk, suggest, etc.)
I prefer going to the beach.
OBJECT of a verb
6. AFTER PREPOSITIONS
I am looking forward to hearing from you.
She succeeded in coming first in the race.
7. COMPLEMENT of ‘TO BE’
His biggest dream is buying a house.
What Mary likes is reading poetry.
8. By + Ving
to explain how to manage to do
something
She passed the exam by studying hard.
9. GO + Ving
for sports and leisure activities
We go dancing every weekend.
Did you go shopping yesterday?
10. After certain EXPRESSIONS
• It is no use
It is no good taking antibiotics.
There is no point in
• Spend / waste (time, energy, money)
My son spends most of his time playing games.
• It’s worth watching that film.
• She’s busy doing her assignment.
• We had a good time / fun chatting all night.
12. List of verbs followed by ‘infinitive’
Verbs followed by an ‘nfinitive’
“She agreed to speak before the game.”
agree
aim
appear
arrange
ask
attempt
be able
beg
begin
care
choose
condescend
consent
continue
dare
decide
deserve
detest
dislike
expect
fail
*forget
get
happen
have
hesitate
hope
hurry
intend
leap
leave
like
long
love
*mean
neglect
offer
ought
plan
prefer
prepare
proceed
promise
propose
refuse
*remember
say
shoot
start
*stop
strive
swear
threaten
*try
use
wait
want
wish
13. SUBJECT of a sentence
Using ‘infinitive’ as the subject of a sentence is
less common. An ‘infinitive’ is often used with ‘it’
when it refers to the subject of a sentence.
To save money is not easy. (less common)
It is not easy to save money.
14. (afford, fail, hope, intend, learn, manage, need,
agree, appear, decide, deserve, expect, offer,
plan, pretend, promise, refuse, seem, want, etc.
OBJECT of a verb
She failed to stay awake.
We can’t afford to buy a new car.
15. After some ADJECTIVES
• I am happy to announce
my daughter’s wedding.
• The wall was high to jump
for young children.
16. After OBJECT PRONOUNS
• I would like you to help
me with the housework.
• She recommended us to watch that film.
18. COMPLEMENT of ‘TO BE’
His goal is to finish university in time.
What I need is to get some fresh air.
19. Infinitive of PURPOSE
I will go to New York to attend a conference.
Susan visited the doctor to have a check-up.
20. After certain NOUNS / INDEFINITE
PRONOUNS / SUPERLATIVES /
THE FIRST / THE SECOND / THE LAST
• The best place to fish is just under the
Bosphorus Bridge. (after noun)
• His determination to pass the test fascinated
me. (after noun)
• I have something to tell you. (indefinite pronoun)
• She hasn’t got anything to wear to the
interview. (indefinite pronoun)
• Tim was the first to finish the exam.
21. With TOO and ENOUGH
• She is too young to understand.
• Dave isn’t patient enough to listen to me.
22. BARE INFINITIVES
• After modals
• After ‘let’, ‘make’, ‘help’
We should take our responsibilities.
I must talk to the manager about this matter.
I’d rather have Turkish food for dinner.
She didn’t let him meet his friends.
He always makes her tidy up her room.
Mary helped me (to) carry the boxes.
23. Both INFINITIVE and GERUND
The verbs like, dislike, love, hate, prefer, start,
continue, begin, can’t stand, can’t bear are
followed either by a full infinitive or by a gerund
with almost no difference in meaning.
It began to rain. / It began raining.
She prefers to stay alone. / She prefers
staying alone.
24. Verbs of PERCEPTION
We use the verbs see, watch, hear, feel + object
+ Ving form for actions which are incomplete or still
in progress.
As I walked past his cabin, I heard him talking
with his secretary. (I didn’t hear the whole talk.)
We use the verbs see, watch, hear, feel +
object + bare infinitive for complete actions.
I once heard him give a talk on international
politics. (I heard the whole talk.)
25. Infinitive or Gerund form with different meanings.
VERB GERUND INFINITIVES
forget
remember
For an event or situation in the past
I’ll never forget riding my first bike.
Do you remember learning to ride?
For something you should do/should have
done
Don’t forget to phone him.
Remember to do your homework.
go on Continue an activity
They stopped but we went on walking.
Change from one action to another.
After a slow start, she went on to win the race.
regret
Feel sorry about something you
did/didn’t do
I regret not studying harder at school.
Say sorry, particularly in formal letters
We regret to inform you that you have not
been called for the interview.
stop
Finish an action
Have you stopped doing your
homework?
Finish an action in order to do something else
No, I stopped to have a glass of water.
try Do something as an experiment
Try turning it off and on again.
Attempt to do something difficult
I’m not an electrician, but I’ll try to mend it.
mean To express that something involves
another thing
Working in Istanbul means waking up
too early for work.
To express intention
I didn’t mean to make you cry. I’m sorry.
26. BE USED TO – GET USED TO
be used to + gerund
/ noun
to say that we are
already accustomed to
something
• I don’t mind the crowd at all.
I’m used to living here.
• Jack comes from Ireland so he
is used to the rain.
get used to +
gerund / noun
to say that we are
becoming
accustomed to
something
• Mike is slowly getting used to
working at night.
• Have you got used to driving
on the mountain roads yet?
• I can’t get used to the food
here.
27. BE USED TO – GET USED TO
1. We can use get used to in all tenses. Be used to is
not used with perfect tenses or the continuous form.
• I hope I will get used to my new phone. Beverly
wasn’t used to wearing high-heeled shoes.
• He is still getting used to working on a farm. The
children aren’t used to their new school.
2. The negative of get used to is often formed with can’t
/ couldn’t.
Cats sometimes can’t get used to a new home.
Jeremy couldn’t get used to being famous.
28. PASSIVE FORMS
ACTIVE PASSIVE
Infinitive to play to be played
I expect to be invited to the party.
Perfect Infinitive to have played to have been played
I want this place to have been cleaned by
the time I get back.
Gerund playing being played
Being searched by officers is unpleasant.
Perfect Gerund having played having been played
He complained of having been accused.
29. 1. We can sometimes use get instead of be with
passive forms.
I don’t expect to get invited to the
wedding.
Let’s not risk getting arrested for spying.
2.The perfect gerund and the perfect infinitive
refers to a time before that of the verb in the main
clause.
He denied having eaten the cake.
(He denied he had already eaten the cake.)
PASSIVE FORMS
