Infinitives and gerunds

1. English learners often wonder which verbs are followed by gerunds and which by infinitives. See below a list of verbs that are followed by gerunds (in alphabetical order)

abhor

acknowledge

admit

advise

allow

anticipate

appreciate

avoid

be worth

celebrate

confess

consider

defend

delay

detest

discontinue

discuss

dislike

dispute

dread

endure

enjoy

escape

evade

explain

fancy

fear

feign

finish

forgive

keep

mention

mind

miss

necessitate

omit

permit

picture

postpone

practice

recall

recollect

recommend

report

resent

resist

resume

risk

shirk

shun

suggest

support

understand

urge

warrant

For example, I enjoy playing football (the verb enjoy is followed by a gerund= playing)

2. Other verbs are followed by infinitives:

agree

appear

arrange

ask

attempt

beg

can/can’t afford

can/can’t wait

care

chance

choose

claim

come

consent

dare

decide

demand

deserve

determine

elect

endeavor

expect

fail

get

guarantee

hesitate

hope

hurry

incline

learn

manage

mean

need

neglect

offer

pay

plan

prepare

pretend

profess

promise

refuse

remain

request

resolve

say

seek

seem

shudder

strive

struggle

swear

tend

threaten

volunteer

wait

want

wish

would like

yearn

For example, I would like to have a glass of water please.

3. However, we use the bare infinitive (the infinitive without 'to') in the following situations:

• After modal verbs - I can meet you after work.

• After 'let', 'make'- My mother let me go to the party last Saturday.

• After some verbs of perception (see, watch, hear, notice, feel, sense) - I watched him win the game.

• After expressions with 'why' - why bother? or why not ask for help?

Tip: Don't memorise long lists of words. Just practise a few words at a time during real conversations.