2. Use a gerund ...
as the subject a sentence:
Drinking 2 litres of water a day may help you lose some weight.
(In more formal context, an infinitive is preferred)
after prepositions:
After having the accident, I decided to visit a psychologist to help.
Sometimes TO (as a preposition) is followed by a gerund:
Peter is looking forward to going under the knife to have his appearance
improved.
(confess to, object to, adapt to, adjust to, admit to, own up, resort)
after certain verbs:
3. admit delay imagine practice
advise deny involve reject
allow dislike keep resist
appreciate enjoy mention risk
avoid escape mind stop
can’t help fancy miss suggest
can’t stand finish permit understand
consider go (swimming) postpone waste (time)
4. Verbs followed by a preposition
and a gerund
admit to approve of apologize for argue about
be accused of be excited about be used to believe in
blame for care about complain about concentrate on
confess to count on depend on disapprove of
discourage
from
dream about feel like forget about
famous for insist on instead of interested in
keep from look forward to object to plan on
prevent from profit from refrain from succeed in
take care
about
talk about think about worry about
6. Use an infinitive ...
After adjectives and adverbs:
Alternative medicine may be useful to avoid the overuse of
drugs.
Mary is too young to take sleeping pills every night.
After enough:
My first visit to the chiropractor wasn’t enough to relieve the
pain in my back.
Infinitive of purpose:
Some people think that herbal medicine is only taken to
prevent colds in winter.
*After some verbs, FOR + Object is needed before the
infinitive:
I asked for an ambulance to come home.
7. After certain verbs
agree consent have offer start
aim continue hesitate ought stop
appear dare hope plan strive
arrange decide hurry prefer swear
ask deserve intend prepare threaten
attempt detest leap proceed try
be able dislike leave promise use
beg expect like propose wait
begin fail long refuse want
care forget love remember wish
choose get mean say
condescend happen neglect shoot
8. After nouns formed
from verbs which take
the infinitive
Agreement, plan, hope ,..
After something,
anywhere, nothing,...
There’s nothing to do to prevent
depression.
After question words
(except WHY)
I don’t know what to do to help you
get better.
After superlatives and
first, second, last, ...
She is the first person I know to be
diagnosed with anorexia.
9. Present or perfect? Active or passive?
To eat
Eating
To have eaten
Having eaten
To be eaten
Being eaten
Passive gerunds and infinitives to describe actions which
are done to the subject.
Perfect gerunds and infinitives to emphasize that the action
is completed or in the past.
10. Gerund or infinitive with no
difference in meaning
Begin, hate, like, start, love, prefer,
continue, can’t stand /bear, attempt, cease,
deserve, fear, intend
12. Other considerations
Make, let , help + Object + bare infinitive
However:
I was made to rest for a month
I help Peter (to) find a good specialist.
Dare + to or bare infinitive BUT Dare + Object + to
infinitive
Hear, feel, notice, observe, see, overhear, watch,.. +
gerund (part of the action) or bare infinitive
(completed action, from start to finish). Compare:
I saw her crossing the road
I saw her cross the road
