Grammar practice · Skill 11 of 14

Gerunds and Infinitives Exercises

A gerund is a verb with -ing used like a noun (reading). An infinitive is to plus a verb (to read). The word in front usually decides which one you need. Seven rules and 40 questions below show which words take which form, and the traps to avoid.

40 questions 8 levels of 5 7 rules Level 1 free

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What we measured

of 68,598 sentence-building answers using gerunds and infinitives were wrong in the last six months.

When do you use a gerund or an infinitive?

Verbs that take -ing

After enjoy, avoid, suggest, consider, finish and keep, the next verb takes -ing. There is no neat logic here, so learn them in short phrases: enjoy reading, avoid rushing, keep trying. Suggest causes the most trouble. Never write "suggest to go" or "suggest me to go". Write "suggest going" or "suggest that we go". Recommend, practice and mind also take -ing.

Right:We enjoy cooking together on weekends.
Right:I suggest leaving early.
Right:I suggest that we leave early.

Not:I suggest to leave early.Instead:I suggest leaving early.
Not:He avoids to eat in the cafeteria.Instead:He avoids eating in the cafeteria.
Not:You should keep to try.Instead:You should keep trying.

Verbs that take to

After want, need, decide, hope, plan, agree and refuse, use to plus the plain verb, such as to go or to read. Most of these look ahead to something that has not happened yet, which helps you remember them. A few verbs, such as begin, start, like, love and prefer, accept both forms with almost no change in meaning, so do not worry about those.

Right:I want to join the chess club.
Right:They decided to rent an apartment.
Right:It started to rain.
Right:It started raining.

Not:I need finishing this form.Instead:I need to finish this form.
Not:We hope seeing you there.Instead:We hope to see you there.
Not:He refused answering the question.Instead:He refused to answer the question.

After a preposition, always use -ing

A preposition is a small word such as in, of, for, by, about, without, before, after or despite. A verb right after one of these always takes -ing: interested in learning, before leaving, by reading, despite having. There is no list of verbs to memorize, so this is the quickest win on the page. Check every verb that follows one of these words.

Right:She is good at explaining hard ideas.
Right:I read my notes before going to bed.
Right:He passed by studying every night.

Not:I am tired of wait.Instead:I am tired of waiting.
Not:After to finish lunch, we left.Instead:After finishing lunch, we left.
Not:Thanks for to come.Instead:Thanks for coming.

When to is a preposition, -ing follows

In some phrases to is a preposition, so -ing follows: look forward to meeting, be used to waking up, get used to living, be committed to improving. If a noun fits after to (look forward to the weekend), -ing is likely, but not always: we agree to the plan and agree to go. Used to with no be is different. "I used to wake up at six" is an old habit and takes the plain verb. So does a tool's job: "This app is used to check grammar."

Right:I look forward to meeting your team.
Right:I am used to waking up early.
Right:I used to wake up at ten in high school.

Not:I look forward to meet you.Instead:I look forward to meeting you.
Not:She is used to drive in snow.Instead:She is used to driving in snow.
Not:We used to living in Miami.Instead:We used to live in Miami.

Make and let drop the to

After make and let, put a person and then the plain verb, with no to: make us wait, let me explain. Allow means the same as let, but it needs to: allow us to leave. That is why students mix them up. One trap: when the people come first and make becomes were made, to comes back. Write "The coach made us run" but "We were made to run".

Right:The lab manager made us wear goggles.
Right:My parents let me choose my major.
Right:The college allows students to change majors.
Right:We were made to wear goggles.

Not:The tutor made me to repeat the sentence.Instead:The tutor made me repeat the sentence.
Not:Let me to help you.Instead:Let me help you.
Not:She allowed us leave early.Instead:She allowed us to leave early.

Stop, remember and forget change meaning

These verbs take both forms, but the meaning changes. Stop doing means the action ends: I stopped drinking soda. Stop to do means you pause in order to do something: I stopped to tie my shoe. Remember to do and forget to do are about a task you have to do. Remember doing and forget doing are about a memory of something that already happened.

Right:I stopped to buy a snack on my way home.
Right:Remember to lock your door tonight.
Right:I remember locking my door this morning.

Not:I stopped to drink soda last year, and I feel healthier.Instead:I stopped drinking soda last year, and I feel healthier.
Not:Please remember locking the lab when you leave.Instead:Please remember to lock the lab when you leave.

Adjective + to, and for + person + to

After most adjectives, use to: easy to use, important to know, hard to understand, ready to start. To say who or what does the action, put for plus that word before to: It is hard for students to practice speaking alone. Do not drop the to, and do not use -ing there. Two common exceptions take -ing: worth reading and busy studying.

Right:This app is easy to use.
Right:It is hard for new students to find the gym.
Right:This article is worth reading.

Not:It is easy for students practice here.Instead:It is easy for students to practice here.
Not:This topic is hard understanding.Instead:This topic is hard to understand.
Not:This article is worth to read.Instead:This article is worth reading.

Where this costs you marks on the TOEFL

The TOEFL has no grammar section, so this skill costs marks inside Writing and Speaking. You meet it first in the ten Build a Sentence items, where a verb in the wrong form, such as meeting for meet, makes the sentence wrong. In Write an Email, set phrases carry it: "I look forward to hear from you" is a slip in the line your reader sees last. In the Academic Discussion, "I suggest to reduce homework" is the typical error, because that verb appears whenever you propose a solution. In the Interview there is no time to think about rules, so the form has to be automatic: "I enjoy reading", never "I enjoy to read".

If your first language is...

First language	What to watch for
Spanish, Portuguese, French and Italian speakers	Your languages use the infinitive after a preposition, as in Spanish "antes de salir". That makes "before to leave" feel right. In English, a verb after a preposition takes -ing: before leaving. Check every verb that follows in, of, for, by, before and after.
German and Russian speakers	Both languages usually follow a verb such as stop with an infinitive, so "I stopped to read" can feel like the right translation of "I stopped reading". In English it means something else: you paused in order to read. After stop, use -ing when the action ends.
Chinese and Vietnamese speakers	Verbs in these languages do not change form, and one verb can follow another directly, so "I enjoy read" feels natural. English needs a linking form between two verbs. Look at the second verb in every pair and decide whether it takes -ing or to.
Hindi and Urdu speakers	One verb form, such as padhna, covers both "to read" and "reading", so your language never makes you choose. English does. Learn the choice as part of the word before it: enjoy reading, want to read, interested in reading.

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Gerunds and infinitives exercises: Level 1 with answers

Try these before you open an answer. Each one explains why, not only what.

I enjoy _____ in the library after dinner. (studying / to study / studied)
Show the answer
studying
Enjoy is one of the verbs that take -ing, never to. Learn it as a phrase: enjoy studying.
She finished _____ her essay just before midnight. (to write / writing / write)
Show the answer
writing
Finish takes -ing. You finish an activity that is already going on, so the next verb cannot take to.
Find the mistake: My friend suggested to go to the gym after class.
Show the answer
My friend suggested going to the gym after class.
Suggest never takes to. Use -ing, as in suggested going, or a full sentence after that, as in suggested that we go.
We should avoid _____ in the quiet study room. (verb: talk)
Show the answer
talking
Avoid takes -ing, just like enjoy and finish. Avoid to talk is a very common mistake.
Put in order, with one piece left over: I am considering [next / change / my / changing / year / major].
Show the answer
I am considering changing my major next year.
Consider takes -ing, even though the change is still only an idea. The plain verb change cannot follow it.

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FAQ

Common questions

What is the difference between a gerund and an infinitive?

A gerund is a verb with -ing that acts like a noun: reading, swimming, leaving. An infinitive is to plus the plain verb: to read, to swim, to leave. Both name an action, but the word in front decides which one can follow. A gerund can also be the subject of a sentence: Reading every day builds your vocabulary.

How do I know if a verb takes -ing or to?

Start with the word in front of it. After a preposition such as in, of or by, always use -ing. After an adjective, usually use to. After a verb, it depends on the verb, so learn the common ones as short phrases, such as enjoy reading and decide to go. As a rough guide, verbs that look ahead, such as plan and hope, tend to take to.

Can a verb take both a gerund and an infinitive?

Yes. Begin, start, like, love and prefer accept both with almost no change in meaning, so "it started raining" and "it started to rain" are both correct. Stop, remember and forget also accept both, but the meaning changes: "I stopped to call her" is not the same as "I stopped calling her". Check the meaning before you choose.

What is the difference between used to do and be used to doing?

Used to do describes an old habit that has ended: I used to wake up at ten. Be used to doing means something feels normal to you now: I am used to waking up early. In the second pattern, to is a preposition, so -ing follows. If a person comes first and am, is, are, was or were comes before used to, use -ing.

Is it suggest to do or suggest doing?

Suggest doing is correct: I suggest leaving early. You can also write suggest that plus a full sentence: I suggest that we leave early. Suggest to do and suggest me to do are always wrong, even though they are common in student writing. Recommend uses the same two correct patterns: recommend leaving early, or recommend that we leave early.

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