Gerunds and Infinitives

Here is a brief review of the differences between gerunds and infinitives.

• Gerunds are formed with ING: walking, talking, thinking, listening

• Infinitives are formed with TO: to walk, to talk, to think, to listen

Gerunds and infinitives can do several jobs:

Both gerunds and infinitives can be the subject of a sentence:

Writing in English is difficult.

To write in English is difficult.

Both gerunds and infinitives can be the object of a verb

I like writing in English.

I like to write in English.

But only gerunds can be the object of a preposition:

We are talking about writing in English.

It is often difficult to know when to use a gerund and when to use an infinitive. These guidelines may help you:

Gerunds are often used when actions are real, concrete or completed::

I stopped smoking.

(The smoking was real and happened until I stopped.)

Infinitives are often used when actions are unreal, abstract, or future:

I stopped to smoke.

(I was doing something else, and I stopped; the smoking had not happened yet.)