GERUND OR INFINITIVE

Infinitives and gerunds are noun forms. If used after the main verb, they are the object of the verb.

If a preposition is used before the verb, do not use an infinitive.

If a common expression ends with a preposition, then it may be followed by a gerund.

When to use a gerund or infinitive

1. 1.   A gerund is used as the subject of a sentence.

Smoking is not allowed in the classroom.

1. 2.   After a preposition

 Sarah is very good at drawing.   

1. 3.   As a noun at the beginning of a sentence

  Brushing your teeth is good for your health.    

1. 4.   After certain verbs. Some of these verbs are:

An infinitive is the basic form of the verb + "to", to play, to run, to say, to listen, to buy, etc.

*The word "infinitive" comes from the Latin word infinitus, from in- (not) and finitus (finished, limited).

I want to play.
Our boss asked us to leave.

Infinitives are used:

1. 1.   After most adjectives

  It’s nice to hear that.

 It’s good to know that you passed the exam.

        She is too young to be married.   

1. 2.   After would + like/prefer/hate/love

I would like to travel around the world.

I’d prefer not to give you my phone number.

We would love to hear you play the piano.

1. 3.   After most verbs + person

I want you to study more.

I invited them to have dinner with me.

1. 4.   After wh words (what, where, when, how, why).

She asked me how to use the washing machine.

Do you understand what to do?

Tell me when to press the button.

I’ve forgotten where to put this tiny box.

1. 5.   After certain verbs.

Some of these verbs take the pattern:

• Verb + to + infinitive

We planned to take a vacation.

She decided to stay at home.

Other verbs take the pattern:

• Verb + noun + to + infinitive

She wanted the children to learn the lesson.

I told him to call the police.

She asked him to send her a text message.

• Some other verbs that can be followed by infinitive are:

NOTE: The verb help can be used with or without to with no difference in meaning:

I helped to carry it.    

              or

I helped carry it.

• 1. Forget
• Forget + gerund = you forget about a memory, something that you've done

            in the past.

I will never forget meeting my best friend for the first time.

I told my brother that we'd had lunch with him last year, but he'd forgotten seeing him.

• Forget + to + infinitive = you want to do something, but you forget about it.

Do not forget to buy the cake. (= the not forgetting comes first, then the buying the cake)

I forgot to call my mother. (=I was thinking about something else, and the idea to call my mother didn't come into my head.).

• 2.   Regret
•  Regret + gerund = be sorry about something you did in the past and wish   you hadn't done it.

I regret going to bed so late. I'm really tired today.

She regrets leaving school when she got married. She wishes that she had gone to university.

• Regret + to + infinitive = giving someone bad news, in quite a formal way. The verb used is almost always 'say', 'tell' or 'inform'.

I regret to tell you that the bus has been delayed.

The company regrets to inform employees the office will close next year.

• 3.   Remember
• Remember + gerund = have a memory of something that has happened in the past.

I remember going to the amusement park when I was a child. (= I have a memory of going to the amusement park).

He remembers closing the door. (= He has a memory of closing the door).

• Remember + to + infinitive = think of something that needs to be done.   

I remembered to call to make the reservation. (= I didn’t forget, so I made the reservation).

She remembered to pick up the groceries. (She didn’t forget).

• 4.  Try
• Try + gerund = to do something as an experiment.

I wanted to stop drinking so much coffee, so I tried drinking tea. (= I wanted to know if it would help me stop drinking coffee.).

It was too hot inside that I tried opening the window.

• Try + to + infinitive = you might not succeed in doing something (in the present tense or future tense) In the past tense, it means to make an effort to do the thing, but no to succeed.

I'll try to carry the dog, but it looks too heavy for me.

She tried to catch the bus, but it was too late.

• 5.  Stop
• Stop + gerund = stop forever or stop at that moment.

She stopped working when she was expecting a baby.

My father stopped driving when he was 85.

• Stop + to + infinitive = stop something else in order to do the verb in the infinitive.

I stopped to eat lunch. (I stopped something else because I wanted to eat lunch.

She was shopping and she stopped to get lunch.

NOW TRY THE FOLLOWING QUIZ. Choose a, b or c  to answer the following questions correctly. 

A Practical Guide to Securing Your Windows PC

There’s no one-size-fits-all solution to computer security, and locking down and securing your computer might feel like an impossible task, but that doesn’t have to be the case. There is such a thing as “good enough” security for most people. Securing your Windows PC doesn’t have to cost money, consume a lot of time, or require technical know-how—it just takes enough patience to navigate a series of Windows settings.

The most important tip we have isn’t about settings but about behavior. Being able to recognize phishing attempts or malware and being skeptical of what you download will do more to safeguard your information than any other recommendation we offer here.

If you receive a message that looks suspicious or malicious—whether it’s a text message, an email, a social media message, or anything else—don’t click any links, especially if you don’t know the sender. These are often phishing attempts, messages meant to trick you into revealing personal information such as your credit card numbers or passwords.

If you get a suspicious-looking email requesting information or login credentials, whether it seems to be from your bank or some other company, remember to verify it by logging in to the account in question directly instead of clicking a link in the email. If the message seems to come from a friend, say, through an email or Facebook Messenger, follow up with your friend to make sure it’s legit (or to let them know that their account may be compromised).

With multi-factor authentication enabled on your accounts, two different “keys” are required to get into your account: your account’s password, and a second code generated from an app, a text message, or a physical device (such as your phone or a special USB key). Without that second factor, the password is essentially useless. Try using a password manager, which not only stores complex and unique passwords but can also occasionally catch phishing scams, as well.

Another common home for malware is the world of illegitimate software downloads, which can take the form of pirated software, or a lookalike download site that attempts to trick you into thinking it’s legitimate. Do not forget to keep an eye out for lots of spelling errors, annoying pop-ups, automatic downloads, or any software (or movie, music, or game) sale that appears too good to be true.

Answer the following questions or complete the statements according to the information in the text.

Jones, L. (1992) Communicative Grammar Practice. Cambridge University Press.

Murphy, R.& Altman, R. (1989). English Grammar in Use. Cambridge University Press.

Pavlik, C. (2012). Grammar Sense 1. Oxford University Press.

Image 1. Adapted by Emma Navarrete from: Free stock photos_ https://www.istockphoto.com/es/search/2/image?mediatype=&phrase=thinking&sort=newest&page=2

Image 2. Created by Emma Navarrete through https://www.mentimeter.com/s/06d5119b77df79a88b2286cbee6958bc/158b58868991/

https://www.ecenglish.com/learnenglish/lessons/gerund-vs-infinitive-practice

https://www.athabascau.ca/write-site/esl-eal-resources/concise-esl-support/infinitives-gerunds.html#:~:text=Infinitives%20and%20gerunds%20are%20noun,be%20followed%20by%20a%20gerund.

https://test-english.com/grammar-points/b2/gerunds-infinitives-complex-forms/

*Taken from: https://www.really-learn-english.com/gerunds-and-infinitives.html#:~:text=The%20word%20%22infinitive%22%20comes%20form,to%20the%20tense%20and%20subject.

Image3.Free stock photos_ https://www.pexels.com/es-es/foto/smartphone-android-negro-sobre-libro-blanco-39584/

• Practice exercise written by Emma Navarrete_English Department at FES_Acatlán, UNAM
• Audio version performed by Sally and Matthew_Voicemaker_Text to Speech Converter_

• Table 1. Own source

• Table 2. Own source

• Practice exercise written by Emma Navarrete_2022_English Department at FES Acatlán, UNAM

• Article by Thorin Klosowski, Published March 4, 2022. Text retrieved and adapted by Emma Navarrete from https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/guides/practical-guide-to-securing-windows-pc/

• Image_Free stock photos_ https://www.pexels.com/es-es/foto/smartphone-android-negro-sobre-libro-blanco-39584/
• Practice exercise written by Emma Navarrete, English Department, FES-Acatlán, UNAM
• Audio version performed by Sally_Voicemaker_Text to Speech Converter_Connie Reyes Cruz 2022 Subscription