Gerunds and infinitives (Part 2)

Other uses of gerunds

Gerunds can be used in other ways in a sentence:

Gerunds can follow certain verbs like these (the list is bigger, you can check it here). Here are 10 common verbs followed by gerunds:

Enjoy – I enjoy swimming in the ocean.
Love – She loves playing the piano.
Hate – They hate waking up early.
Start – He started studying for the exam.
Help – She helped me with cleaning the house.
Prefer – I prefer eating pizza over burgers.
Like – They like going to the movies.
Mind – Do you mind closing the window?
Continue – They continue practicing their dance moves.
Finish – He finished writing the report.

Gerunds can also follow prepositions, the list is big! Here we chose 10 common prepositions to start with:

After – She goes for a walk after finishing work.
Before – He likes to have a cup of tea before going to bed.
By – You can improve your English by practicing speaking.
For – They thanked her for helping with the project.
In – He takes pleasure in reading books in his free time.
On – She is working on completing the report.
About – We had a long discussion about traveling.
At – They are good at playing musical instruments.
Of – He dreams of becoming a successful entrepreneur.
With – She is excited about working with a talented team.

Other uses of infinitives

There are certain adjectives that are followed by infinitives. Here is a list of common ones:

Happy – She was happy to see her family.
Eager – He is eager to learn new skills.
Important – It’s important to stay hydrated in hot weather.
Fortunate – They were fortunate to find a parking spot.
Relieved – She was relieved to finish her exams.
Determined – He is determined to succeed in his career.
Easy – It’s easy to make mistakes when you rush.
Excited – They were excited to attend the concert.
Surprised – She was surprised to receive a gift.
Common – It’s common to feel nervous before a presentation.

There are certain verbs as well that are typically followed by infinitives.

Want – I want to go to the park.
Need – She needs to finish her assignment.
Like – They like to play soccer.
Love – He loves to sing in the shower.
Prefer – We prefer to eat at home.
Plan – She plans to travel next month.
Decide – They decided to take a vacation.
Try – He will try to solve the puzzle.
Learn – She wants to learn how to swim.
Intend – We intend to start a new project.

Also some verbs can be followed by either an infinitive or a gerund. Some of those verbs are: Love, hate, like, enjoy, dislike, prefer, start, begin, continue, remember…