The Gerund and the Infinitive
The gerund and the infinitive have much in common since both have some nominal and some verbal features. Nevertheless, the gerund and the infinitive are not identical. The gerund is more of a noun than the infinitive [H. Sweet] because it can be introduced by a preposition and modified by a noun in the genitive case or by a possessive determiner.
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Some verbs are followed either by a gerund or an infinitive with little difference of meaning, others - with considerable difference of meaning.
1. The verbs begin and start can be followed by a gerund or an infinitive usually with no real difference of meaning. Cf.:
She started looking around at all the animals (V. Evans),
She started to look around at all the animals (V. Evans).
It is perhaps more common to use a gerund when we are talking about the beginning of a long or habitual activity, e.g.:
How old were you when you first started playing the piano? (M. Swan).
After the verb begin, the gerund is less common than the infinitive.
The gerund is not used:
a) when the verbs begin and start are in the continuous aspect,
e.g.:
/ was beginning to get angry (M. Swan);
b) when the verbs begin and start are followed by the verbs
understand and realize, e.g.:
She began to understand what he really wanted (M. Swan);
c) when the subject denotes a thing, not a living being, e.g.:
The clock began to strike (N.A. Kobrina et al.).
2. Be afraid + infinitive = be too frightened to do something. Be afraid of+ gerund = be afraid that what is referred to by the gerund may happen. Cf.:
I'm afraid to drive over the old bridge (V. Evans).
She is afraid of breaking her leg if she jumps over the wall (V. Evans).
The gerund is always used when we are speaking about things that happen to us unexpectedly, without our wanting or choosing them, e.g.:
I'm afraid of'crashing (M. Swan).
3. After propose, attempt, intend, continue, can't bear and be accustomed to, both gerund and infinitive are possible with little difference of meaning, but the infinitive is more common after the verbs propose, attempt, and intend. Cf.:
I can't bear getting/to get my hands dirty (M. Swan).
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He intends to double the advertising budget (M. Swan).
4. With the verbs like, hate and prefer, the gerund expresses a
more general or a habitual action, the infinitive - a specific single
action. Cf.:
Hike walking in the rain (M. Swan).
/ heard you talking and I didn 't like to disturb you, so I went away (M. Swan).
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5. With the verbs remember, forget and regret, the difference
in the use of gerund and infinitive is connected with time. The
gerund refers to things that happened earlier, before the
remembering/forgetting/regretting took place; the infinitive refers to
things that will happen after the remembering/forgetting/regretting:
remember/forget + gerund = remember/forget what one has done, or what has happened;
remember/forget + infinitive = remember/forget what one has to do;
regret + gerund = be sorry for what has happened;
regret + infinitive = be sorry for what one is going to say. Cf.:
/ shall always remember meeting you for the first time (M. Swan).
Remember to go to the post office, won '/vow? (M. Swan).
I shall never forget seeing the Queen (M. Swan).
She's always forgetting to give me my letters (M. Swan).
/ don't regret telling her what I thought, even if it upset her (M. Swan).
/ regret to inform you that we are unable to offer you employment (M. Swan).
6. Stop + gerund = stop what one is doing, or does.
Stop + infinitive — make a break or pause in order to do something. Cf.:
I really must stop smoking (M. Swan).
Every half hour I stop to smoke a cigarette (M. Swan).
7. Go on + gerund = continue what one has been doing.
Go on + infinitive = change; move on to something new. Cf.: How long do you intend to go on playing those ... records'?
(M. Swan).
He welcomed the new students and went on to explain the
college regulations (M. Swan).
8. With interested, the gerund refers to what will or may
happen, and the infinitive refers to what has happened. Cf.:
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I'm interested in -working in Switzerland (M. Swan). / was interested to read in the paper that scientists have found out how the universe began (M. Swan).
9. The verbs allow, advise, forbid, and permit are followed by
a gerund when there is no personal object. When there is a personal
object, they are followed by an infinitive. Cf.:
Sorry, we don 7 allow smoking in the lecture room (M. Swan). We don't allow people to smoke in here (M. Swan).
10. Mean + infinitive - intend to do something.
Mean + gerund = involve doing something. Cf.:
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He means to move to Newcastle (V. Evans).
Working harder means getting more money (V. Evans).
11. Would prefer + infinitive (implies specific preference).
Prefer + gerund (implies general preference). Cf.:
I'd prefer to have an early night tonight (V. Evans). I prefer reading a book to watching TV(V. Evans).
12. Want + infinitive = wish to do something.
Want + gerund (implies that something needs to be done). Cf: / want to find a better job (V. Evans). Your dress wants cleaning (V. Evans).
13. Try + gerund - make an experiment; do something to see
what will happen.
Try + infinitive = attempt to do something difficult. Cf.: Try putting in some more vinegar - that might make it taste a bit better (M. Swan).
Please try to understand (M. Swan).
14. Sorry is used with an infinitive when we apologize for
something that we are doing or about to do, e.g.:
Sorry to disturb you - could I speak to you for a momentl (M. Swan).
When we apologize for something that we have done, we use a perfect infinitive, or for + gerund, or a /fort-clause. Cf:
Sorry to have woken you up yesterday (M. Swan).
I'm sorry for waking/having woken you up yesterday (M. Swan).
I'm sorry that I woke you up yesterday (M. Swan).
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