Page 35 - Grasp English B2 (Grammar Book)
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Eating Habits 6
Gerunds and infinitives
a. gerund
Gerund verb forms can be the subject, object, or
complement of a sentence.
e.g. Gerunds can be also used after prepositions
Watching movies with English subtitles can that follow a noun in a sentence.
improve your listening and vocabulary skills. e.g.
(subject) My mother has a fear of travelling by boat.
We really like watching horror films. (object)
Do you know the disadvantages of using credit
Some verbs are followed by gerunds as objects. cards?
These verbs can be learnt in time; you don’t
need to memorise all of them at once.
b. infinitives with to
e.g.
They’ve postponed gathering for the meeting. Infinitives with to can also be the subject,
You should avoid using the lift; it doesn’t work object, or complement of a sentence. However,
properly. using it as the subject is not common and
I don’t mind driving to work for an hour. natural; gerund form is preferable.
e.g.
We can often use gerunds with possessive
modifiers such as your, her, its, etc. This To cook / Cooking Japanese meals is my
emphasises who or what is performing the favourite activity. (subject)
action. I want to learn a foreign language. (object)
Some verbs are followed by infinitives with to as
e.g.
I really love your cooking. objects. These verbs can be learnt in time; you
They enjoyed my dancing. don’t need to memorise all of them at once.
e.g.
go + gerund expressions are commonly used for
some outdoor sports and personal recreational I hope to find a better job next year.
activities. We’ve planned to drink something after work.
Could he really afford to buy that property?
e.g.
Shall we go fishing this weekend? Infinitives with to can be used in the structure
I go jogging early in the morning. too + adj + infinitive with to and adj + enough +
infinitive with to.
Gerunds can be used after prepositions that
follow the main verb in a sentence. e.g.
This luggage is too heavy to carry.
e.g. She is old enough to drive.
He was blamed for robbing the bank. (passive
verb + gerund) Some verbs are followed by a noun/pronoun +
Have you talked about changing your room? an infinitive with to.
(verb + gerund) e.g.
The man ordered the boy to stop.
Gerunds can be also used after prepositions
that follow an adjective in a sentence. I asked her to leave the room.
There are also be + adjective combinations that
e.g.
I am tired of doing the same things every day. are commonly followed by infinitives with to.
(adj + gerund) e.g.
Are you really good at drawing pictures? It was hard to notice him in the dark.
(adj + gerund) She is happy to meet her old friends.
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