Grammar Rules for Gerunds and Infinitives in IELTS
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Gerunds are verbs ending with -ing that are used as nouns and can act as a subject, object or compliment within a sentence.
Not only will using the wrong form of the word impact your grammatical score, but it can also reduce the examiner’s overall understanding.
Table of Contents
1. Choosing between gerunds and infinitives
1.1 Gerunds
Gerands are verbs ending with -ing that act as nouns. For example: swimming, playing, writing, etc. Let’s take a look at when you should use a gerund in a sentence:
- As subject of sentences
For example:
Increasing internet usage among teenagers is evident from the provided data.
Adapting to a new culture and language can be challenging.
Used after prepositions (in, on, with, about etc)
For example:
I’m interested in learning more about this.
People shouldn’t be concerned about losing their jobs to AI.
Can you assist the staff with hanging up decorations for the office party?
When talking about activities, often after the word “go”
For example:
Q. What activities do you enjoy in your free time?
- In my free time, I often go hiking in the nearby mountains. I also go swimming regularly to stay fit and go jogging in the mornings to start my day with energy.
Verbs followed by a gerund
- Avoid
- Consider
- Enjoy
- Imagine
- Keep
- Miss
- Practice
- Suggest
- Discuss
- Quit
1.2 Infinitives
These are the base form of verbs that stand after “to” in a sentence. For example: to swim, to eat, to work, etc. They are used for the following cases:
To show purpose
For example:
The government has increased funding to promote the use of renewable energy.
The university students hope to achieve higher scores this year.
I am writing this letter to discuss the behaviour of your employees at our recent event.
After some adjectives
For example:
Most people were surprised to hear the news.
The company felt pressured to decide how they wanted to handle the problem.
I am eager to hear back from you.
Verbs followed by infinitive
- Decide
- Plan
- Hope
- Want
- Need
- Expect
- Agree
- Prepare
- Offer
- Refuse
2. Difference in meaning
Remember
- Gerund: Do you remember going to school for the first time?
- Infinitive: I must remember to listen carefully to the examiner’s questions.
Forget
- Gerund: I’ll never forget driving all the way to Spain from Italy.
- Infinitive: Don’t forget to practice using infinitives correctly.
Regret
- Gerund: I really regret getting that tattoo when I was eighteen.
- Infinitive: We regret to inform you that we’ll no longer be moving forward with your application.
Stop
- Gerund: I stopped working about a week ago, now I’m on holiday.
- Infinitive: On our road trip last summer, we stopped to take pictures of the view every 5-minutes.
3. How to improve
Candidates often find themselves uncertain of what form to use in both the speaking and writing sections, and all the rules can be quite overwhelming. The best ways to improve and avoid making these grammatical errors are:
- Studying the rules and learning when to use gerunds and infinitives appropriately.
- Practice creating sentences to become comfortable using them.
- Seek feedback from a friend or English tutor to help identify any mistakes you might still be making.
