Difference Between Gerund and Infinitive

A gerund is a verb + ing. It is used as a noun.

In all the examples given above the gerunds are the objects of the transitive verbs.

Gerund and infinitive

Infinitives are forms like to read, to write, to dance etc. The gerund is used for making general statements and the infinitive for making statements about particular occasions - especially after verbs expressing likes and dislikes.

Read the following examples.

1. Alice likes painting.
2. She would like to paint this landscape.
3. John likes playing chess.
4. Would you like to play tennis this evening?

Sentence 1 means that Alice likes painting as an art. It is a general statement. Sentence 2 means that she would like to paint a particular scene.

In the same way, sentence 3 is a general statement about John's liking for tennis as a game. Sentence 4 is a question about playing tennis on a particular occasion.

Interchange of gerund and infinitive

Gerunds and infinitives are often interchangeable, both as subjects and objects of verbs.

Read the following sentences.

Sections in this article

Verbs that can be followed by infinitives
Verbs that can be followed by gerunds (-ing forms)

See Also

Exclamations
Exclamations exercise
Exclamations: common errors
Common mistakes with pronouns - Part 2
Common errors with adjectives - part 1
Common errors with adjectives - part 2

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