Gerunds and infinitives
Gerunds and infinitives are types of verbal nouns that are often used in English to express various actions or states of being. They function as subjects, objects, or complements in a sentence and can be either gerunds or infinitives depending on the context in which they are used.
Gerund
A gerund is a verbal noun that is formed by adding the suffix -ing to a verb. It functions as a noun in a sentence and can be used as a subject, object, or complement. For examples: loving, caring, playing, running, cheating, taking, swimming, dancing…
Infinitives
Infinitives, on the other hand, are verbal nouns that are formed by adding the word to before a verb. They can also function as a noun in a sentence and can be used as a subject, object, or complement. For examples: to love, to care, to play, to run, to cheat, to take, to swim, to dance…
Usage
Gerunds and infinitives are often used after certain verbs, adjectives, and prepositions. For example, after the verb enjoy, you can use a gerund, as in
I enjoy swimming.
or an infinitive, as in
I enjoy to swim.
However, some verbs only take one form or the other, and the choice between a gerund and an infinitive can affect the meaning of the sentence.
For example, consider the sentences:
- I remembered to do my homework.
- I remembered doing my homework.
The first sentence uses an infinitive, which indicates that the action of doing homework was completed. The second sentence uses a gerund, which indicates that the action of doing homework was a continuous or ongoing process, that means I remembered the moment of doing my homework.
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