Learning English

Do gerunds and infinitives change the meaning – or not?

So now we’ve heard from Sunny and looked at some of the language she used. Now we know that some verbs – like consider, recommend and enjoy – are followed by gerunds. Some other verbs – like decide, hope and learn – need an infinitive after them.

But did you know that there are some other verbs which can be followed by gerunds or infinitives without changing the meaning of the sentence?

And there are some other verbs that can be followed by gerunds or infinitives, but this can change the meaning.

For example:

Mary stopped eating at six. (Mary was eating, and at six o’clock she stopped.)

Mary stopped to eat at six. (Mary was doing something, and at six o’clock she stopped what she was doing and started to eat.)

To do

Let’s practise. Does the meaning change when you use a gerund or infinitive after these verbs?

ነቲ ንጥፈት ፈትንዎ

Top tip

Deciding whether to use a gerund or infinitive after verbs can be difficult. And it’s not easy to know if this can change the meaning. The best thing to do is to notice these verbs in context when you read – that means look at the words before and after these verbs when you see them written down. If you need some help, have a look at our Grammar Reference.

Next

It takes a bit of time to learn how to use gerund and infinitives correctly. We hope to help you build up your confidence. Next up is 6 Minute Grammar with Alice, Finn and Catherine, who tell us all about the four verb patterns with gerunds and infinitives in this session. Go to the next activity to hear all about it!