• Gerund is a verbal that is made by adding ing to a verb and serves as a noun. Home » Language » English Language » Grammar » Difference Between Infinitive and Gerund. In the second example, to help simply names the action denoted by the verb try and is used without mentioning any subject. His custom is to clean the house in the morning. Gerund may not be used with the article but can be used with a preposition. Infinitive: To succeed is an infinitive—a verb preceded by to. Use the Infinitive when you do sth. Verbs in the infinitive form of the third person singular and plural are pronounced similarly. Image courtesy: docstoc.com, Infinitive: Infinitives: The verbal to achieve, in both cases, is an infinitive because it's a verb preceded by to. Use the Gerund when like is used in the sense of 'enjoy'. Gerunds are nouns formed from verbs. Image courtesy: sscexpo.blogspot.com, Your email address will not be published. Your email address will not be published. The little boy was punished for misbehaving. You can, of course, form the infinitive with auxiliary issues of "what to do?”. Infinitives are only rarely used as the object of a preposition. (Sandra was photographed, which she didn't like.) The infinitive can be introduced as a verb-noun. Therefore, it is a verb-noun that can act as either the subject or the object of a verb. Infinitives use to before the verb so the examples above would be to eat, to play, and to listen. There is normally no difference in meaning. – qualifies a sentence. – qualifies a noun, To tell the truth, I was afraid he would reveal everything. Gerund is generally followed by prepositions. The main difference between Infinitive and Gerund is, the infinitive often takes the base form of a verb while the gerund is a verb in its –ing form. And to do this it is important to write the word without spelling errors. Difference between Gerund and Infinitive. Gerund, -ing form: the gerund is a verb form which has the ending -ing. It is distinguished from participles by the context. – qualifies an adjective, This is not the time to regret. He called to see my father. Gerunds can be used as the object of a preposition. Gerund sounds more normal and common when used as the subject or the complement of a sentence. Both gerunds and infinitives can be subjects in sentences, and both gerunds and infinitives can … However, there are some instances where infinitive and gerund give two completely different meanings in a sentence. Many English learners find it difficult to choose between the use of infinitive and gerund. You need to learn basic grammar rules to determine which of these words are infinitive. For example, "I was embarrassed by the dancing of that woman” and “She made a few mistakes when reading the poem.” Infinitive phrases – normally referred to as infinitives – are formed with the word to in front of a verb. If like is in the negative, a gerund refers to an action that we do but don't enjoy doing, while a to -infinitive means that we don't do something because we don't think it right to do: I could tell that Sandra didn't like being photographed though she didn't say a word. – qualifies a verb, The students are eager to learn. For example, the verb in the syntax "seems successful" children find it difficult to put the subsidiary questions. In this article, we are going to explain the use and role of infinitive and gerund. Gerund: Children also confuse the verbs in the form of a third person with the infinitive, and therefore will not be able to determine how to write: "ed". They always have “ing” in the ending. Look at the participle of the context. Example: I like rid ing my bike. Infinitive, to + base verb: the infinitive form is the base ... Gerund, -ing form: the gerund … Gerund is a non-personal form of the verb, which has features of a verb and a noun collectively. Infinitive sounds more abstract, philosophical and formal when used as the subject or the complement of a sentence. Take a look: If a word ends with “ing” associated with the dependent word using the excuse, then it is not a gerund, and if it manages dependent word with the accusative case, it may be a gerund. For example, "I think that a (what? It is not limited by person or number as a finite verb. Mind the following examples: I like watch ing films. Difference Between Object and Complement in English... What is the Difference Between Turkey and Chicken, What is the Difference Between Cowboy and Wrangler, What is the Difference Between Epic Theatre and Dramatic Theatre, What is the Difference Between Sticky Rice and Jasmine Rice, What is the Difference Between Firm Medium and Plush Mattress, What is the Difference Between Landscape and Scenery. Doing that?) Gerunds are formed by adding –ing to the end of a verb. Some examples are eating, playing, and listening. Gerund: Dying is used as a noun in the sentence. Required fields are marked *, Prove You\'re Human * Example: I like to do my homework in the afternoon. As both infinitive and gerund have the force of a noun and a verb, they have the same uses. His greatest pleasure is to collect stamps. In the first example, helps has he for its subject; hence the verb like is limited by person and number.