Gerund and Infinitive Exercises
Do more with this exercise
Gerund or infinitive?
After one verb, English may require the -ing form (enjoy swimming), the to-infinitive (decide to go), or either — sometimes with a change of meaning (stop smoking vs stop to smoke).
- Gerund after:
- enjoy, finish, avoid, suggest, mind, practice, keep, can't stand + -ing
- Infinitive after:
- decide, want, hope, plan, promise, agree, refuse, learn + to + verb
- Either, same meaning:
- start, begin, continue, like, love (I like reading / to read)
- Either, different meaning:
- stop, remember, forget, try: I stopped smoking ≠ I stopped to smoke
- After prepositions:
- always the gerund: good at drawing, interested in learning
Examples
She enjoys hiking in the mountains.
enjoy + gerund
We decided to postpone the trip.
decide + to-infinitive
He stopped smoking two years ago.
stop + gerund = quit the habit
He stopped to smoke outside the office.
stop + infinitive = pause in order to do it
I'm interested in learning Japanese.
after a preposition, always -ing
Audio uses a synthetic voice.
Practice exercises
Choose the correct form
Select the correct option to complete each sentence.
1.They decided ___ a new house next year.
2.Please remember ___ the door when you leave.
3.She's very good ___ complex ideas simply.
4.He avoided ___ the difficult question.
Complete the sentences
Type the correct form (gerund or to-infinitive) of the verb in brackets.
Put the words in order
Click the words in the correct order to build the sentence.
10. Build the sentence:
11. Build the sentence:
12. Build the sentence:
13. Build the sentence:
True or false?
Decide if each statement is true or false.
14.'Stop doing something' and 'stop to do something' mean different things.
15.After prepositions, verbs always take the -ing form.
16."I forgot posting the letter" means I didn't post it.
Gerunds and infinitives: making sense of verb patterns
Some English verbs are followed by another verb. The second verb may take -ing or to + base verb. The first verb usually decides the form. We say “enjoy swimming” but “decide to go.” Learning a short example with each verb helps you remember the pattern.
Enjoy, finish and avoid are often followed by -ing: “I enjoy reading.” Want, decide and hope are followed by to + verb: “We decided to leave.” Start and like can take either form in many sentences. When you learn a new verb, note the form that follows it.
After a preposition, use the -ing form of a verb: “good at drawing” and “interested in learning.” In “look forward to hearing from you,” the word to is a preposition. That is why hearing follows it. You can also say “look forward to the weekend” with a noun.
Some verbs change meaning with the form. “He stopped smoking” means he no longer smokes. “He stopped to smoke” means he paused another activity because he wanted to smoke. “Remember to call” is about a task you must do; “I remember calling” is about a past memory.
Practise these pairs in whole sentences. Say the example aloud, then make one sentence about your own life. You can group verbs by pattern: enjoy doing, decide to do, and good at doing. The form becomes easier to choose when you connect it to a clear meaning.
Frequently asked questions
What is a gerund?
A gerund is the -ing form of a verb used as a noun: "Swimming is great exercise", "I enjoy reading." It can be a subject, an object, or follow a preposition.
Which verbs are followed by the gerund?
Common ones include enjoy, finish, avoid, suggest and mind. For example, “She finished writing the report.” Learn each verb with a short example.
Which verbs are followed by the to-infinitive?
Common ones include want, decide, hope, plan and promise. For example, “They decided to leave early.”
Which verbs change meaning between gerund and infinitive?
Stop and remember can change meaning. “He stopped smoking” means he quit. “He stopped to smoke” means he paused another activity. “Remember to call” is about a future task; “I remember calling” is a memory.
Why is it 'I look forward to hearing from you' and not 'to hear'?
Because in 'look forward to', the word 'to' is a preposition, not part of an infinitive — and prepositions are always followed by the -ing form. The same applies to 'be used to' and 'object to'.
Answer key
1. They decided ___ a new house next year.
Answer: to buy
'Decide' always takes the to-infinitive: decided to buy.
2. Please remember ___ the door when you leave.
Answer: to lock
'Remember + to-infinitive' = don't forget to do it (future duty). 'Remember locking' would mean you recall having done it.
3. She's very good ___ complex ideas simply.
Answer: at explaining
After a preposition ('at'), the verb takes -ing: good at explaining.
4. He avoided ___ the difficult question.
Answer: answering
'Avoid' always takes the gerund: avoided answering.
5. She suggested ___ the meeting to Thursday.
Answer: moving
'Suggest' takes the gerund: suggested moving.
6. We hope ___ you again soon.
Answer: to see
'Hope' takes the to-infinitive: hope to see.
7. Do you mind ___ the window? It's hot in here.
Answer: opening
'Mind' takes the gerund: mind opening.
8. He promised ___ me with the report.
Answer: to help
'Promise' takes the to-infinitive: promised to help.
9. I'm looking forward to ___ from you.
Answer: hearing
In 'look forward to', 'to' is a preposition — so the gerund follows: hearing.
10. swimming / enjoys / she / in the sea
Answer: she enjoys swimming in the sea
Enjoy + gerund + place.
11. to travel / want / they / next summer / abroad
Answer: they want to travel abroad next summer
Want + to-infinitive + adverbials.
12. smoking / stopped / my uncle / last year
Answer: my uncle stopped smoking last year
Stop + gerund = quit the habit.
13. learning / interested / she / in / is / Arabic
Answer: she is interested in learning Arabic
Adjective + preposition + gerund: interested in learning.
14. 'Stop doing something' and 'stop to do something' mean different things.
Answer: True
True — 'stop smoking' = quit the habit; 'stop to smoke' = interrupt what you're doing in order to smoke.
15. After prepositions, verbs always take the -ing form.
Answer: True
True — good at drawing, tired of waiting, before leaving, without asking.
16. "I forgot posting the letter" means I didn't post it.
Answer: False
False — 'forgot posting' means I posted it but don't remember doing so. "I forgot to post the letter" means it never got posted.