GERUND OR INFINITIVE EXERCISE 2 (ESL)

GRAMMAR REVIEW: Gerund or Infinitive? — Verb Pairs & Preposition Patterns

This exercise features several sentence pairs that show the same verb used with both a gerund and an infinitive. Understanding why each form is correct is more useful than just memorizing lists.

When the same verb triggers both forms with the same meaning:
Some verbs — like, love, hate, start, begin, continue — take either form without a change in meaning:
I've always wanted to visit Australia. (want + infinitive)
I've always dreamed of visiting Australia. (preposition of + gerund)

The preposition rule — the most reliable rule in this area:
After any preposition, always use the gerund. No exceptions.
interested in moving / good at drawing / think about leaving / plan on buying / dream of visiting

Watch out for "forget" and "don't forget":
Don't forget to clean the kitchen. → infinitive (reminder about a future action)
Don't forget about cleaning the kitchen. → gerund after preposition about
Both are correct — the structure before the verb determines the form.


DID YOU KNOW? Gerunds vs. infinitives across languages

Most languages don't have a gerund/infinitive distinction the way English does — which is a big part of why it's so difficult for ESL learners. In Spanish, French, Italian, and Portuguese, the infinitive does most of the work that both forms do in English: J'aime nager (French) and Me gusta nadar (Spanish) both use the infinitive to say "I enjoy swimming" — so speakers of these languages often default to the infinitive in English even when the gerund is required.

In contrast, German has a strong gerund-like construction and speakers often over-apply the -ing form. Mandarin Chinese handles verbal nouns completely differently and has no direct equivalent of either form, making both equally unfamiliar.

The good news: research in second language acquisition suggests that verb-by-verb exposure — exactly what exercises like this provide — is the most effective way to internalize these patterns. Trying to memorize rules alone rarely works; seeing the verbs in natural context is what makes them stick.