Gerund or Infinitive - Explanation and Exercises

Verbs followed by a gerund, an infinitive, or either with a change in meaning, explained and practiced: free interactive exercises with instant answer checking, from beginner (A1/A2) to intermediate (B1/B2).

Quick Grammar Review: Gerunds and Infinitives

What is a gerund?

A gerund is the -ing form of a verb used as a noun. It can be the subject of a sentence, the object of a verb, or the object of a preposition.

Subject: Swimming is good exercise.
Object of verb: I enjoy reading.
Object of preposition: She's good at cooking.

What is an infinitive?

An infinitive is the base form of a verb, usually preceded by to. It can follow certain verbs, adjectives, or nouns, and also expresses purpose.

After a verb: She wants to leave.
After an adjective: It's easy to forget.
To express purpose: I went to the store to buy milk.

Verbs followed by a gerund

These verbs are always followed by the -ing form:

Verb	Example
enjoy	I enjoy hiking* on weekends.*
avoid	Try to avoid eating* late at night.*
finish	Have you finished writing* the report?*
mind	Do you mind waiting* a moment?*
suggest	She suggested taking* a taxi.*
consider	Have you considered moving* abroad?*
keep	He keeps interrupting* me.*
practice	Practice speaking* every day.*

Verbs followed by an infinitive

These verbs are always followed by to + base verb:

Verb	Example
want	I want to leave* early.*
hope	She hopes to visit* Paris.*
decide	He decided to quit.
promise	They promised to help.
need	You need to study* more.*
agree	We agreed to meet* at noon.*
refuse	She refused to answer.
plan	Are you planning to come?

Verbs that take both: a difference in meaning

Some verbs can be followed by either a gerund or an infinitive, but the meaning changes:

Verb	+ Gerund	+ Infinitive
remember	I remember locking the door. (= I have a memory of doing it)	Remember to lock the door. (= Don't forget to do it)
forget	I'll never forget meeting her. (= a memory of a past event)	Don't forget to call me. (= a future task)
stop	He stopped smoking. (= he quit the habit)	He stopped to smoke. (= he paused in order to smoke)
try	Try adding more salt. (= experiment with it)	Try to be on time. (= make an effort)

Common mistakes to avoid

Using an infinitive after prepositions: ✗ She's interested in to learn English. → ✓ She's interested in learning English. (After a preposition, always use a gerund.)
Using a gerund after modal verbs: ✗ You should going now. → ✓ You should go now. (Modal verbs are followed by the bare infinitive.)
Confusing stop + gerund and stop + infinitive: ✗ She stopped to smoke means she quit. → Remember: stop smoking = quit; stop to smoke = pause in order to smoke.

All Gerund and Infinitive Exercises

(B) = Beginner (A1/A2) | (I) = Intermediate (B1/B2) | (A) = Advanced (C1/C2)

Not sure where to start? All three progress in difficulty. Start with Gerund or Infinitive? 1, then work through 2 and 3. Exercise 3 covers the trickiest cases: verbs that take both forms with a change in meaning.