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Gerund or Infinitive

Gerund or infinitive

A few verbs in English  can be followed by an infinitive and/or a gerund, sometimes changing meaning. Here are the most important ones , but there are many others……..!

A few rules to start with . 

 Prepositions ( including TO)  are always followed  by the gerund .

 Verbs of sensation ( hear, listen to, watch, see), are followed by a gerund if the action is not perceived in its entirety, by an infinitive if the action is short, or,conversely, is  perceived in its  entirety, however long it may be .

Verbs like stop, remember, forget  have different meanings:

To stop + gerund  means to cease, to stop + infinitive means  not to move .

To remember / to forget + gerund  mean to remember/forget  something already done.

To remember  + infinitive means  to remember to do  something  in the future .

To forget  + infinitive means  to forget   to do something  one had to do .

To mind  is always followed by the gerund.

To begin, to start, can be followed by both with slight differences in meaning.

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1. I don't mind queuingqueueto queueI don't know up in London. I am used to it !

2. After is arrestedbeing arrestedbe arrestedI don't know the man tried to escape from jail.

3. At night, when all is silent, I can hear mice to runranrunningI don't know in the attic.

4. Please Mum, watch me doingdodidI don't know my homework !

5. As the girl was jogging along the river, she saw an old man jumpjumpedto jumpingI don't know into the water.

6. I forgot to introduceintroducingintroduceI don't know Marion to my friends; she was very cross with me.

7. On New Year's Day, I always promise to stop smokingsmoketo smokeI don't know.

8. We forgot to letto lettingletI don't know the cat in; the poor thing almost froze to death.

9. She left the room in a hurry, without to saysayingsayI don't know goodbye.

10. After driving for hours on the A3, we stopped to havehavinghaveI don't know a rest.

11. I remember meetmeetingto meetI don't know the President when I was five.

12. Would you mind not smokenot to smokenot smokingI don't know in my bedroom, please?