Intermediate English · 18 min
Gerund and infinitive
The point
Some verbs take the -ing form: enjoy, finish, avoid. Some take to plus the base: decide, want, need. She enjoys reading. She decided to wait. Do not swap them.
Form and use
Some verbs take an -ing form, and some take to plus the base. Enjoy, finish, avoid, mind, and suggest take -ing: she enjoys reading, she finished writing, avoid burying the date, I do not mind waiting, she suggests leaving. Decide, want, need, hope, and promise take to: she decided to wait, I want to go, we hope to start.
Read the full set. She enjoys reading. She finished writing. They avoid waiting. Do you mind helping? She suggests leaving. She decided to wait. I want to go. We need to start. They hope to win. He promised to call. I like reading. I like to read. She started working. She started to work. It began raining. It began to rain. She stopped smoking. She stopped to smoke. I remember posting the note. Remember to post the note.
Like, start, and begin accept both patterns, with little change of meaning. I like reading and I like to read are both fine. She started working and she started to work are both fine. Do not force one pattern onto a verb that refuses it. Enjoy to read is wrong. Decide waiting is wrong. Learn the list with the verb.
Stop and remember change meaning. She stopped smoking means she gave up the habit. She stopped to smoke means she paused so that she could smoke. I remember posting the note means I posted it and the memory remains. Remember to post the note means do not forget a future act. The -ing form looks back. The to form looks forward.
Don't translate it like this
Don't say
She enjoys to read.
Say
She enjoys reading.
그녀는 읽기를 즐깁니다.
Enjoy takes the -ing form.
Short examples
She enjoys reading.
그녀는 읽기를 즐깁니다.
She decided to wait.
그녀는 기다리기로 했습니다.
She enjoys walking before work.
그녀는 일하기 전에 걷기를 즐깁니다.
They finished writing the report.
그들은 보고서 쓰기를 마쳤습니다.
Please avoid leaving the door open.
문을 열어 두지 마십시오.
Do you mind waiting a minute?
잠깐 기다려도 되겠습니까?
She hopes to start on Monday.
그녀는 월요일에 시작하기를 바랍니다.
He promised to call before noon.
그는 정오 전에 전화하겠다고 약속했습니다.
I like to read on the train.
나는 기차에서 읽는 것을 좋아합니다.
She stopped to smoke outside.
그녀는 밖에서 담배를 피우려고 멈췄습니다.
Questions
Every question has to be right to close this point.
Answer every question, then check.