Gerund, Infinitive or EITHER?

I wrote a post about this topic two years ago, but I didn't use examples.  Here you will find examples for each verb.

In English when we use two verbs together, the second must be an infinitive, a gerund or sometimes, we can use either an infinitive or gerund.

But, wait!...What IS a gerund?

A gerund is a verb+ing.  (walking, going, doing, seeing...)

And WHAT is an infinitive?

An infinitive is to+the simple verb. (to walk, to go, to do, to see...)

And what about using both with the same verb? 

Like is an example of a verb in which you can use either the infinitive or the gerund:

Ex. She likes to swim at night.
OR
Ex. She likes swimming at night.

Remember: You can never have two simple verbs next to one another (like go).  You must have either (like going) or (like to go).

Ex. I like go going to the beach on the weekends.
Ex. I like go to go to the beach on the weekends.

Here is a short list of verbs that you can ONLY use with GERUNDS...

• don't mind: My Dad doesn't mind ironing; in fact, he likes it!
• enjoy: He enjoys staying home and watching a movie on Friday nights.
• keep: Keep going until you reach the stop sign, and then turn left!
• miss:  I miss watching the sunset in San Diego.
• practice:  We practice playing the piano on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
• recommend: She recommends going to bed early.
• understand: They understood quitting early, as it was the only option.

Here is a short list of verbs that you can ONLY use with INFINITIVES...

• agree: He wouldn't agree to work under our conditions.
• choose: She chose to do the right thing.
• decide: My sister decided to study Economics.
• learn: My students learned to speak English very well.
• need: I need to buy more laundry detergent.
• promise: He promised to buy more laundry detergent, but then forgot!
• want: I want to wash my clothes.

Here is a short list of verbs that you can use with BOTH GERUNDS & INFINITIVES:

• can't stand: I can't stand leaving/to leave work late.
• continue: The little boy continued to talk/talking during the entire class.
• like: I like to swim/swimming at the cliffs.
• love: I love to get/getting a massage.
• neglect: Her daughter neglected to warn/warning her of the new rules.
• prefer: I prefer to walk/walking instead of driving.
• propose: The teacher proposed to do/doing a project instead of reading the textbook.

Now, remember: after practicing all of these expressions over and over, it will become easier, but in the meantime, use this list as a reference.

Infinitive (to+verb), Gerund (verb+ING) or BOTH? (for Beginners)

Whenever we use two verbs together in English, the second verb must change to either an infinitive or gerund, or sometimes it can be either one.  For example:

I enjoy have a coffee after dinner.
I enjoy to have a coffee after dinner.
I enjoy having a coffee after dinner.

I need buy a dress.
I need buying a dress.
I need to buy a dress.

I like go to the beach.
I like to go to the beach.
OR
I like going to the beach.

These examples represent the three groups of verbs below:

1. gerund ONLY (verb+ing)
2. infinitive ONLY (to+verb)
3. gerund OR infinitive 

Here is a short list of the most commonly used verbs that correspond to one of these three groups.

1. The following verbs MUST be followed by a gerund (verb + ing)

• can't stand (really don't like!)
• enjoy
• finish
• give up
• go + activity (swimming, surfing, shopping, dancing, sightseeing...)
• recommend

      2.  The following verbs MUST be followed by an infinitive (to + verb)

• forget
• learn
• mean
• need
• try
• want

      3.  The following verbs can be followed by a gerund (verb + ing) OR an infinitive (to + verb)

• begin
• can't stand
• hate
• like
• love
• prefer

Quick Tip: Using FOR/SINCE in the Present Perfect

Yet another common challenge for English learners is how to correctly use for and since in the present perfect.  Take a look at these common mistakes for beginning students:

       We have been traveling around the United States since one month.
       We have been traveling around the United States for one month.

        She hasn't taken a vacation since a long time.
        She hasn't taken a vacation for a long time.

SINCE when?  FOR how long?

If you don't know whether to use for or since, ask yourself...

for HOW LONG?
...two days
...five minutes
...a thousand years
...a long time
...a second
...the rest of my life
...a couple weeks

For is used to express the duration of time. 

since WHEN?
...last Tuesday/month/year/weekend
...November 25
...1980
...3:00 pm

We can also use a dependent clause (subject+verb) after since:
...we got married
...I moved to New York
...he quit his job

or a gerund
...graduating highschool
...buying our new house
...writing my first book

Since is used to express a specific point in time. 

Using the Past Tense with Since

Note that when using since, we sometimes use a combination of the present perfect in the independent (or main) clause and the past in the dependent clause.  Take a look at these examples:

        They haven't seen their grandmother since the family went on vacation last year. 
                 present perfect                                                      past

        Since I moved to Lisbon, I haven't eaten pancakes.
                    past                         present perfect

We can also use the gerund in the dependent clause, which gives the sentence a more general time frame and doesn't overtly identify the subject:

        Since having a baby, she has lost weight quickly.
                  gerund                   present perfect

        We haven't seen them since visiting last Christmas.
               present perfect               gerund

If you have any questions, just post below...I hope these tips help you!