How do you use gerund and infinitive in a sentence?

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Gerunds and infinitives can replace a noun in a sentence. Gerund = the present participle (-ing) form of the verb, e.g., singing, dancing, running. Infinitive = to + the base form of the verb, e.g., to sing, to dance, to run. Whether you use a gerund or an infinitive depends on the main verb in the sentence.



Just so, where do we use gerund and infinitive?

Gerunds are often used when actions are real, fixed, or completed. "I enjoy cooking." Infinitives are often used when actions are unreal, abstract, or future: "He wants to swim." Sometimes the use of a gerund or an infinitive can change the meaning of a sentence.

One may also ask, how do you use infinitive in a sentence? The infinitive is the base form of the verb. Examples are: write, bring, take, make, sing, dance etc. The infinitive usually takes the preposition 'to' with it.

Infinitive as the subject of the sentence
  1. To err is human.
  2. To make mistakes is easy.
  3. To wait for people who would never turn up made him angry.

Consequently, how do you use gerund in a sentence?

A gerund is an instance when a verb is being used in a very particular way – as a noun! You do this by changing the infinitive form of the verb, and adding “ing” at the end. For example, “eat” is changed to “eating”, or “write” is changed to “writing”.

What is difference between infinitive and gerund?

Let's make sure we are clear on what the difference between a gerund and the infinitive form of a verb is. Gerund – a verb in its present participle form (-ing) which acts as a noun in a sentence. Infinitive – a verb in its base form precede by the word "to". example – "Stop to smoke."

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What is gerund and its uses?

A gerund is a noun made from a verb by adding "-ing." The gerund form of the verb "read" is "reading." You can use a gerund as the subject, the complement, or the object of a sentence. Examples: Reading helps you learn English. subject of sentence. Her favorite hobby is reading.

What is simple infinitive?

The simple infinitive refers to the same time as that of the preceding verb: I was glad to see her.

What are infinitive verbs?

Infinitive Verbs
The infinitive form of a verb is the verb in its basic form. It is the version of the verb which will appear in the dictionary. The infinitive form of a verb is usually preceded by to (e.g., to run, to dance, to think). The infinitive form is not always preceded by to.

What is a gerund in grammar?

A gerund is the –ing form of a verb that functions the same as a noun. For example, “Running is fun.” In this sentence, “running” is the gerund. It acts just like a noun. You can only use a gerund after the verb “suggest.”

What are the 3 types of infinitives?


In English, when we talk about the infinitive we are usually referring to the present infinitive, which is the most common. There are, however, four other forms of the infinititive: the perfect infinitive, the perfect continuous infinitive, the continuous infinitive, & the passive infinitive.

What is an infinitive example?

An infinitive usually begins with the word “to” and is followed by the base form of a verb (the simple form of the verb that you would find in the dictionary). Examples of infinitives include to read, to run, to jump, to play, to sing, to laugh, to cry, to eat, and to go.

How do you identify an infinitive in a sentence?

Recognize an infinitive when you see one.
Infinitives can be used as nouns, adjectives, or adverbs. Look at these examples: To sleep is the only thing Eli wants after his double shift waiting tables at the neighborhood café. To sleep functions as a noun because it is the subject of the sentence.

Do gerunds always end in ing?

Yes, gerunds all end with -ing, simply by definition. A gerund is, in Latin, a form of the verb which can be construed as (i.e. has functional characteristics of) a noun – it can act as subject or object of a verb, for example, or can take a plural ending.

Can you start a sentence with a gerund?

A gerund phrase will begin with a gerund, an ing word, and will include other modifiers and/or objects. Gerund phrases always function as nouns, so they will be subjects, subject complements, or objects in the sentence.

What is gerund and give 5 examples?


Examples of Gerunds
Swimming in the ocean has been Sharon's passion since she was five years old. Let's go dancing at the club tonight. I delayed telling Jerry the bad news. Holly decided that flying above the clouds was the most incredible experience she'd ever had.

How do you explain Appositives?

An appositive is a noun or a noun phrase that sits next to another noun to rename it or to describe it in another way. (The word appositive comes from the Latin for to put near.) Appositives are usually offset with commas, parentheses (round brackets), or dashes.

Why do we need to use gerunds?

The gerund allows us to refer to the action of the verb nominally, so it can be used as a subject or object. P.S. Not every word ending in -ing is a gerund. Some are participles, functioning as verbs, and some even function as gradable adjectives.

Why are gerunds important?

A gerund is a verb form which functions as a noun. Gerunds can be used as the subject or the complement of a sentence. In the following sentences gerunds sound more natural and would be more common in everyday English. Remember that 90% of the time, you will use a gerund as the subject or complement or a sentence.

What are the 5 types of gerund?

The four types of gerunds and gerund phrases follow:
  • Subject. Gardening is my favorite hobby. (Gardening is normally a verb, but here it is the name of an activity.)
  • Direct Object. My neighbors admire my gardening.
  • Object of Preposition. I have received several awards for my gardening.
  • Subject Complement.

Is being a gerund?


As I said in those episodes, a gerund is a noun formed by taking a verb and adding the suffix “-ing.” The gerund form of “give,” for example, is “giving.” This is always true, even for the most irregular verb in the language, “be.” The form “being” is both a gerund and a present participle.

Which verb is followed by a gerund?

Verbs Followed by Gerunds
admit He admitted cheating on the test.
continue [14] He continued talking.
defend The lawyer defended her making such statements.
delay He delayed doing his taxes.
deny He denied committing the crime.

How do you explain an infinitive?

An infinitive is formed from a verb but doesn't act as a verb. It acts as a noun, adjective, or adverb, and it is actually made up of two words: to + verb. These two words act together as a noun, adjective, or adverb. Words that are formed from verbs but don't act as verbs are called verbals.