Gerunds and Infinitives_Theory

8/13/2019 Gerunds and Infinitives_Theory

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GERUNDS AND INFINITIVES :

Both gerunds and infinitives can be nouns, which means they can do just about

anything that a noun can do. Although they name things, like other nouns, they

normally name activities rather than people or objects. Here are five noun-uses ofgerunds and infinitives (and one additional non-noun use, the adjective complement,

that we throw in here, free of charge .

!erunds and infinitives can both function as the subject of a sentence"

a. Playing basketball takes up too much of her time. b. To play basketball for UConn is her favorite fantasy.

#t is not impossible for an infinitive to appear at the beginning of a sentence asthe subject (as in #b , but it is more common for an infinitive to appear as a

Subject Complement:

a. Her favorite fantasy is to play basketball for UConn.

$he gerund can also play this role"

b. Her favorite fantasy is playing basketball for UConn.

Both of these verbal forms can further identify a noun when they play the role of

Noun Complement and Appositive:

a. Her desire to play basketball for UConn became an obsession. b. # could never understand her desire to play basketball for UConn. c. Her one burning desire in life, playing basketball for UConn , seemed a

goal within reach.

$he infinitive is often a complement used to help define an abstract noun. Here is a

very partial list of abstract nouns, enough to suggest their nature. $ry following these

adjectives with an infinitive phrase (their desire to play in the championship game, a

motivation to pass all their courses, her permission to stay up late, a gentle reminder to

do your work to see how the phrase modifies and focuses the noun.

adviceappealcommanddecisiondesirefact

opportunityorder

permission plan possibility preparation

refusalreminder re%uestre%uirementsuggestiontendency


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instructionmotivation

proposalrecommendation

wish

#nfinitive phrases often follow certain adjectives. &hen this happens, the

infinitive is said to play the role of Adjective Complement. ($his is not a noun

function, but we will include it here nonetheless.

a. 'he was hesitant to tell t e coac of er plan . b. 'he was reluctant to tell er parents , also.c. But she would not have been content to play ig sc ool ball forever .

Here is a list of adjectives that you will often find in such constructions.

aheadama edan)iousaptashamed

boundcarefulcertaincontentdelighted

determineddisappointedeager eligiblefortunategladhappyhesitantliablelikely

lucky pleased proudreadyreluctantsadshockedsorrysurprisedupset

Although we do not find many infinitives in this ne)t category, it is not

uncommon to find gerunds taking on the role of !bject of a Preposition:

a. 'he wrote a newspaper article about dealing "it college recruiters . b. 'he thanked her coach for elping er to deal with the pressure.

$wo prepositions, except and but , will sometimes take an infinitive.a. $he committee had no choice e)cept to elect *rogbellow chairperson.

b. &hat is left for us but to pack up our belongings and leave+

And, finally, both gerunds and infinitives can act as a #irect !bject:

Here, however, all kinds of decisions have to be made, and some of these

decisions will seem %uite arbitrary. $he ne)t section is about making the choice between

gerund and infinitive forms as direct object.


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erbs that take other verb forms as objects are called catenatives (from a word that

means to link , as in a chain . atenatives can be found at the head of a series of linked

constructions, as in &e agreed to try to decide to stop eating between meals.

atenatives are also characteri ed by their tendency to describe mental processes and

resolutions. (/olln

Although it is seldom a serious problem for native 0nglish speakers, deciding

whether to use a gerund or an infinitive after a verb can be perple)ing among students

for whom 0nglish is a second language. &hy do we decide to run, but we would never

decide running+ 1n the other hand, we might avoid running, but we would not avoid to

run. And finally, we might like running and would also like to run. #t is clear that some

verbs take gerunds, some verbs take infinitives, and some verbs take either. $he

following tables of verbs should help you understand the various options that regulate

our choice of infinitive or gerund.

$he verbs in the table below will be followed by an infinitive. &e decided to leave.

He manages, somehow, to win. #t is threatening to rain. 2otice that many, but not all, of

these verbs suggest a potential event.

'ome of the verbs in the following table may be followed by a gerund if they are

describing an actual, vivid or fulfilled action (*rodesen . &e love running. $hey

began farming the land. $hese are described, also, belo" .

$motion

caredesirehate

hatelikeloathe

loveregretyearn

C oice or %ntent

agree

choosedecidedecidee)pect

hope

intendneed plan prefer

prepare

proposerefusewantwish

%nitiation& Completion& %ncompletion

beginceasecommencefail

gethesitatemanageneglect

starttryundertake

'ental Process


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forgetknow how

learn remember

(e)uest and Promise

demandoffer

promiseswear

threatenvow

%ntransitives

appear happen

seem tend

'iscellaneous

affordarrange

claimcontinue

pretendwait

$he verbs in the ne)t table will often be followed by an infinitive, but they will

also be accompanied by a second object. &e asked the intruders to leave %uietly. $hey

taught the children to swim. $he teacher convinced his students to try harder.

$he verbs in blue, with an asterisk, can also follow the same pattern as the verbs in

the table above (i.e., the second object is optional . &e all wanted to go. $hey promised

to be home early.

Communication

adviseask 3

beg 3challengecommandconvince

forbidinviteorder

permit persuade promise 3

remindre%uiretellwarnurge

%nstruction

encouragehelp

instructteach

train

Causing

allowcausechoose

forcegethire

need 3would like 3

'iscellaneous

dare 3e)pect 3 trust prepare 3 want 3


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!erunds accompany a form of the verb to go in many idiomatic e)pressions" 4et5s

go shopping. &e went jogging yesterday. 'he goes bowling every *riday night.

$he following verbs will be followed by a gerund. 6id # mention reading that

novel last summer+ # recommend leaving while we can. # have %uit smoking $heseverbs tend to describe actual events.

%nitiation& Completion and %ncompletion

anticipateavoid

beginceasecomplete

delayfinishget throughgive up

postpone

%uitrisk startstoptry

Communication

admitadvisedenydiscuss

encouragementionrecommend

reportsuggesturge

Continuing Action

continuecan5t help

practiceinvolve

keepkeep on

$motion

appreciatedislikeenjoyhatelike

loveminddon5t mindmiss

prefer

regretcan5t standresentresisttolerate

'ental Process

anticipateconsider forget

imaginerecallremember

seecan5t seeunderstand

$he verbs in the following table can be followed by either an infinitive or a gerund,

and there will be virtually no difference in the meaning of the two sentences. # like to

play basketball in the park. # like playing basketball in the park.

attempt begincontinuehate

likeloveneglect

prefer

regretcan5t standstandstart


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$he verbs in this ne)t, very small table can be followed by either an infinitive or a

gerund, but there will be a difference in meaning. # stopped smoking means something

%uite different, for instance, from # stopped to smoke. $he infinitive form will usually

describe a potential action.

forget remember stop

*inally, the verbs below will be followed by either a gerund or a simple verb and a

second subject will be re%uired. # saw the team losing its composure. # overheard my

landlord discussing a rent increase. (# heard Bill sing7singing. $hese verbs involve the

senses.

Verbs Involving Sensesfeelhear listen to

look atnoticeobserve

overhear seewatch

erbs of perception 8 hear, see, watch 8 and a handful of other verbs 8 help,

let , and make 8 will take what is called the bare infinitive , an infinitive without the

particle to. $his is true of these verbs only in the active voice.

a. &e watched him clear the table. b. $hey heard the thief crash through the door.c. 'he made me do it.d. &e helped her finish the homework.

Using Possessives with Gerunds

6o we say # can5t stand him singing in the shower, or do we say # can5t stand his

singing in the shower + &ell, you have to decide what you find objectionable" is it him,

the fact that he is singing in the shower, or is it the singing that is being done by himthat you can5t stand+ hances are, it5s the latter, it5s the singing that belongs to him that

bugs you. 'o we would say, # can5t stand his singing in the shower.

1n the other hand, do we say # noticed your standing in the alley last night +

9robably not, because it5s not the action that we noticed: it5s the person. 'o we5d say and

write, instead, # noticed you standing in the alley last night. ;sually, however, when a

noun or pronoun precedes a gerund, that noun or pronoun takes a possessive form. $his

is especially true of formal, academic writing.


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$here are e)ceptions to this. (&hat would the study of language be without

e)ceptions+

&hen the noun preceding the gerund is modified by other words, use the

common form of that noun, not the possessive.a. *ederico was pleased by arlos5s making the 6ean5s 4ist forthe first time.but

b. *ederico was pleased by arlos, his oldest son, making the6ean5s 4ist for the first time.

&hen the noun preceding the gerund is plural, collective, or abstract, use

the common form of that noun, not the possessive.

c. 9rofessor illa was ama ed by her students working as hardas they did.

d. $he class working collaboratively was somebody else5s idea.e. #t was a case of old age getting the better of them.

$here are certain situations in which the possessive and the gerund create

an awkward combination. $his seems to be particularly true when

indefinite pronouns are involved.

f. # was shocked by somebody5s making that remark.This would be greatly improved by saying, instead . . .

g. # was shocked that somebody would make that remark.

$his is also true when the owner of the gerund comes wrapped in a noun

phrase"

o # was thankful for the guy ne)t door shoveling snow from mydriveway.

Gerunds and Infinitives_Theory

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