Gerunds and Infinitives

Gerunds and infinitives

Gerunds and infinitives

We use gerunds after prepositions (e.g. without, before) and after certain verbs (e.g. enjoy, can’t stand, afraid of). She left without saying goodbye. He enjoys going rollerblading at the weekend. We use infinitives after certain verbs (e.g. want, hope, offer). Paul offered to repair Sue’s bike. After some verbs (e.g. like, love, hate, prefer, start, continue) we can use either the gerund or infinitive with no change in meaning. I like playing tennis. I like to play tennis.

1   Rewrite the sentences using gerunds.

     Tim cycled into town. He didn’t stop.

     Tim cycled into town without stopping.

1   Rachel lost the race. She was very angry.

     Rachel was angry about  ……………………

     ………………………………………………

2   We didn’t go to the cinema, we watched a video at home.

     Instead of  …………………………………..

     ………………………………………………

3   Ivan passed his driving test because he practised every weekend.

     By  …………………………………………

     ………………………………………………

4   Gillian read the newspaper then she phoned her friend.

     Before  ………………………………………

     ………………………………………………

5   They left the disco and went for a coffee.

     After  ………………………………………

     ………………………………………………

6   Jake has split up with his girlfriend.

     He’s upset.

     Jake is upset about …………………………

     ………………………………………………

2   Choose the correct forms.

1   Tony wants to go / going travelling before he goes to university.

2   He promised to buy / buying her a diamond ring for their anniversary.

3   Have you ever considered studying / to study abroad?

4   He agreed to buy / buying the motorbike

     for £2,000.

5   John has been a farmer for twenty years. He’s used to getting up / get up early.

6   It’s cold today. You shouldn’t go out without wearing / to wear your coat.

3   Complete the story with gerunds or infinitives.

A haunted house

When I was a child I used to spend my

holidays at my aunt and uncle’s old country

house. One summer I remember having (have)

a strange experience.

  It was a hot afternoon, and my cousins

suggested ¹……………… (play) hide-and-seek.

But instead of ²……………… (go) outside, we

decided ³……………… (play) in the attic. After

⁴……………… (turn off) all the lights, we all

hid in different places. I managed

⁵……………… (hide) behind an old sofa.

  Then something odd happened. In the

darkness we heard footsteps come into the room.

The footsteps seemed ⁶……………… (walk)

towards the sofa. I wanted ⁷………………

(move), but I couldn’t. I expected something

terrible ⁸……………… (happen). Then

suddenly the footsteps stopped and the door

slammed shut. After ⁹……………… (wait) for a

few seconds, we jumped up and ran downstairs

without ¹⁰……………… (stop).

  We told my aunt and uncle, but they refused

¹¹……………… (believe) us. Mysteriously the

house burned down a year later. The fire started

in the attic.