Gerunds & Infinitives - English Grammar Lessons

When do we use gerunds (-ing verb) and infinitives (to + verb) in English? Let us teach you these handy tips so you know which one to use! This video also includes practice exercise at the end so you can test your knowledge. Happy studying!
#LearnEnglish #English #Ellii #Grammar #Gerunds #infinitives
Chapters:
0:00 Introduction
0:53 Sentence Patterns
1:40 Rules
5:08 Practice

[@HuyLe-uj2cl]

I used to lose my English roots,but every day I learn it so now my English is B2. Thank you so much ❤❤❤

[@ellii]

That's amazing! Keep up the great work!

[@NaziGarm]

Thanks for making a good one i'm learning english and your videos helped me a lot

[@adeenajavid8535]

I was so sure I was gonna fail my test tomorrow but this video saved me! tysm

[@ellii]

That's great to hear, Adeena! Good luck on your test!

[@andrewghar164]

Today is my exam You really make it easy for me At first I was affraid but now I feel confident Thnx

[@ellii]

That's great to hear, Andrew! We hope you do well on your exam!

[@AM-vk5iz]

Srry but its thx and thnx

[@sergeybochko2568]

Amazing job! Thank you! Very helpful!

[@ellii]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@bahorsadullayeva]

thanks I love your lesson it's easy to understand you help me to improve my grammar ✍

[@ellii]

That's great! We're so glad to hear that!

[@8tina9998]

Thanks for the video

[@dakexz123]

Thx.I got more information about Gerunds & Infinity today!

[@ellii]

That's great!

[@joserios7724]

Thank you very much, excellent summary.

[@ellii]

Glad it was helpful!

[@riddhijugran-xi4ey]

Thanks🎉

[@mathsdone2265]

Very helpful video. Thanks for such a wonderful stuff 🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏

[@ellii]

Thanks for watching! So glad it helped you.

[@sariqdaraxt210]

Very good, all for Thanks ❤

[@ellii]

Thanks so much!

[@rosanathaly93]

Now it's clear for me, thank you

[@ellii]

That's great! Thanks for watching

[@teshometekle9554]

Thanks❤

[@Sam-..-]

thank u soo much :) i needed this for my finals!

[@ellii]

Happy to help! Good luck 💪

[@gemauwu405]

this weekend I'm gonna have an exam and this is one of the topics, this video could help me becasue now I can understand, thanks a lot

[@ellii]

We're happy to hear that, Gem! Good luck on your exam!

[@MrRamaeri]

very good PPT

[@raisadx_]

Thank you!

[@ellii]

You're so welcome!

[@hellodudemin]

This video helped me so much about infinitives

[@ellii]

We're so happy to hear that!

[@AM-vk5iz]

Thank you I learned a lot 😊

[@ellii]

Glad it was helpful 😊

[@johnathanmohsen3428]

My English final is tmrw your video really helped me out ;) keep it up

[@ellii]

Best of luck on your final!

[@manojbagul1895]

Hi it was very difficult for me to get the topic but after watching the video it was easy 😀

[@ellii]

That's wonderful to hear!

[@hajershaheed3846]

Wooooooooow 😮😮♥️ Thannnnnks Amazing explanation♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️

[@ellii]

Thanks a lot ❤️❤️

[@user-rg3rl8gg3f]

I am a sixth grade student and this video helped me alot

[@ellii]

That's fantastic! Thanks for letting us know!

[@user-eh9gv3dl9j]

Hi. May i ask where did u make your presentation? Thank you!

[@ellii]

Hi there! We mainly use After Effects.

[@sltjs0065]

If the two verbs in the sentence stand together, they must be added 'to' in the middle right ?

[@ellii]

Good question! It depends on the first verb. Some verbs are followed by a gerund (-ing) and some by an infinitive (to + V). You can also use a conjunction to join to verbs together (e.g., use "and" if the meaning is that you did two things). Here are some examples: - I enjoy shopping. ("I enjoy to shop" is incorrect.) - I want to buy some new shoes. ("I want buying some new shoes" is incorrect.) - I tried on and bought a pair of running shoes.

[@Pinguinboss]

You helped me so much

[@ellii]

❤️

[@sing3210]

I do home school and this is sooooo helpful ❤💜🧡💛💚💙

[@ellii]

We're glad it's helpful! Happy studying!

[@MoeinPahlevan]

thanks a lot teacher tommorow i will have an exam and it was useful for me❤

[@ellii]

Best of luck on your exam!

[@country--sff293]

Best vedio

[@iangelai]

THANK YOU

[@ellii]

Thanks for watching!

[@serhioramires3166]

Excellent video

[@ellii]

Glad you liked it!

[@aoki_ch]

I love learning English expressions or grammar ;) Is use of gerunds natural?

[@ellii]

It's very natural! We often need to include more than one action in a sentence, so this is the way to do it (e.g., I love shopping).

[@maheshaholla2077]

Good one... Keep up the good work 🎉😊

[@ellii]

Thanks a lot 😊

[@HelliTheHellionWarden]

Students: YAY EXAM IS EASY Teachers: This video is ours now! >:)

[@Muslima-sadaf]

Can we use infinitive as a subject ? If we can how ? Thank you your channel is go amazing and useful ❤

[@ellii]

Hi Daniella, great question! We can, though it's a bit old-fashioned and formal. Here's an example of a famous proverb that uses the infinitive as a subject: "To err is human; to forgive is divine."

[@ajaycreations2791]

Hello sir , Is it correct to write ...(to go there is necessary ? Thanks in advance

[@ellii]

@@ajaycreations2791 Yes, that's correct! You can say "To go there is necessary" to sound formal, or "It's necessary to go there" to sound more informal.

[@es-saiden-nji8527]

Hello dear teacher, Can I use this content to explain gerunds and infinitives to pass a teaching exam? Thanks in advance

[@es-saiden-nji8527]

I mean when I am about to explain it in the oral exam.

[@ahmedabdelhafez4771]

Thanks alot i was so confused

[@ellii]

You're very welcome! Glad to know you found this video helpful!

[@minebuyukyaka6007]

hello can u explain the difference of ‘remember’ verb for gerund and infinitive?

[@ellii]

Great question! Remember + gerund means that you did something in the past, and you remember doing it. E.g., I remember going to the beach every Saturday when I was a child. Remember + infinitive means that you had the intention of doing something, and you remembered to do it. E.g., I remembered to call my friend back last night. For more examples and four other verbs that have meaning changes when followed by a gerund vs. an infinitive, see our blog post: ellii.com/blog/5-verbs-with-meaning-changes-gerunds-and-infinitives-advanced

[@RoryHue]

thank you for the good video!

[@ellii]

You're welcome! We're happy you liked it.

[@flafimiyaww8381]

👍👍

[@CaiiCel-xt5qp]

thank youu

[@Ala-yl3kt]

Why is the answer ( to take ) rather than taking in the third question?

[@ellii]

Hi Ala, it's because the verb before it is "promise." The verb "promise" is always followed by an infinitive verb. "He promised to take his sister to the beach" is correct, and "He promised taking his sister to the beach" is incorrect.

[@nmg1909]

You can only promise to do something (Promise + to base verb)

[@kenali995]

This really help me with my homework 😅

[@ellii]

We're so glad to hear that! Thank you!

[@lucianaced331]

Woooow

[@baycityworldful]

Hello, great lesson. But isn't it important to point out that not all verbs ending in -ing are in fact gerunds? I don't wish to confuse beginners but with the sentence "They discussed having a party this weekend." yes having is a gerund but what if you simply said "They are planning a party this weekend", that would just be a present participle, wouldn't it? I just thought it may be important to make that distinction, even at the risk of muddying the waters.

[@ellii]

Hi, really great question! Words with -ing have many functions in English: as a noun (usually a gerund), adjective (usually a participial adjective), and as a verb (part of a progressive/continuous tense). The scope of -ing usage is too massive for one video, in my opinion, and it could be too overwhelming for lower-level students (as you mentioned). As a former ESL teacher myself, I recommend avoiding bringing up other uses in a lesson on gerunds and infinitives, but I would definitely address any questions that came up in class. If a student asked about "They are planning," I would briefly explain that present progressive verbs are formed with Be + -ing form of the main verb and that we use it for continuing actions in the present. But I would try to keep it brief. Or, for example, if I had just taught the present progressive tense, I might point out the difference. Having said all that, it does depend on your students and what you think they can handle! With higher levels, I agree this could be a great discussion/lesson, and I'd start by having my students brainstorm all the different uses (with examples) of -ing they can think of. Here are some blog posts about other uses that might come in handy: ellii.com/blog/simple-present-vs-present-progressive ellii.com/blog/how-to-teach-ed-ing-adjectives-9-simple-steps ellii.com/blog/looking-forward-to

[@TheTypeWriters-kq4pb]

The video doesn't show this (I get it's not too common anymore), but you can also use an infinitive (in rather formal situations) as the subject of a sentence: "To know him is to love him." That's from a great old song by a 1950's group called the Teddy Bears!

[@ellii]

That's right! Great example. Another example is the famous Shakespeare quote: "To be or not to be, that is the question." We usually recommend sharing this case with students (especially higher-level ones) in case they come across it, but reminding them that a subject will be a gerund about 95% of the time.

[@paulamazingpig3153]

that bear is so smart, thanks

[@ellii]

😂

[@helenaracayo1467]

Hello again . I have a question. I can't stand is followed by an infinitive or a gerund? I hope your reply.Thank you!!

[@ellii]

Hi again! "Can't stand" is followed by a gerund. E.g., I can't stand waiting in line. / I can't stand not knowing the answer. Hope that helps!

[@helenaracayo1467]

@@ellii For example: I can't stand staring at a phone's screen for a long time. I should not be addicted to my phone. I can't stand not understanding an English movie when I wached it. Are these correct? Are these correct? I hope your reply. Thank a lot

[@ellii]

@@helenaracayo1467 Yes, excellent examples of "can't stand + gerund"! The only corrections are: "when I watch it" / "I hope you reply" / "Thanks a lot."

[@drgjvjom5469]

Hello! You say that we must use infinitive after adjectives. I'm watching a series with English subtitles now and heard 'it's boring doing nothing '. Why is gerund used if 'boring' is an adjective?

[@ellii]

Good question. There are some exceptions where an adjective can take either an infinitive or a gerund. Another common example is "nice" (It was nice to meet you / It was nice meeting you). Gerunds aren't always correct after an adjective, though, so when in doubt, use an infinitive!

[@drgjvjom5469]

@@ellii thank you 🙏

[@travisking6595]

Fomkah will try to swipe the Friendship Bracelets.

[@user-fm1bb3kz5k]

God video

[@travisking6595]

Kai-Lan begins to cry!

[@sing3210]

I have a question

[@lauayala749]

Why is the answer (starting) instead of (to start) in the last example?

[@ellii]

The rule for this one is "preposition + gerund." Since "about" is a preposition, we need "starting." Hope that helps!

[@travisking6595]

To paint a picture Painting

[@sing3210]

My brother's name is Eli

[@ellii]

Nice! I have a nephew named Elias too, and we call him Eli for short.

[@Elyziazzz_]

I thought about taking piano lessons. "Which form of preposition?" Telling me please?

[@ellii]

Great question! This is something called "preposition collocations," and if you google that you'll see multiple lists of common preposition collocations. There are many prepositions that follow verbs, adjectives, etc. that just "sound right." Sometimes there's no logical reason for it, and you just have to memorize them. In "think about," there is some logic to it since the preposition "about" is often used for a topic. For example, "about" is also used in the collocation "talk about" to mention a topic: We talked about the movie. Hope that helps!

[@nasyat]

so far this episode is the hardest part for me

[@ellii]

Gerunds and infinitives can be tough! A lot of it is just memorization.

[@Adrian-kj7ui]

i would like "to cook" a special dinner tonight

[@ellii]

Great example! What are you going to make? 😉

[@tatianadiaz6860]

Y la ultima oracion porque es gerundio y no infinitivo

[@ellii]

The last sentence is "We talked about starting our own business." We almost always use a gerund after a preposition, and "about" is a preposition. Hope that helps!

[@phaologioan2864]

can you send me ppt teaching please? ít useful for me to teach student!

[@ellii]

You can play our videos in class with your students! This is the only format we can share, though.

[@Shweyepoeou]

Tomorrow is my ESL exam wml

[@ellii]

Good luck!!

[@sing3210]

How many people did it take to make this?

[@ellii]

There are only a few people on our video team at our company (Ellii).

[@Gabby_fan_save_gaza]

Thank you

[@ellii]

Thanks for watching, Gabby!

[@Gabby_fan_save_gaza]

I'm not gabby@@ellii

[@ellii]

@@Gabby_fan_save_gaza Got it! Apologies

[@Gabby_fan_save_gaza]

I'ts okay@@ellii

[@Narita_21]

I can understand it now thank you so much.🙏🩵

[@ellii]

That's wonderful! Glad it was helpful ❤️