English Corner Almudena: GERUND OR INFINITIVE?

Dear students,

Today we are going to study when to use gerunds and infinitives in English. It is worth mentioning (merece la pena mencionar) that even when we use a gerund, we are would translate it as an infinitive in Spanish.

Here you have the Prezi, just in case you want to have a look at it: PREZI

Let's start!

GERUNDS

As the subject of the sentence:

Smoking is bad for your health. (Fumar es malo para la salud).💀

After prepositions:

Matt is very good at cooking (A Matt se le da bien cocinar).🍗🍝🍮
I'm thinking about going to Rome in summer. (Estoy pensando en ir a Roma en verano).
He is responsible for teaching English (Él es el responsable de enseñar inglés).📚

After verbs of liking and disliking (like, dislike, hate, enjoy, detest):

I like playing football. (Me gusta jugar al fútbol)⚽
I hate cooking. (Odio cocinar)🍟🍔

After certain expressions:

can't stand/bear (no poder soportar):

I can't stand losing you (No puedo soportar perderte)💔

can't help (no poder evitar):

I can't help loving with you (No puedo evitar quererte)😍

be worth (merecer la pena)

It's worth seeing (merece la pena verlo)🎥

feel like (tener ganas, apetecer)

I feel like eating pizza! (Me apetece comer pizza)🍕

be used to (estar acostumbrado)

I am used to reading in English (estoy acostumbrado a leer en inglés)📖

get used to (acostumbrarse):

I don't get used to waking up early (no me acostumbro a madrugar) 😴

look forward to (estar deseando)

I look forward to seeing you soon (Estoy deseando verte)😎

Mind (importar):

Do you mind reading the text? (¿Te importa leer el texto?)📘

After certain verbs:

ADMIT (admitir)
ADVISE (aconsejar)
AVOID (evitar)
CONSIDER (considerar)
DENY (negar)
IMAGINE (imaginar)
KEEP (seguir, continuar)
PREFER (preferir)
RECOMMEND (recomendar)
SUGGEST (sugerir)

INFINITIVE WITH TO

After adjectives or adverbs:

This book is difficult to read (este libro es difícil de leer)
She drove too fast to see the red light. (Conducía demasiado rápido para ver que estaba en rojo)🚗🚦

After certain verbs:

AFFORD (permitirse)
ASK (pedir, preguntar)
BEG (rogar)
DECIDE (decidir)
DESERVE (merecer)
HESITATE (dudar)
HELP (ayudar)
HOPE (esperar)
LEARN (aprender)
MANAGE (arreglárselas)
NEED (necesitar)
PLAN (planear)
PRETEND (fingir)
PROMISE (prometer)
REFUSE (negarse a.rechazar)
WANT (querer)
REMIND (recordar)

After an object (tell, advise, warn, promise, teach, order, invite,forbid, permit, encourage...):

I want you to study harder.(quiero que tú estudies más)
She promised me to call me soon. (me prometió que me llamaría)📞

BARE INFINITIVE (INFINITIVE WITHOUT TO)

After modal verbs

can, must, should, ought to, may, might, have to...

After certain MAKE and LET:

I made him change his mind (Hice que cambiara de opinión)
Let it go⛄

After would rather (preferir)

I'd rather go to the mountain (Preferiría ir a la montaña).🌄

VERBS FOLLOWED BY GERUND AND INFINITIVE WITH A CHANGE OF MEANING

Some verbs can be followed by a gerund or an infinitive with to. However, the meaning is different.

REMEMBER

Remember + gerund: Significa que te acuerdas de algo que ha sucedido en el pasado:

I remember studying for hours when I was at school (Recuerdo que estudiaba durante horas cuando estaba en el colegio)

Remember + infinitive: Significa que te acordaste de hacer algo que tenías que hacer:

I remembered to bring your book, thank you! (Me acordé de traerte el libro, ¡gracias!)

FORGET

Forget + gerund: Olvidarse de algo que sucedió en el pasado:

I will never forget visiting New York (Nunca me olvidaré de haber visitado NY)

Forget + infinitive: Olvidarse de hacer algo que tienes que hacer, en el pasado o en el futuro:

Oh no! I forgot to lock the door! (¡Oh no!¡Me olvidé de cerrar la puerta!)😰
Don't forget to lock the door (no te olvides de cerrar la puerta)