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DashboardExercises
Mastering -ing Forms and Infinitives
Everyday situations across work, study, travel, health, technology, relationships and money
Gerunds and Infinitives in Everyday Situations
Gerunds and infinitives across everyday life, work, study, travel, health, technology, relationships and money
About Gerunds & Infinitives
Do you enjoy swimming or enjoy to swim? Some verbs are followed by the -ing form, some by the infinitive with to, and a few change their meaning with the form. These exercises train the patterns until they feel natural.
What it tests
Each exercise has eight sentences with a gap and a verb in brackets. You write the -ing form or the infinitive, with or without to — the word before the gap, or the meaning of the sentence, decides which.
How it appears on the exam paper
Verb patterns appear across the exam — in the open cloze, the key word transformations (avoid doing, manage to do) and the multiple-choice cloze — and in your own writing.
Exam-style tips
- Learn each verb with its pattern: enjoy doing, decide to do, make someone do.
- After a preposition, always use the -ing form: interested in learning, good at swimming.
- Watch the verbs that change meaning: stop smoking (end the habit) and stop to smoke (pause in order to smoke).
- 'Would rather', 'had better', 'make' and 'let' are followed by the infinitive without to.
A ready-to-print Gerunds & infinitives — free worksheet with the answer key and explanations at the back. Download the PDF worksheet.
Frequently asked questions
What is a gerund?
The -ing form of a verb used like a noun: 'Swimming is good exercise'; 'I enjoy swimming'.
When do I use the infinitive without to?
After modal verbs, after make and let with an object, and after would rather and had better.
Which verbs change their meaning?
Remember, forget, stop, try, regret, go on and mean — the -ing form and the infinitive give them different meanings.
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