INFINITIVE

In older English, it was common to use an infinitive clause as the subject of a sentence.
 To find fault with others is easy.
 To wait for people who are never punctual makes me angry.
In modern English, this is unusual in an informal style. We more often use it as an ‘introductory
subject’ and put the infinitive clause later.
 It is easy to find fault with others.
 It makes me angry to wait for people who are never punctual.
Infinitive clause as complement
An infinitive clause can be used as subject complement after be and other copular verbs.
 His goal was to become a well known writer.
 Your duty is to finish the work in time.
Sentences like these can also be written with an introductory it.
 It was his goal to become a well known writer.
 It is your duty to finish the work in time.
Infinitive as object
An infinitive clause can be used as the object of a verb.
 I want to go.
 I would like to have cornflakes for breakfast.
Here is a list of common verbs that can be followed by infinitives.
Afford, agree, appear, arrange, ask, attempt, beg, begin, care, choose, consent, continue, dare,
decide, expect, fail, forget, happen, hate, help, hope, intend, learn, like, love, manage, mean,
neglect, offer, prefer, prepare, pretend, promise, propose, refuse, regret, seem, start, trouble, try,
want and wish
 I decided to quit smoking.
 I forgot to post the letter.
 I managed to do it.
The to-infinitive to indicate the purpose or intention of an action
In this case to has the same meaning as in order to or so as to.
 She came to collect her pay cheque.
  The three bears went to find firewood.
 I am calling to ask you about dad.
 You sister has gone to finish her homework.
The to-infinitive to indicate what something can or will be used for
In this pattern, the to-infinitive follows a noun or pronoun.
 The children need a garden to play in.
 I would like a sandwich to eat.
 I don't have anything to wear.
 Would you like something to drink?
The to-infinitive with adverbs
The to-infinitive is used frequently with the adverbs too and enough to express the reasoning
behind our satisfaction or insatisfaction. The pattern is that too and enough are placed before or
after the adjective, adverb, or noun that they modify in the same way they would be without the
to-infinitive. We then follow them by the to-infinitive to explain the reason why the quantity is
excessive, sufficient, or insufficient. Normally the to-infinitive and everything that follows can
be removed, leaving a sentence that still functions grammatically.
 There's too much sugar to put in this bowl.
 I had too many books to carry.
 This soup is too hot to eat.
 She was too tired to work.
 He arrived too late to see the actors.
 I've had enough food to eat.
 She's old enough to make up her own mind.
 There isn't enough snow to ski on.
 You're not old enough to have grand-children!
The to-infinitive with question words
The verbs ask, decide, explain, forget, know, show, tell, & understand can be followed by a
question word such as where, how, what, who, & when + the to-infinitive.
 She asked me how to use the washing machine.
 Do you understand what to do?
  Tell me when to press the button.
 I've forgotten where to put this little screw.
 I'm not sure I know who to call.
The to-infinitive to make a comment or judgement
To use the to-infinitive when making a comment or judgement about a noun, the pattern is:
Subject + to be + noun phrase + to-infinitive
 It was a stupid place to park.
 That is a dangerous way to behave.
 What you said was a rude thing to say.
 This is the right thing to do.
 Those were the wrong kind of eggs to buy.
 Jim is the best person to hire.
The to-infinitive after adjectives
There is a common pattern using the to-infinitive with an adjective. These phrases are formed:
Subject + to be + adjective + (for/of someone) + to-infinitive + (rest of sentence)
 It is good to talk.
 It is good of you to talk to me.
 It is important to be patient.
 It is important for Jake to be patient with his little brother.

GERUND
The gerund looks exactly the same as a present participle, but it is useful to understand the
difference between the two. The gerund always has the same function as a noun (although it
looks like a verb). Some uses of the gerund are covered on this page. A separate page deals with
verbs that are followed by the gerund.
The gerund as the subject of the sentence
 Eating people is wrong.
 Hunting tigers is dangerous.
 Flying makes me nervous.
 Brushing your teeth is important.
  Smoking causes lung cancer.
The gerund as the complement of the verb 'to be'
 One of his duties is attending meetings.
 The hardest thing about learning English is understanding the gerund.
 One of life's pleasures is having breakfast in bed.
The gerund after prepositions
The gerund must be used when a verb comes after a preposition. This is also true of certain
expressions ending in a preposition, for example the expressions in spite of & there's no point in.
 Can you sneeze without opening your mouth?
 She is good at painting.
 She avoided him by walking on the opposite side of the road.
 We arrived in Madrid after driving all night.
 My father decided against postponing his trip to Hungary.
 There's no point in waiting.
 In spite of missing the train, we arrived on time.
The gerund after phrasal verbs
Phrasal verbs are composed of a verb + preposition or adverb.
 When will you give up smoking?
 She always puts off going to the dentist.
 He kept on asking for money.
 Jim ended up buying a new TV after his old one broke.
There are some phrasal verbs that include the word "to" as a preposition for example to look
forward to, to take to, to be accustomed to, to get around to, & to be used to. It is important to
recognise that the word "to" is a preposition in these cases because it must be followed by a
gerund. It is not part of the infinitive form of the verb. You can check whether "to" is a
preposition or part of the infinitive. If you can put the pronoun "it" after the word "to" and form a
meaningful sentence, then the word "to" is a preposition and must be followed by a gerund.
 I look forward to hearing from you soon.
 I look forward to it.
 I am used to waiting for buses.
  I am used to it.
 She didn't really take to studying English.
 She didn't really take to it.
 When will you get around to mowing the grass?
 When will you get around to it?
The gerund in compound nouns
In compound nouns using the gerund, it is clear that the meaning is that of a noun, not of a
continuous verb. For example, with the word "swimming pool" it is a pool for swimming in, it is
not a pool that is swimming.
 I am giving Sally a driving lesson.
 They have a swimming pool in their back yard.
 I bought some new running shoes.
The gerund after some expressions
The gerund is necessary after the expressions can't help, can't stand, to be worth, & it's no use.
 She couldn't help falling in love with him.
 I can't stand being stuck in traffic jams.
 It's no use trying to escape.
 It might be worth phoning the station to check the time of the train.