Intermediate › Grammar
Intermediate 📝 Grammar
Gerunds & infinitives
Know which verbs take -ing and which take to + verb.
1Learn
Goal: Know which verbs take -ing and which take to + verb.
After some verbs we use -ing (the gerund): enjoy, finish, avoid, mind, suggest, keep, practise — “I enjoy cooking.” After others we use to + verb (the infinitive): want, need, decide, hope, plan, learn, promise — “I want to cook.” Some take both (like, love, start). After prepositions, always -ing: “good at swimming”, “look forward to meeting you”.
2Examples
I enjoy reading.enjoy + -ing
She wants to travel.want + to
Stop talking!stop + -ing
We decided to leave.decide + to
He is good at singing.preposition + -ing
I’m looking forward to seeing you.to here is a preposition → -ing
3Common mistakes
I enjoy to swim.
I enjoy swimming.
I want going.
I want to go.
I look forward to meet you.
I look forward to meeting you.
Avoid to eat late.
Avoid eating late.
4Practice quiz
Question 1 of 5Multiple choice
She enjoys ___ films.
5Speaking challenge
Speaking challenge
Say 4 things you enjoy doing, 4 things you want to do, and 2 things you are good at.
0:30
Say it out loud. Nobody is listening — that’s the point. Mistakes are allowed.