Here is a brief review of the differences between gerunds and infinitives.
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Gerunds are formed with ING: |
walking, talking, thinking, listening
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Infinitives are formed with TO: |
to walk, to talk, to think, to listen
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Gerunds and infinitives can do several jobs:
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Both gerunds and infinitives can be the subject of a sentence:: |
Writing in English is difficult.
To write in English is difficult.
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Both gerunds and infinitives can be the object of a verb:: |
I like writing in English.
I like to write in English.
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But... |
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Only gerunds can be the object of a preposition:: |
| We are talking about writing in English.
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It is often difficult to know when to use a gerund and when to use an infinitive. These guidelines may help you:
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Gerunds are often used when actions are real, concrete or completed:: |
I stopped smoking.
(The smoking was real and happened until I stopped.)
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Infinitives are often used when actions are unreal, abstract, or future:: |
I stopped to smoke.
(I was doing something else, and I stopped; the smoking had not happened yet.)
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