Sentence Complexity and Embedding

Gerunds, Infinitives and Participles

Activity 12.6: Gerund or Infinitive?

Read each sentence and decide which ones are grammatical and which are ungrammatical.  Put an asterisk in front of the ungrammatical sentences.

1. I like to swim.
2. I like swimming.
3. The child began to cry.
4. The child began crying.
5. They hate cleaning up.
6. They hate to clean up.
7. We hope to win.
8. We hope winning.
9. He dared to complain.
10. He dared complaining.
11. She avoided to crash the car.
12. She avoided crashing the car.

Answers

Perhaps the greatest challenge for non-native speakers in regard to gerunds and infinitives is knowing which one to choose as a direct object.  The choice depends upon the main verb in the sentence, and many non-native speakers begin by memorizing lists: verbs that can take gerunds, verbs that can take infinitives, and verbs that can take either one.  For some sentences, looking at meaning can provide some assistance in making the distinction.

Activity 12.7: Gerund or Infinitive? 2

Read the pairs of sentences below and consider the meanings.  Is there a difference in meaning? If so, what is the difference, and does it connect to the forms at all?

1. I remembered to lock the door this morning.
2. I remembered locking the door this morning.

1. I forgot to change the schedule.
2. I forgot changing the schedule.

1. We stopped to talk.
2. We stopped talking.

1. They worked hard to find a solution.
2. They worked hard finding a solution.

Answers

Activity 12.7 shows that in some cases when both the –ing form and the infinitive form are grammatical, a difference in meaning between the two exists.  The Bolinger Principle (named for linguist Dwight Bolinger, who first articulated it) suggests that there is a time relationship entailed in the meanings.  When the action of the main verb precedes the action of the direct object, the infinitive is used.  When the action of the direct object precedes that of the main verb, a gerund is used.  When the meaning of the main verb makes the distinction clear, such as with start or begin, either form is acceptable with no significant difference in meaning evident.  The explanation extends to certain verbs, too.  For example, both hope and expect are actions that must precede their objects, and only the infinitive is an acceptable complement for these verbs.  However, this simplistic description of Bolinger’s principle is flawed, for the verb anticipate, which is like hope and expect in its forward-looking meaning, takes the gerund only (I anticipate winning, not I anticipate to win).  Nevertheless, even a partial explanation can be welcome for students, and this may allow the next step to occur.  Bolinger’s Principle actually goes further to suggest that there is a difference in nuance if not in actual time relationship.  The gerund suggests an actual, fulfilled activity, whereas the infinitive refers to a hypothetical, unfulfilled activity.  The subtle difference will go unrecognized by most learners, but it may be helpful for a few.
There is another case where a hybrid verb form functions in roles that are typically filled by other words.  Take a look at the activity on the next page to see examples.

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