Welcome! When speaking or writing English, choosing between a gerund (verb + -ing) and an infinitive (to + verb) can be very confusing. For instance, students enjoy learning new skills, but they plan to wake up early to study.
In this lesson, we will learn which main verbs require a gerund and which require an infinitive, focusing on common situations in everyday life and professional environments.
warning Learning Tip
There is no single logical rule for this—you simply have to memorize the pairings! Words like enjoy and avoid are always followed by a gerund. Words like plan, decide, and need are always followed by an infinitive.
Grammar Patterns in Action
Requires Gerund
Enjoy
Always follow 'enjoy' with a verb ending in -ing.
Example: Many people enjoy reading a good book after a long day at the office.
Requires Gerund
Avoid
Always follow 'avoid' with a verb ending in -ing.
Example: You should avoid eating heavy meals right before going to bed.
Requires Gerund
Stop
Follow 'stop' with -ing to mean you quit doing an action.
Example: The team will start the meeting when everyone stops talking.
Requires Infinitive
Plan
Always follow 'plan' with to + verb.
Example: They plan to launch the new app next month.
Requires Infinitive
Decide
Always follow 'decide' with to + verb.
Example: The committee decided to approve the new budget.
Requires Infinitive
Need
Always follow 'need' with to + verb.
Example: You need to finish the report before Friday.
Knowledge Check
favorite Health Advice
You are reading a fitness blog. "You should avoid _____ too much caffeine late at night."
work Career Goals
Your colleague asks about your goals. "I plan _____ a new coding language this year."
school Post-Workshop Discussion
Which sentence is correct when asking a classmate about an event?
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Study Resources
Lesson Summary & Review
Let's review the key concepts covered in the interactive module above to ensure you are ready to construct perfect sentences.
Gerunds vs. Infinitives
- Gerunds: Verbs that act like nouns and end in -ing (e.g., swimming, reading). Verbs like enjoy, avoid, and stop require a gerund after them.
- Infinitives: The base form of a verb preceded by to (e.g., to swim, to read). Verbs like plan, decide, and need require an infinitive after them.
