Session-16

The Crooked Twins - Gerunds and Infinitives (Basics)

The part of Gerund Infinitive
Role
speech (V-ing) (To + Base form)
Yes Yes
• Subject
[Smoking is harmful] [To smoke is harmful]
Yes Yes
o Noun • Object of the verb
[I like driving] [I tried to run]
• Object of the Yes
No
preposition [Thanks for helping]
Yes
o Adjective • Modifies a Noun No
[I found no place to sit]
Yes (For humans)
• Modifies an adj No [Food is necessary to
survive]
o Adverb
Yes
• Modifies a verb –
No [I went to market to
replies why
buy a pen]

Concept-1:
• Gerund → V-ing
• To infinitive → To + base form of the verb
o “To” is not preposition here. It is called part of an
infinitive.
o Three phrases that can replace “to” (when infinitive is
used as an adverb of reason) -
▪ In order to + Base form
▪ So as to + Base form
▪ In a bid to + Base form
▪ With a view to + Gerund (V-ing)
Concept-2:
• Both denote an action but are not the main verb of a sentence.
Hence, “Gerund”, “Infinitive” and “Participle” are called “Semi-
verbs”.
 Concept-3: Gerund/Infinitive as “Subject”
• Gerunds are infinitives – as subject – are nothing but the “Noun”
forms of a “Verb”.

• Gerund (as a subject) – Very common, denotes an existing activity

• Infinitive (as a subject) – Very formal, neutral, idiomatic, a touch
of future.
• Just like regular verbs, gerunds and infinitives can also take their
objects, whenever they need.
o Gerund + object (replies to “What”)
o Infinitive + object (replies to “What”)

• Gerund/Infinitive (as a subject) + singular verb (Always)

✔ Apples sehat ke ✔ Apples are good for health.

liye ache hote hain.
Subject – Noun

✔ Tairna (swim ✔ Using a gerund: Swimming is good for

karna) sehat ke liye health.
accha hai. ✔ Using an infinitive: To swim is good for
Subject – Verb health.

✔ Har roj ek apple ✔ Using a gerund: Eating an apple every

khana sehat ke liye day is good for health.
achha hai. ✔ Using an infinitive: To eat an apple
Subject – Verb every day is good for health.

✔ Har roj 2 apples ✔✔ Using a gerund: Eating two apples

khana sehat ke liye every day is good for health.
achha hai. ✔ Using an infinitive: To eat two apples
Subject – Verb every day is good for health.

- Every day = Har roj

- Everyday = Normal, routine
Concept-4: Gerund/Infinitive as “Object”
• When – A Verb + Gerund or Infinitive (replies to “What”)
→ They are called objects of the verb
o Category-1: 90% of verbs + Infinitive
o Category-2: 8% of verbs + Gerund
o Category-3: 1% of verbs + Infinitive/Gerund (Same meaning)
o Category-4: 1% of verbs + Infinitive/Gerund (Different meaning)
Category-2 verbs:
Consider Avoid Imagine Practice
Resume Finish Resent Report
Mind Not Mind Can’t help Resist
Enjoy Tolerate
Spend time Waste time
Admit Deny
Keep on Postpone

Category-3 verbs:
Like Dislike Propose Suggest Recommend
Love Hate Can’t Stand Can’t bear
Prefer Neglect
Continue Cease Start Begin
Propose Bother
 Category-4 verbs: Try, Forget, Remember, Stop, Regret
Verb + Gerund + To Infinitive
Experiment Genuine effort
Try
• I tried cooking a pizza. • I tried to reach in time.
To keep an action in mind
To remember a past action
(future)
Remember • I remember watching this
• Please remember to bring
movie.
your examination ticket.
To forget a past action To forget an action (future)
Forget • She forgot watching this • She forgot to bring her
movie. examination ticket.
To cease/discontinue a past To stop on your way to
Stop activity perform an action
• I stopped meeting a friend. • I stopped to meet a friend.
Regret for a past action
Regret for an ongoing action
Regret • You should regret wasting a
• I regret call you at this time.
chance.

✔ Mujhe apki madad ki ✔ I need your help.

jarurat hai.
Verb object – Noun

✔ Mary USA ghoomna ✔ Using a gerund: Mary wants visiting

chahti hai. the USA.
Verb object – Verb ✔ Using an infinitive: Mary wants to visit
the USA.
✔ Smita ne apne school ✔ Using a gerund: Smita enjoyed
friends ke sath waqt spending time with her school friends.
gujarana enjoy kiya. ✔ Using an infinitive: Smita enjoyed
Verb object – Verb to spend time with her school friends.
 Concept-5: Gerund/Infinitive as “the object of a preposition”
Common prepositions: - In, into, on, upon, at, to, by, with, after, before,
above, below, including, following, considering
✔ Vo Maths me acchi ✔ She is good at Mathematics.
hai.
Verb object – Noun

✔ Jyadatar politicians ✔ Using a gerund: Most politicians are

sarkari paiso ka fayda uthane good at taking benefit of public money.
me ache hote hai. ✔ Using an infinitive: Not possible using
Prepo. object – Verb an “to infinitive” after a preposition.
✔ Mai apni haliya ✔ Using a gerund: I am thinking to leave
naukari ko apna khud ka my ongoing/current job for starting my own
business shuru karne ke liye business.
chhodne ka soch rha hu. ✔ I am considering leaving my
Prep/Verb object – Verb ongoing/current job to start my own
business.
✔ I am considering leaving my
ongoing/current job in order to start my own
business.
✔ I am considering leaving my
ongoing/current job so as to start my own
business.
✔ I am considering leaving my
ongoing/current job in a bid to start my own
business.
✔ I am considering leaving my
ongoing/current job with a view to starting
my own business.
✔ Using an infinitive: Not possible

✔ Sehatmand jindagi ke ✔ Using a gerund: Doctor suggested to

liye, Doctor ne use smoking stop smoking to him/her for healthy life.
band karna suggest kiya. ✔ Doctor suggested stopping to smoke
Verb object – Noun/Verb to him/her for healthy life.
✔ Using an infinitive: Not possible
Extra writing tip-1:
Good, Better, Poor, Bad, Worse... etc + at + something
Extra writing tip-2:
To express an objective (Adverb of reason)
For humans → To infinitive [To play/sing]
For non-humans → For + Gerund [For playing/singing]
 Home-work task (Video solutions in the next class)
✔ Judge ne mulajim (accused) se puchha, ✔
“Kya ap apne customers ko nakli Chinese
products sell karke unhe thagne lene ki baat se
inkar kar rhe ho?”

Thagna – cheat
Past action se Inkar karna – deny
✔ Kisi bhi insaan ko, apne sapno ko pura ✔
karne ke liye, apni sari energy ko ek single goal
par focus karte hue bematlab ki cheezo par time
waste karna avoid karna chahiye.
✔ Durso ko musibat ke waqt madad karna ✔
ek aisa sabak hai jo har ma/bap ko apne bache ko
sikane ke bare me consider karna chahiye.
✔ Jindagi ke kisi ne kisi padav me, kai ✔
nakayab log us par hard work na karne ko
pachhtate hai jisme vo ache the.
(Use many a/an here)
Padav – point, stage, juncture

✔ Interest rates ko kam rakh kar ke, RBI ki ✔

bajar me nakdi ko banaye rakhne ki koshish abhi
bhi jari hai. (Markets jo pendemic ke bad lagaye
gaye lock-downs se mar kha chuki hai- Relative
clause)

Nakdi – Liquidity
Lockdowns lagana – impose/enforce