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B1 · grammar

Gerund and Infinitive Exercises (B1) — Free

Gerund or infinitive: which verb pattern comes after the first verb

When one verb follows another, the first verb decides the form of the second. Some verbs take the -ing form (gerund): enjoy, mind, avoid, finish, suggest (I enjoy cooking). Others take to + infinitive: want, decide, hope, promise, would like (We decided to stay). After a preposition, always use -ing (She's good at drawing), and this includes 'look forward to': I'm looking forward to meeting you, not 'to meet'. To say why someone does something, use to + infinitive (I went out to buy bread); a common mistake is 'for buy' or 'for to buy'. A few verbs change their meaning: 'stop doing' means you don't do it anymore, while 'stop to do' means you stop one thing in order to do another. To make the infinitive negative, put 'not' before 'to' (He promised not to be late).

  1. I enjoy (read) before I go to sleep.

  2. We decided (take) the train because it was cheaper.

  3. My sister is very good at (draw).

  4. Would you like (come) to the cinema with us tonight?

  5. He avoids (drive) at night because he can't see well.

  6. I don't mind (wait) for a few minutes.

  7. They promised (not/be) late again.

  8. She went to the supermarket (buy) some bread.

  9. I'm looking forward to (meet) your family next weekend.

  10. Did you remember (lock) the door when you left?

  11. I stopped (eat) meat two years ago. Now I'm a vegetarian.

  12. On the way home, we stopped at a café (have) a coffee.

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