Gerunds & Infinitives

It is important to realise that verbos cannot be learnt in isolation. You should learn what follows each verb in order to use it accurately.

          GERUND:

We use gerund in the following cases:

 - After verbs such as involve, avoid, consider, mind ans risk.

         EX: Do you mind telling me what you are doing?

 -After many verbs which expresses like or dislikes, such as love, hate, loathe, enjoy.

          EX: I love cooking.

 - As a subject or object:

        EX: Eating is not permitted on the premises. 

 - After prepositions, phrasal verbs and expressions ending in a preposition:

        EX: He burnt the letter after reading it.

        INFINITIVE:

We use the bare infinitive (infinitive without to):

  - After modal verbs: 

         EX: We should listen to what he says.

  - After make and let:

         EX: They made me wear school uniform.

                 You wouldn't let me play.

  

We use the full infinitive (infinitive with to):

  - To express a reason or purpose:

    EX: He enrolled in the evening classes to improve his German.

  -After certain verbs such as appear  manage, seem, want, intend, plan, decide, would like and prefer.

  - Verbs which have two objects: encourage, request, advise, recommend, tell and ask.

  - EX: His mother encouraged him to apply for the course.

But there are some verbs which take both the infinitive or the gerund with a change of meaning.
 These verbs are, for example, like, try, stop, remember, hate and mean.


Let's do some exercises to check:

GRAMMAR: Conditionals

There are four types of conditionals:

ZERO CONDITIONAL: When we talk about things that are generally or always true. 

If/Whether + Present Simple/Continuous + Present Simple/Continuous

EX: If you do aerobic exercise, you burn up calories.

FIRST CONDITIONAL: Future  events that are likely to happen.

If/ Whether + Present tense + Will/ Won't

EX: Whether we don'y hurry up, we will be late.

SECOND CONDITIONAL: To talk about very improbable situations 

If/ Whether + Past simple + Would + Infinitive

EX: If I had a million dolars, I would buy ten cars.

THIRD CONDITIONAL: When we talk about impossible conditions because they are in the past and we can't change the past.

If/ Whether + Past perfect + Would Have + Participle 

EX: If I had worked harder, I would have got better marks.

Exercises:

 -  If he _________________ (be) younger, he _________________ (travel) more. 

- If I __________________ (go) out tonight, I __________________ (go) to the cinema.

 - If we __________________ (not / see) each other tomorrow, we_________________ (see) each other next week.

 - If he __________________ (come), I __________________ (be) surprised.

 - If I _________________ (be) you, I _________________ (get) a new job.

 -  If he _________________ (be) younger, he _________________ (travel) more.

 -  If we _________________ (not / be) friends, I _________________ (be) angry with you.

 - If you ______________ (not / be) late, we ______________ (not / miss) the bus.

 -  If she ______________ (study), she ______________ (pass) the exam.

 -  If they ______________ (go) to bed early, they ______________ (not / wake) up late

 -  If we ______________ (arrive) earlier, we ______________ (see) John.

 - If you __________________ (get) back late, I __________________ (be) angry.

-  If I _________________ (have) enough money, I _________________ (buy) a big house.