The Gerund and Infinitive : Cheat Sheet.

Texts in English

When one verb is followed by another verb, the second verb must be in the gerund or the infinitive. Generally, we use the infinitive after some verbs and the gerund after others. There are some verbs with which we can use either the gerund or the infinitive without changing the meaning of the sentences. In other cases, the use of one or the other changes the meaning of the sentence. These verbs are indicated in bold. Take note of the structures as indicated in the table, particularly for transitive verbs.

Verb	Gerund	Infinitive	Structure
admit	X		verb + ing
advise	X	X	verbo + ing o verb + object + to
afford		X	verb + to
agree		X	verb + to
allow	X	X	verb + ing o verb + object + to
appear		X	verb + to
arrange		X	verb + to
ask		X	verb + to o verb + object + to
attempt		X	verb + to
avoid	X		verb + ing
beg		X	verb + to o verb + object + to
begin	X	X	verb + ing o verb + to
bother	X	X	verb + ing o verb + to
carry on	X		verb + ing
choose		X	verb + to
claim		X	verb + to
consider	X		verb + ing
continue	X	X	verb + ing o verb + to
decide		X	verb + to
deny	X		verb + ing
deserve		X	verb + to
detest	X		verb + ing
enable		X	verb + object + to
encourage		X	verb + object + to
enjoy	X		verb + ing
expect		X	verb + to o verb + object + to
fail		X	verb + to
fancy	X		verb + ing
finish	X		verb + ing
force		X	verb + object + to
forget	X	X	verb + ing o verb + to
give up	X		verb + ing
go on	X	X	verb + ing o verb + to
hate	X	X	verb + ing o verb + to
help		X	verb + to o verb + object + to
hope		X	verb + to
imagine	X		verb + ing o verb + object + ing
intend		X	verb + to
invite		X	verb + object + to
keep (on)	X		verb + ing o verb + object + ing
learn		X	verb + to
let		X	verb + object + infinitive (without “to”)
like	X	X	verb + ing o verb + to
love	X	X	verb + ing o verb + to
make		X	verb + object + infinitive (without “to”)
manage		X	verb + to
mean (intend)		X	verb + to o verb + object + to
need	X	X	verb + ing o verb + to
offer		X	verb + to
order		X	verb + object + to
persuade		X	verb + object + to
plan		X	verb + to
postpone	X		verb + ing
prefer	X	X	verb + ing o verb + to
pretend		X	verb + to
promise		X	verb + to
put off	X		verb + ing
quit	X		verb + ing
recommend	X	X	verb + ing o verb + object + to
refuse		X	verb + to
regret	X	X	verb + ing o verb + to
remember	X	X	verb + ing o verb + to
remind		X	verb + object + to
risk	X		verb + ing
seem		X	verb + to
start	X	X	verb + ing o verb + to
stop	X	X	verb + (object) + ing o verb + to
suggest	X		verb + ing
teach		X	verb + object + to
tell		X	verb + object + to
tend		X	verb + to
threaten		X	verb + to
tolerate	X		verb + ing
try	X	X	verb + ing o verb + to
understand	X		verb + ing
want		X	verb + to o verb + object + to
warn		X	verb + object + to

Cuando un verbo sigue a otro verbo, siempre necesitamos usar el infinitivo o el gerundio. Normalmente usamos el infinitivo después de algunos verbos y el gerundio después de otros. También hay verbos con los que podemos usar el gerundio o el infinitivo sin cambiar el significado. En otros casos, el uso de uno o el otro cambia el significado de la frase. Estos verbos están indicados en negrita. Tome nota de las estructuras como se indica en la tabla, sobre todo la de los verbos transitivos.

Verbo	Gerundio	Infinitivo	Estructura
admit admitir	X		verbo + ing
advise aconsejar	X	X	verbo + ing o verbo + objeto + to
afford permitirse		X	verbo + to
agree acordarse		X	verbo + to
allow permitir	X	X	verbo + ing o verbo + objeto + to
appear parecer		X	verbo + to
arrange arreglar		X	verbo + to
ask preguntar		X	verbo + to o verbo + objeto + to
attempt intentar		X	verbo + to
avoid evitar	X		verbo + ing
beg suplicar		X	verbo + to o verbo + objeto + to
begin empezar	X	X	verbo + ing o verbo + to
bother preocuparse	X	X	verbo + ing o verbo + to
carry on seguir	X		verbo + ing
choose escoger		X	verbo + to
claim reclamar		X	verbo + to
consider considerar	X		verbo + ing
continue continuar	X	X	verbo + ing o verbo + to
decide decidir		X	verbo + to
deny denegar	X		verbo + ing
deserve merecer		X	verbo + to
detest detestar	X		verbo + ing
enable permitir		X	verbo + objeto + to
encourage animar		X	verbo + objeto + to
enjoy disfrutar	X		verbo + ing
expect esperar		X	verbo + to o verbo + objeto + to
fail fracasar, suspender		X	verbo + to
fancy apetecer	X		verbo + ing
finish terminar	X		verbo + ing
force forzar		X	verbo + objeto + to
forget olvidar	X	X	verbo + ing o verbo + to
give up rendirse	X		verbo + ing
go on seguir	X	X	verbo + ing o verbo + to
hate odiar	X	X	verbo + ing o verbo + to
help ayudar		X	verbo + to o verbo + objeto + to
hope esperar		X	verbo + to
imagine imaginar	X		verbo + ing o verbo + objeto + ing
intend pretender		X	verbo + to
invite invitar		X	verbo + objeto + to
keep (on) seguir	X		verbo + ing o verbo + objeto + ing
learn aprender		X	verbo + to
let dejar		X	verbo + objeto + infinitivo (sin “to”)
like gustar	X	X	verbo + ing o verbo + to
love encantar	X	X	verbo + ing o verbo + to
make hacer		X	verbo + objeto + infinitivo (sin “to”)
manage manejar		X	verbo + to
mean tener intención		X	verbo + to o verbo + objeto + to
need necesitar	X	X	verbo + ing o verbo + to
offer ofrecer		X	verbo + to
order mandar		X	verbo + objeto + to
persuade persuadir		X	verbo + objeto + to
plan planear		X	verbo + to
postpone posponer	X		verbo + ing
prefer preferir	X	X	verbo + ing o verbo + to
pretend fingir		X	verbo + to
promise prometer		X	verbo + to
put off aplazar	X		verbo + ing
quit dejar	X		verbo + ing
recommend recomendar	X	X	verbo + ing o verbo + objeto + to
refuse rechazar		X	verbo + to
regret lamentar	X	X	verbo + ing o verbo + to
remember acordarse	X	X	verbo + ing o verbo + to
remind recordar		X	verbo + objeto + to
risk arriesgar	X		verbo + ing
seem parecer		X	verbo + to
start comenzar	X	X	verbo + ing o verbo + to
stop parar, dejar	X	X	verbo + (objeto) + ing o verbo + to
suggest sugerir	X		verbo + ing
teach enseñar		X	verbo + objeto + to
tell decir, contar		X	verbo + objeto + to
tend tender a		X	verbo + to
threaten amenazar		X	verbo + to
tolerate tolerar	X		verbo + ing
try intentar	X	X	verbo + ing o verbo + to
understand entender	X		verbo + ing
want querer		X	verbo + to o verbo + objeto + to
warn avisar		X	verbo + objeto + to