Understanding gerunds and infinitives correct usage can significantly boost your TOEFL speaking and writing scores. These forms of verbs appear in both academic and everyday English, and mastering them is key to sounding fluent and natural.
Gerunds and Infinitives Correct Usage: Overview of Gerunds: Form, Meaning, and Use
A gerund is the -ing form of a verb used as a noun. For example:- Swimming is good exercise.
- I enjoy reading at night.
Gerunds and Infinitives Correct Usage: Perfective, Progressive, and Passive Forms of Gerunds
Perfective Gerunds: show a completed action.She regrets having said that.
Progressive Gerunds: indicate ongoing action.
They talked about being interviewed tomorrow.
Passive Gerunds: show that the subject is receiving the action.
He mentioned being invited to the event.
Differentiating Between Gerunds and Infinitives with Meaning
Some verbs change meaning depending on whether a gerund or infinitive follows:- Remember doing = recall a past action
- Remember to do = don't forget to do something
- Stop doing = quit the activity
- Stop to do = pause to do something else
Gerunds and Infinitives as Direct Objects
Some verbs take gerunds, others take infinitives, and a few can take both (with or without a change in meaning):- Gerunds: enjoy, avoid, suggest, admit
- Infinitives: decide, plan, hope, learn
- Both: begin, continue, start, love
Gerunds as Objects of Prepositions and Phrasal Verbs
After prepositions and phrasal verbs, use gerunds:He is interested in learning English.
They talked about moving to Canada.
She gave up trying to reach him.
This rule is often tested implicitly in TOEFL Integrated Writing and Academic Discussions.
Expressing Past Events with Perfective Infinitives
Perfect infinitives express actions completed before the time of the main verb:He claimed to have finished the report.
⏳ Progressive and Passive Forms of Perfective Infinitives
Progressive Infinitive:She seemed to have been working all night.
Passive Infinitive:
The work was expected to have been completed by now.
Using these forms correctly adds sophistication to TOEFL responses.
Negative Forms of Perfective Infinitives
To express negation, insert “not” before the infinitive:He claimed not to have taken the money.
They appear not to have been informed.
Mastering these patterns helps eliminate vague or incorrect constructions in TOEFL Writing.
Sample TOEFL Tasks with Errors in Gerunds and Infinitives
Speaking Task Example (with 4 errors):I enjoy to read at night. Also, I remember to visited the museum last year. I stopped to listen to music when I was tired. I am looking forward to go on vacation.
Corrected Version:
I enjoy reading at night. Also, I remember visiting the museum last year. I stopped listening to music when I was tired. I am looking forward to going on vacation.
Analysis:
- Enjoy requires a gerund, not an infinitive.
- Remember visiting = recall, while “remember to visit” = future obligation.
- Stop listening means quitting the activity, not pausing to do it.
- Look forward to must be followed by a gerund.
I agree with the professor about take breaks during study. It helps avoiding burnout. Students must to learn how to balance their time.
Corrected Version:
I agree with the professor about taking breaks during study. It helps avoid burnout. Students must learn how to balance their time.