Verbs and tense A2 B1 B2

Gerunds and infinitives

Choose -ing or to + verb after common verbs, adjectives, nouns, prepositions, and expressions.

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Визуална схема

The frame chooses the second action shape

FRAME = word/phrase before the second action

FRAME asks: “How do I see the second action?”
        │
        ├─ as an activity / thing → verb + -ing
        │  I enjoy cooking at home.
        │
        ├─ as a next step / goal → to + verb
        │  I want to cook tonight.
        │
        └─ to is a connector in the frame → to + verb-ing
           I’m looking forward to meeting you.

Look at the frame before the second action: it chooses -ing, to + verb, or to + -ing when to is a connector.

Introduction

Two forms for a second action

English often puts a second action after a first word: a verb, adjective, noun, or preposition. That second action usually appears as a gerund, the -ing form used like a noun, or as an infinitive, to + base verb. The choice is not simply about time. It depends on the frame before the action. Compare I enjoy cooking at home with I want to cook tonight. Learn common frames as chunks, because the first word often chooses the form that follows.

Core Граматика A2 Лексика A1 Neutral

I enjoy cooking at home.

Enjoy is followed by a gerund, not an infinitive.

Градивни елементи

Четете изречението на смислови части, а не дума по дума.

I enjoy cooking

subject_plus_verb_frame

A verb frame with a gerund after enjoy.

Запомнете като едно цяло

at home

time_place_context

Adds where the activity happens.

Contrast Граматика A2 Лексика A1 Neutral

I want to cook tonight.

Want points to a desired next action, so it takes to + verb.

Градивни елементи

Четете изречението на смислови части, а не дума по дума.

I want to cook

subject_plus_verb_frame

A verb frame with an infinitive after want.

Запомнете като едно цяло

tonight

time_context

Adds when the action may happen.

Cognitive metaphor

Activity as a thing, action as a next step

A useful image: a gerund turns an action into a thing you can name, discuss, like, avoid, or place after a preposition. It treats the action as an activity or topic. An infinitive often points to a next step, aim, need, plan, or result. Running every morning gives her energy names the activity. She went outside to run points to purpose. This image helps, but it is not a complete rule for every verb. Use it together with memorized frames such as enjoy doing, decide to do, and be interested in doing.

Core Граматика A2 Лексика A2 Neutral

Running every morning gives her energy.

A gerund phrase can act like a noun phrase and be the subject of a sentence.

Градивни елементи

Четете изречението на смислови части, а не дума по дума.

Running every morning

gerund_subject

The -ing form names the activity as the subject.

Запомнете като едно цяло

gives her energy

main_predicate

Says what the activity does for her.

Contrast Граматика A2 Лексика A1 Neutral

She went outside to run.

The infinitive often points to purpose or a next step.

Градивни елементи

Четете изречението на смислови части, а не дума по дума.

She went outside

main_action

The main action.

to run

purpose_infinitive

The infinitive shows the purpose of going outside.

Запомнете като едно цяло

Core pattern

Verb frames choose -ing or to + verb

Many verbs strongly prefer one form after them. Use gerunds after enjoy, avoid, finish, consider, suggest, miss, and mind. He avoided answering the question. Use infinitives after want, need, hope, plan, decide, agree, promise, offer, refuse, and learn. She promised not to be late. With some verbs, the object comes before the infinitive: ask someone to do something, tell someone to do something, want someone to do something, need someone to do something. These frames are more reliable than a general meaning guess, so learn them as verb patterns.

Core Граматика B1 Лексика A2 Neutral

He avoided answering the question.

Avoid belongs to the group of verbs followed by -ing.

Градивни елементи

Четете изречението на смислови части, а не дума по дума.

He avoided answering

verb_plus_gerund

Avoid is followed by a gerund.

Запомнете като едно цяло

the question

object

The thing he did not answer.

Negative Граматика A2 Лексика A1 Neutral

She promised not to be late.

The negative infinitive is not to + verb.

Градивни елементи

Четете изречението на смислови части, а не дума по дума.

She promised not to be

verb_plus_negative_infinitive

Promise is followed by an infinitive; not goes before to.

Запомнете като едно цяло

late

complement

The state she promised to avoid.

Sentence xray

How the chunks fit together

Sentence X-ray shows how the frame holds the second action. Do you mind waiting here? chunks as Do you mind waiting / here; the core is Do you mind waiting, a polite request frame. They asked me to send the file chunks as They / asked me to send / the file; the core is asked me to send, verb + object + infinitive. The object me receives the request, and to send the file is the requested action. The first verb carries tense: asked, ask, will ask. The following form stays waiting or to send.

Question Граматика B1 Лексика A1 Neutral

Do you mind waiting here?

Mind is followed by a gerund; Do you mind -ing? is a useful polite request.

Градивни елементи

Четете изречението на смислови части, а не дума по дума.

Do you mind waiting

polite_question_frame

A polite question frame followed by a gerund.

Запомнете като едно цяло

here

place_context

The place where the listener waits.

Core Граматика B1 Лексика A2 Neutral

They asked me to send the file.

Some verbs take object + to + verb: ask someone to do something.

Градивни елементи

Четете изречението на смислови части, а не дума по дума.

They

subject

The people making the request.

asked me to send

verb_object_infinitive

Ask someone to do something.

Запомнете като едно цяло

the file

object

The thing to send.

Contrast

To + verb or to + -ing?

Be careful with to. Sometimes to starts an infinitive, and the next word is the base verb: I hope to meet you. Sometimes to is a preposition inside an expression, and after any preposition English uses a gerund: I’m looking forward to meeting you. Common preposition frames include be interested in doing, think about doing, apologize for doing, insist on doing, and leave without doing. The same logic explains be used to doing: I’m used to working late means working late is familiar. It is different from used to do, which talks about a past habit.

Contrast Граматика A2 Лексика A1 Neutral

I hope to meet you.

Here to marks an infinitive, so it is followed by the base verb meet.

Градивни елементи

Четете изречението на смислови части, а не дума по дума.

I hope to meet

infinitive_after_verb

Hope is followed by an infinitive.

Запомнете като едно цяло

you

object

The person the speaker wants to meet.

Contrast Граматика B1 Лексика A2 Neutral

I’m looking forward to meeting you.

In this expression, to is a preposition, not an infinitive marker.

Градивни елементи

Четете изречението на смислови части, а не дума по дума.

I’m looking forward to meeting

preposition_expression

Look forward to uses to as a preposition, so the next verb is -ing.

Запомнете като едно цяло

you

object

The person the speaker will meet.

Contrast Граматика B1 Лексика A2 Neutral

I’m used to working late.

Be used to doing means something is familiar; it is not the same as used to do for past habits.

Градивни елементи

Четете изречението на смислови части, а не дума по дума.

I’m used to working

familiarity_expression

Be used to is followed by a gerund because to is a preposition.

Запомнете като едно цяло

late

time_manner_context

Describes the working pattern.

Core pattern

After adjectives and nouns

After many adjectives, use an infinitive to complete the idea. It can explain difficulty, readiness, emotion, possibility, or judgment: It’s hard to explain. It also appears after too and enough: too tired to drive, old enough to vote. After nouns, the infinitive often tells what the noun is for or what action belongs to it: We need a place to stay. With nouns followed by prepositions, the preposition controls the form, so use a gerund: There is no excuse for arriving late. Practical frames are adjective + to do, noun + to do, and preposition + doing.

Core Граматика A2 Лексика A1 Neutral

It’s hard to explain.

Many adjectives are completed by an infinitive.

Градивни елементи

Четете изречението на смислови части, а не дума по дума.

It’s hard

dummy_subject_adjective

An adjective evaluation frame.

to explain

infinitive_complement

The infinitive completes the adjective idea.

Запомнете като едно цяло

Core Граматика A2 Лексика A1 Neutral

We need a place to stay.

An infinitive can complete a noun by showing purpose or use.

Градивни елементи

Четете изречението на смислови части, а не дума по дума.

We need a place

need_plus_noun

The noun that needs more information.

to stay

noun_infinitive

The infinitive explains the purpose of the place.

Запомнете като едно цяло

Core Граматика B1 Лексика A2 Neutral

There is no excuse for arriving late.

After a preposition such as for, use a gerund.

Градивни елементи

Четете изречението на смислови части, а не дума по дума.

There is no excuse for arriving

negative_noun_frame

For is a preposition, so it is followed by a gerund.

Запомнете като едно цяло

late

time_manner_context

Adds what was wrong about the arrival.

Contrast

Same verb, different meaning

Some verbs can take both forms, but the meaning changes. Stop doing means end an activity: We stopped talking when the movie started. Stop to do means pause one activity in order to do another: We stopped to talk to a neighbor. Remember to do and forget to do are about a duty or action that may happen later; remember doing and forget doing look back at an earlier action. Try doing means test a method; try to do means make an effort. Regret doing is about a past action, while regret to say or regret to inform is a formal announcement.

Contrast Граматика B1 Лексика A2 Neutral

We stopped talking when the movie started.

The gerund after stop names the activity that ended.

Градивни елементи

Четете изречението на смислови части, а не дума по дума.

We stopped talking

stop_plus_gerund

Stop doing means end an activity.

Запомнете като едно цяло

when the movie started

time_clause

Shows when the activity ended.

Contrast Граматика B1 Лексика A2 Neutral

We stopped to talk to a neighbor.

The infinitive after stop gives the purpose of stopping.

Градивни елементи

Четете изречението на смислови части, а не дума по дума.

We stopped to talk

stop_plus_infinitive

Stop to do means stop another activity in order to do this.

Запомнете като едно цяло

to a neighbor

recipient_or_partner

The person they talked to.

Form variations

Negatives, passive forms, and perfect forms

Gerunds and infinitives also have negative and passive forms. For an infinitive negative, put not before to: promise not to do, decide not to go. For a gerund negative, put not before the -ing form: not going, not replying. Passive infinitives use to be + past participle: They hope to be invited. Passive gerunds use being + past participle: She dislikes being interrupted. Perfect forms such as having finished or to have finished are possible, but they are less common in everyday speech. Use them mainly when the time relationship must be very clear.

Formal Граматика B2 Лексика A2 Neutral

They hope to be invited.

Passive infinitives are useful when the subject receives the action.

Градивни елементи

Четете изречението на смислови части, а не дума по дума.

They hope

subject_plus_verb

The controlling verb.

to be invited

passive_infinitive

Passive infinitive: to be + past participle.

Запомнете като едно цяло

Core Граматика B2 Лексика B1 Neutral

She dislikes being interrupted.

Passive gerunds use being + past participle.

Градивни елементи

Четете изречението на смислови части, а не дума по дума.

She dislikes being interrupted

verb_plus_passive_gerund

Dislike is followed by a gerund; being interrupted is passive.

Запомнете като едно цяло

Danger zone

Common mistakes to avoid

Common errors come from forcing one form everywhere. A common mistake is I enjoy to cook at home. The corrected frame is I enjoy cooking at home. Another danger is using to after verbs that take a bare infinitive. After let and make, use object + base verb; help can use either base verb or to + base verb. Also avoid putting an infinitive after a preposition: after, before, by, for, in, of, about, without, and to in preposition expressions all need -ing. If you are unsure, check the whole frame, not only the second verb.

Mistake Граматика A2 Лексика A1 Neutral

I enjoy to cook at home.

Enjoy is not followed by an infinitive in standard English.

Corrected Граматика A2 Лексика A1 Neutral

I enjoy cooking at home.

Use enjoy + -ing.

Градивни елементи

Четете изречението на смислови части, а не дума по дума.

I enjoy cooking

verb_plus_gerund

Enjoy is followed by the gerund.

Запомнете като едно цяло

at home

place_context

Adds where the activity happens.

Summary

Choose by frame first

Quick decision path: first look at the word before the second action. If it is a preposition, choose -ing. If it is an adjective or a noun that needs completion, to + verb is often natural. If it is a verb, learn that verb’s frame: enjoy doing, decide to do, ask someone to do. Then check special verbs whose meaning changes, such as stop or remember. Finally, place not before the form, not inside it. Gerunds name activities; infinitives often point to a next step, but frames decide the final choice.

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Gerunds and infinitives

The frame chooses the second action shape

Two forms for a second action

Градивни елементи

Градивни елементи

Activity as a thing, action as a next step

Градивни елементи

Градивни елементи

Verb frames choose -ing or to + verb

Градивни елементи

Градивни елементи

How the chunks fit together

Градивни елементи

Градивни елементи

To + verb or to + -ing?

Градивни елементи

Градивни елементи

Градивни елементи

After adjectives and nouns

Градивни елементи

Градивни елементи

Градивни елементи

Same verb, different meaning

Градивни елементи

Градивни елементи

Negatives, passive forms, and perfect forms

Градивни елементи

Градивни елементи

Common mistakes to avoid

Градивни елементи

Choose by frame first

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