Teaching Gerunds and Infinitives — ESL Activities and Rules

Published April 12, 2026 · Grammar

The Core Challenge

There's no logical rule that explains why we say "enjoy swimming" but "want to swim." Verb patterns are largely arbitrary — students must memorize which verbs take gerund (-ing), which take infinitive (to + verb), and which take both (with or without meaning change). The good news: high-frequency patterns cover 80% of usage.

Categorizing Verbs

Pattern	Common Verbs	Example
Verb + gerund	enjoy, avoid, finish, mind, suggest, consider, keep, practice	"I enjoy reading."
Verb + infinitive	want, need, decide, plan, hope, agree, refuse, learn, promise	"I want to learn."
Both (same meaning)	start, begin, continue, like, love, hate, prefer	"I started working / to work."
Both (different meaning)	stop, remember, forget, try, regret	"I stopped smoking" ≠ "I stopped to smoke"

Teaching the Meaning-Change Verbs

These are the most important for B2+ students:

Stop + gerund: quit the activity. "I stopped smoking" = I don't smoke anymore.
Stop + infinitive: pause to do something. "I stopped to smoke" = I paused (walking, working) in order to have a cigarette.
Remember + gerund: recall a past action. "I remember locking the door" = I have a memory of doing it.
Remember + infinitive: not forget to do something. "Remember to lock the door" = Don't forget.
Try + gerund: experiment. "Try adding salt" = See if adding salt helps.
Try + infinitive: make an effort. "Try to open the window" = Make an effort to open it.

Practice Activities

Sentence completion with personal truth: "I enjoy ___." "I want to ___." "I avoid ___." Students complete with real information, then share. Makes grammar personal and memorable.
Error correction: "She suggested to go to the cinema" → "She suggested going to the cinema." Provide 15 sentences, students identify and fix errors.
Meaning-change scenarios: Show two pictures — one for each meaning. "Remember to buy milk" (note on fridge) vs. "I remember buying my first car" (nostalgic photo).
Verb pattern quiz: Flash a verb, students hold up G (gerund) or I (infinitive) card. Speed builds automaticity.
Story writing: Include 10 verbs from a specific pattern category. Students write a story using all 10 correctly.

After Prepositions: Always Gerund

A useful rule students can actually apply: after any preposition, use the gerund. "Interested in learning," "good at speaking," "worried about failing," "instead of waiting." This rule has virtually no exceptions and helps students produce correct sentences consistently.

Should I teach gerunds and infinitives together or separately?

Separately first (B1: gerund verbs → infinitive verbs), then compare (B2). Teaching both simultaneously overwhelms. Let students build confidence with each pattern before introducing the contrast.

How do I help students remember which verbs take which pattern?

Mnemonics, frequency exposure, and personal sentences. "MEGAFEPS" (mind, enjoy, give up, avoid, finish, escape, practice, suggest) for gerund verbs. But ultimately, extensive reading and listening builds intuitive feel better than memorized lists.

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