The gerund and the infinitive compared

 

§ 127. The gerund and the infinitive have much in common since they both have some nominal and some verbal features. However, in the infinitive the verbal nature is more prominent, whereas in the gerund the nominal one.

The basic difference in their meaning is that the gerund is more general, whereas the infinitive is more specific and more bound to some particular occasion. When they combine with the same verb the difference in their meaning and use should be fully realized.

 

1. With the verbs to like, to hate, to prefer the gerund expresses a more general or a habitual action, the infinitive a specific single action:

 

I like swimming (I am fond of swimming). I hate interrupting people. They prefer staying indoors when the weather is cold.

I shouldn’t like to swim in this lake. I hate to interrupt you, but I have to. I’dprefer to stay at home in this cold weather.

 

2. With the verbs to begin and to start either form may generally be used, but again the gerund is preferable when the action is more general.

 

She began singing when a child.

She went over to the piano and began to sing.

 

Nogerund is used:

 

a) when the finite verb is in the continuous form.

 

He is beginning to study French.

It’s beginning to rain.

 

b) with the verbs to understand and to see (meaning to understand).

 

He began to understand how it was done.

 

c) when the subject denotes a thing, not a living being.

 

The doors began to creak.

The clock began to strike.

 

3. The verb to remember is followed by a gerund when it means a prior action (to recall, to keep in one’s memory some past event), and by an infinitive when it means a simultaneous action (the working of one’s memory).

 

I remembered posting the letters. (Я помнил, что опустил письмо).

I remembered to post the letters. = I remembered and posted. (Я не забыл опустить письмо).

 

The same refers to the verb to forget.

 

I shall never forget hearing him sing (Я никогда не забуду как он пел).

Don’t forget to post the letters! (Не забудь опустить письма). I didn’t forget to post the letters. (Я не забыл опустить письма).

 

4. The verb to regret is followed by the gerund to suggest priority, whereas the infinitive suggests a simultaneous action.

 

I regret not having worked harder at the language as a boy. (Я сожалею, что не учил как следует языка в детстве). I regret following his advice. (Я сожалею, что последовал его совету).

I regret to inform you. (С сожалением сообщаю вам это). I regret to have to inform you. (Сожалею, что вынужден сообщить вам это).

 

5. a) after to stop the gerund is used when it suggests the end of the action denoted by the gerund, whereas the infinitive is used as an adverbial of purpose.

 

Stop arguing! (Перестань спорить!) I stopped talking. (Я замолчал).

I stopped to talk to a friend of mine (Я остановилась, чтобы поговорить с другом).

 

b) The phrasal verb to go on with a gerund suggests the continuation of the action, denoted by the gerund and forms part of a compound verbal predicate; an infinitive points out a new stage in the sequence of actions.

 

The teacher went on explaining the use of verbals (continued). (... продолжал объяснять ...)

The teacher went on to explain he use of the gerund after some verbs. (... объяснял одно правило за дру­гим .... т. е. употребление герун­дия после разных глаголов).

 

6. The verb to allow is used with a gerund when it is not followed by an indirect object.

 

They don’t allow smoking here. (Здесь курить запрещено).

They allowed us to smoke. (Они разрешили нам курить).