Gerunds and Infinitives - CAE Advanced

Gerunds and infinitives

COMPLEX GERUNDS AND INFINITIVES
We use a passive gerund (being done) or a passive infinitive (to be done) to describe actions which
are done to the subject.
1.
2.
3.
4.

She loves being told how pretty she is.

I'm tired of being lied to. I want the truth.
It's very difficult to get promoted in this company.
My car needs to be serviced.

We use a perfect gerund (having done) or a perfect infinitive (to have done) if we want to
emphasize that an action is completed or in the past. Often there is no difference between using a
simple gerund or infinitive and a perfect gerund or infinitive, e.g.
He denied stealing / having stolen the money.
It was our fault. We were silly not to lock / not to have locked the car.

1.
2.
3.
4.

He thanked them for having helped him.

Having studied English before makes it easier to learn this course.
How wonderful to have finished all our exams!
By the time I'm 30, I hope to have started a family.

We use the perfect infinitive after would like, would love, would hate, would prefer, and would
rather to talk about an earlier action.
Compare:
I would like to see the Eiffel Tower. (when I go to Paris in the future)
I would like to have seen the Eiffel Tower. (I was in Paris, but I didn't see it)

1. I would like to have seen your face when they told you you'd won the competition!
2. We would rather have stayed in a more central hotel, but they were all full.
We use a continuous infinitive (to be + verb + -ing) to say that an action / event is in progress
around the time we are talking about.
1. I'd like to be lying on the beach right now.
2. She seems to be coughing a lot do you think she's OK?

Gerunds and Infinitives - CAE Advanced

OTHER USES OF GERUNDS AND INFINITIVES
We use the gerund after certain expressions with it or there, e.g. It's no use, There's no point, It's
not worth, etc.
1. It's no use worrying. There's nothing you can do.
2. Is there any point (in) asking him? He never says anything useful.
3. It's no good talking to my dad because he doesn't listen to me.
We use the infinitive (with to) after nouns formed from verbs which take the infinitive, e.g. agree,
plan, hope, etc.
1. We had an agreement to share the costs.
2. Our plan is to leave on Saturday.
We use the infinitive (with to) after expressions with quantifiers, e.g. enough, too much, a lot,
plenty of, etc. When we want to refer to the subject of the infinitive verb we use for + person or
object pronoun before the infinitive. This can be used before any infinitive structure, e.g. after
adjectives: It's very difficult for me to decide.
1. You can't visit the Louvre in a day there's too much to see.
2. There wasn't enough snow for us to ski.
3. A whole Big Mac is too much for a kid to eat!
We use the infinitive (with to) after something, anywhere, etc.
1. Is there anything to eat?
2. There's nowhere to go at night.
We use the infinitive (with to) after question words (except why).
1. I don't know where to go or what to do.
2. Please tell me what to do. Its my first day at work.
We use the infinitive (with to) after superlatives and first, second, last, etc, e.g. Who was the first
person to walk on the moon?
1. He's the youngest player ever to play for England.

Gerunds and Infinitives - CAE Advanced

PRACTICE
Gerunds and infinitives
ACTIVITY 1: Complete these sentences with the correct infinitive or gerund form of the verbs.
Then check the answers.
become - complain - forget - program - ridicule set up sniff take wear
1. Diana apologized for .. my name the day before.
2. My parents never record TV programs because they don't know how their
DVD player.
3. You seem .. a lot at the moment. Have you got a cold?
4. Pedro is fed up with . by the other students in his class because he's
so tall.
5. It's no good about your back. Why don't you make an
appointment to see the doctor?
6. What was the last animal . extinct?
7. Mariana is panicking because the wedding is next week and she still hasn't got anything
.
8. There's no point in antibiotics if you've got a virus.
9. Two friends of mine had a plan.. their own business, but it fell through
when they split up.

Gerunds and infinitives

ACTIVITY 2 : Complete the sentences with two or three words. Use the correct gerund or infinitive
form of the verbs in BOLD an Capital letters. Then check the answers.
1. I would thoroughly recommend this resort to families with young children. There is plenty
for . . DO
2. We hope .. off our mortgage by the time we retire. PAY
3. I would like my grandparents, but they died before I was born. MEET

Gerunds and Infinitives - CAE Advanced

4. Our holiday in the French Riviera was a waste of money because it wasn't warm enough
. in the sea. SWIM
5. How frustrating .. the match in the last minute! LOSE
6. It is very common for employees
company is doing badly. MAKE

redundant when their

7. Our lawn needs . The grass has grown too long. CUT

8. Most children love .to the zoo by their parents. TAKE

9. the book first made it much easier to understand the plot in

the film. READ