To advise, to allow, to permit, to recommend, to forbid

The Gerund and the Infinitive

1. The verbs and verbal phrases which take both the gerund and the infinitive: to begin, to cease, to continue, can (cannot) afford, to fear, to forget, to hate, to intend, to like (dislike), to neglect, to prefer, to propose, to remember, to recollect, to start, to stop, to be afraid

To remember, to regret, to forget, to deny

+ gerund after these verbsexpresses an earlier action:

I remember reading about the earthquake in the papers (reading is the first action, remember is the second)

I regret spending so much money (spending is the first action, regret is the second)

He forgot mentioning the fact to her (mentioning is the first action, forgot is the second action)

to forget + gerund is possible only when ‘to forget’ is in the negative or in the phrase ‘will never forget’:

I’ll never forget waiting for the winter to come = I’ll always remember waiting for the winter to come

+ the infinitive after these verb expresses a subsequent action:

I remembered to lock the door

I often forget to sign my cheques

I regret to say that you have failed your exam

(‘regret’ is normally followed by such verbs as ‘to say, to inform, to tell’)

to be ashamed (of) / be ashamed of yourself (himself, themselves) for

+ gerund. The gerund refers to a previous action:

You should be ashamed of lying to him = You should be ashamed of yourself for lying to him

+ infinitive. The infinitive usually refers to a subsequent action

I’m ashamed to tell you what this carpet cost

To stop

+ gerund = to cease - прекращать(ся) делать что-либо

Stop talking

I can’t stop him talking to the press

+ infinitive = to halt - останавливаться на непродолжительное время с целью сделать что-л

I stopped to ask the way

To be sorry (for)

+ gerund = to apologize/to regret. The gerund refers to a previous action:

I’m sorry for making such a noise last night

+ infinitive:

I’m sorry to hear that you have been ill - expresses regret or sadness

I’m sorry to inform you that there has been an accident - the infinitive expresses a subsequent action

I was sorry to see him looking so ill - two actions are almost simultaneous

to be afraid (of)

+ gerund usually is used in general statements. Also it usually expresses an action which the subject fears may happen:

He never swam far out. He was afraid of getting cramp

She avoids lonely streets. She is afraid of being robbed

She didn’t tell him because she was afraid of upsetting him

+ infinitive refers to a special occasion to express that the subject was too frightened to perform the action (= didn't dare to do sth): He was afraid to jump She was afraid to protest

to advise, to allow, to permit, to recommend, to forbid

+ gerund - is used in more general statements (i.e. the person concerned is not mentioned):

He advised applying at once They don’t allow parking

+ infinitive - refers to a special occasion (i.e. the person concerned is mentioned):

He advised me to apply at once They don’t allow us to park here

- to hate, to like (dislike), to prefer

+ the gerund is used in general statements: I don’t like interrupting people

+ the infinitive is mostly used with reference to a special occasion:

I don’t like to interrupt him, he seems very busy

to try

+ gerund = to make an experiment or test:

I've got a terrible headache. - Have you tried taking an aspirin?

+ infinitive = to make an attempt to do, make an effort to do:

I was very tired. I tried to keep my eyes open but I couldn't.

To mean

+ gerund = to involve

I'm not going to take up this work. It means doing it all by myself.

+ infinitive = to intend to do smth

Do you mean to do all this work all by yourself?

To propose

+ gerund = to put for consideration: What do you propose doing?

+ infinitive = to intend: He didn't propose to forgive them this time

Дата добавления: 2015-10-29