GERUND, INFINITIVE, AFFIRMATIVE AND NEGATIVE AGREEMENT

Gerund and Infinitive

What are Gerunds?

A gerund is a verb in its ing (present participle) form that functions as a noun that names an activity rather than a person or thing. Any action verb can be made into a gerund.

Spelling Tip

Verbing (Present Participle)

• Add ing to most verbs. Ex. play > playing, cry > crying, bark > barking
• For verbs that end in e, remove the e and add ing. Ex: slide > sliding, ride > riding
• For verbs that end in ie, change the ie to y and add ing. Ex: die > dying, tie > tying
• For a verb whose last syllable is written with a consonant-vowel-consonant and is stressed, double the last letter before adding ing. Ex: beg > begging, begin > beginning. However: enter > entering (last syllable is not stressed)

Gerund Examples

Gerunds can appear at the beginning of a sentence when used as a subject:

• Jogging is a hobby of mine.

Gerunds can act as an object following the verb:

• Daniel quit smoking a year ago.

Gerunds can serve as an object after a preposition:

•         I look forward to helping you paint the house.

Note: The same spelling rules that apply to the progressive tenses also apply to gerunds.

Some verbs and verb phrases are directly followed a gerund:

• Paul avoids using chemicals on the vegetables he grows.

Some verbs can be followed by a gerund or an infinitive without causing a change in meaning:

• Some people prefer getting up early in the morning. 
• Some people prefer to get up early in the morning

Some verbs can be followed by a gerund or infinitive but with a change in meaning:

• He remembered sending the fax. (He remembered the act of send the fax)
• He remembered to send the fax. (He remembered the fax and sent it.)

What are Infinitives?

An infinitive is a verb form that acts as other parts of speech in a sentence. It is formed with to + base form of the verb. Ex: to buy, to work.

Infinitive Examples

Infinitives can be used as:

an object following the verb:

• Jim always forgets to eat

a subject at the beginning of a sentence:

• To travel around the world requires a lot of time and money.

an adverb modifying a verb:

•         You promised to buy me a diamond ring.

an adjective modifying a noun:

• Tara has the ability to succeed.

Some verbs are directly followed by an infinitive:

• Do you want to call your family now?

Some verbs are directly followed by a noun or pronoun and then by an infinitive:

• I convinced Catherine to become vegetarian.
• He advised me to sell all my shares of stock.

Some verbs can be followed by an infinitive or a gerund without causing a change in meaning:

• Will you continue working after you give birth?
• Will you continue to work after you give birth?

Some verbs can be followed by an infinitive or a gerund but with a change in meaning:

• He stopped drinking coffee. (He never drank coffee again.)
• He stopped to drink coffee. (He stopped what he was doing and drank some coffee.)

Exercises – Gerunds and Infinitives

Choose the correct gerund or infinitive from the parenthesis at the end of the sentence.

1. She likes to get up early in the morning. (likes / dislikes)

1. 1. Alan can’t stand _________ on trains. (riding/ to ride)
2. Mr. Harris enjoys _________ people out to dinner. (inviting / to invite)
3. In the old days, gentlemen challenged their rivals _______. (fighting / to fight)
4. As the famous saying goes, there’s no use ______ over spilt milk. (crying / to cry)
5. Jim stopped _________ his shoelace. Wait for him. (tying / to tie)
6. My wife always volunteers ___________ cakes PTA meetings. (baking / to bake)
7. Don’t waste my time ___________ about your salary. (complaining/ to complain)
8. Eva is having trouble _________ on the exam. (concentrating / to concentrate)
9. Please allow me ____________ your Facebook page. (joining / to join)
10. You won’t forget _________milk on your way home, will you? (picking up /to pick up)

Answers:

1. riding 
2. inviting
3. to fight
4. crying
5. to tie
6. to bake
7. complaining
8. concentrating
9. to join
10. to pick up

Reference Lists – Gerunds and Infinitives

Common verbs and phrases that are followed by a gerund

• admit
• advise
• avoid
• be used to
• can’t help
• can’t stand
• consider
• deny
• discuss
• dislike
• end up
• enjoy
• feel like
• finish
• forget
• get used to
• give up
• go on
• have difficulty
• have problems
• have trouble
• imagine
• it’s no use
• it’s worthwhile
• keep
• look forward to
• mention
• mind
• miss
• recommend
• remember
• quit
• spend time
• stop
• suggest
• understand
• waste time
• work at

Common verbs that can be followed by either a gerund or an infinitive without causing a change in meaning

• begin
• continue
• hate
• intend
• like
• love
• prefer
• start

Common verbs that can be followed by a gerund or infinitive but with a change in meaning

• forget
• remember
• stop

Common verbs that are followed by an infinitive

• afford
• agree
• appear
• arrange
• ask
• care
• decide
• demand
• expect
• fail
• forget
• hope
• learn
• manage
• mean
• offer
• plan
• prepare
• pretend
• promise
• refuse
• remember
• seem
• stop
• volunteer
• wait
• want
• wish

Common verbs that are directly followed by a noun or pronoun and then by an infinitive

• advise
• allow
• ask
• cause
• challenge
• command
• convince
• expect
• forbid
• force
• hire
• instruct
• invite
• order
• pay
• permit
• program
• remind
• teach
• tell
• urge
• want
• warn

Affirmative & Negative Agreement

Affirmative Agreement

When indicating that one person or thing does something and then adding that another does the same, use the word “so” or “too”. To avoid needless repetition of words from the affirmative statement, use the conjunction “and”, followed by a simple statement using so or too. The order of this statement will depend on whether so or too is used.

1.      When a form of the verb be is used in the main clause, the same tense of verb be is used in the simple statement that follows.

Affirmative statement (be) + and + [ S + verb (be) + too]
Example: I am happy and you are too.
Affirmative statement (be) + and + [ so + verb (be) + S ]
Example: I am happy and so are you.

2.      When a compound verb (auxiliary +verb), for example, will go, should do, has done, have written, must examine, etc., occurs in the main clause, the auxiliary of the main verb is used in the simple statement, and the subject and verb must agree.

Affirmative statement (compound verb) + and + [ S + auxiliary only + too ]Example: Edward should do his homework and Bella should too.Affirmative statement (compound verb) + and + [ so + auxiliary only + S ]
Example: Edward should do his homework and so does Bella.

3.      When any verb except be appears without any auxiliaries in the main clause, the auxiliary do, does, or did is used in the simple statement. The subject and verb must agree and the tense must be the same.

Affirmative statement (single verb except be) + and + [ S + do, does ,or did + too ]Example: Tae Yeon plays guitar every day and Jessica does too.
Affirmative statement (single verb except be) + and + [ so + do, does, or did + S ]
Example: Yuri sung “Gee” and so did Yoona.
 

Additional Examples:

1. Rose likes to fly, and her brother does too.

2. They will leave at noon, and I will too.

3. He has an early appointment, and so do I.

4. She has already written her composition, and so have her friends.

5. Their plane is arriving at nine o’clock, and so is mine.

6. I should go grocery shopping this afternoon, and so should my neighbor.

7. We like to swim in the pool, and they do too.

8. Our Spanish teacher loves to travel, and so do we.

9. He has lived in Mexico for five years, and you have too.

10. I must write them a letter, and she must too.

Negative Agreement 

“Either” and “neither” function in simple statements much like “so” and “too” in affirmative sentences. However, either and neither are used to indicate negative agreement. The same rules for auxiliaries, be and do, does, or did apply.

Negative statement + and + [ S + negative auxiliary or be + either]

Negative statement + and + [ neither + positive auxiliary or be + S ]

Examples:

• I didn’t see Bella this morning. Edward didn’t see Bella this morning 
• I didn’t see Bella this morning and Edward didn’t either. 
• I didn’t see Bella this morning and neither did Edward.

Additional examples:

1. The children shouldn’t take that medicine, and neither should she.

2. We don’t plan to attend the concert, and neither do they.

3. I don’t like tennis, and he doesn’t either.

4. She didn’t see anyone she knew, and neither did Tim.

5. The Yankees couldn’t play due to the bad weather, and neither could the Angels.

6. Mary can’t type well, and her sister can’t either.

7. I’m not interested in reading that book, and neither is she.

8. They won’t have to work on weekends, and we won’t either.

9. I can’t stand listening to that music, and she can’t either.

10. Michael doesn’t speak English, and his family doesn’t either.

11. That scientist isn’t too happy with the project, and neither are her supervisors.

12. We can’t study in the library, and they can’t either.

13. I haven’t worked there long, and neither have you.

14. You didn’t pay the rent, and she didn’t either.

15. They didn’t want anything to drink, and neither did we.

16. John shouldn’t run so fast, and neither should you.

17. The students won’t accept the dean’s decision, and the faculty won’t either.

18. Your class hasn’t begun yet, and neither has mine.

19. She couldn’t attend the lecture, and her sister couldn’t either.

20. He didn’t know the answer, and neither did I.