Gerund and infinitives grammar

GERUND AND INFINITIVES
A. GERUND
1.

Used as Subject of a sentence :
−

Listening to music is always interesting.
− Learning a language is not easy.
2.

Used as Complement of a verb : “be” and “linking verbs”
−

3.

Her hobby is painting.

Used after certain verbs:
acknowledge
admit
advise
anticipate
appreciate
avoid
(can't) stand
(can't) help

4.

celebrate

consider
defend
delay
deny
discuss
enjoy
excuse

finish
imagine
involve
keep
loathe
mention
mind
miss

omit
postpone
practice
prevent
prohibit
quit
recall
recommend

report
resent
resist
resume

risk
suggest
tolerate
understand

Verb + Preposition + Gerund
adapt to
agree (with sb) (about/on sth)
apologize (to sb) (for sth)
approve of
argue (with sb) (about/over sth)
ask about
be good / clever at
be used to
be afraid of
be fond of
believe in
benefit from / of

care about / for
complain (to sb) (about/of sth)
confess to
concentrate on
consist of
count on
decide on
depend on
dream about / of
feel like
get on with

insist on

look forward to
object to
pay for
persist in
plan on
put up with
rely on
specialize in
succeed in
think of

( be used to = be accustomed to = be familiar with : quen với )
−
−
−
−
−

5.

I apologized to her for being late for the meeting this morning.
We're thinking of making the plan more practical.
People don't care about destroying the environment.
The director objected to producing the new products.
I'm tired of doing the same work.

Verb + Object + Preposition + Gerund (Các động từ sau luôn cần object khi dùng với Gerund )
accuse ... of

blame ... for
charge ... with
congratulate ... on
deter ... from = discourage ...
discourage ... from
excuse ... for / from
−

forgive ... for
help ... with
inform ... about
prevent ... from
punish ... for
remind ... about / of

They accused me of revealing the company's secret.
− She prevented him from making the same mistake.

stop ... from
strike ... as
tell ... about
thank ... for
use ... for
warn ...about


−

He informed me about taking the make-up test.

After some phrases :

6.

can't bear, can't face, can't stand, can't help, feel like
it's no good, it's no use, there’s no point (in) … : chẳng ích gì
it’s (not) worth : đáng để làm (khơng làm) gì
− This book is worth reading.
− It’s no use asking for his help.

Passive Gerund : Being + V3 or Having been + V3

7.

−

She avoided being recognized by wearing overcoat and sunglasses.
− He dislikes being called when he is at home.
− She insisted on being taken to my class meeting last night.
− They remembered having been kept in a dark and scaring room.

Perfect Gerund : Having + V3

8.

−

The little boy denied spilling / having spilled the sugar.
− They blamed me for taking / having taken the papers out.


Expressions followed by VERB + ing
have a difficult time / a good time / a hard time / an easy time
have difficulty / have no difficulty
have (some) problems / have a problem / have no problem / have fun
spend one's time / waste one's time
go fishing / shopping / camping / swimming / climbing / skiing / hunting ….

B. TO INFINITIVE
1. To-Infinitive follow verbs :
afford
consent
agree
decline
aim
demand
appear
desire
arrange
endeavor
care = want
fail
claim
threaten

grow
guarantee
hesitate
hope
long

manage
offer

plan
pledge
pretend
prove
refuse
resolve
seem

−

Did he agree to help you?
− We pretended not to see her when we were in the restaurant.
− I happened to meet an old friend this morning.
2. Dùng “To-Inf” sau một số cấu trúc như:
•
Too + adj / adv + ( for Object) + to-inf
•
Adj / adv + enough + ( for Object) + to-inf
− He is too young to swim in the river.
− You are not old enough to attend the club.
•
To-inf được sử dụng làm tân ngữ của các tính từ: (Adj + To-inf)
− This cake is easy to make.
− It’s not very difficult to learn a language.
•
“To-inf” được dùng sau : for / of
− I’ll wait for you to finish your tasks.

− It was kind of you to help me.

strive
struggle
swear
tend
turn out
volunteer
wait


3. Verb + how / what / when / where / which / why + To- inf
ask - decide - discover - find out - forget - know - learn - remember - wonder
− She forgot how to do this work.
4. Verb + Object + To-Infinitive ( Các động từ sau luôn cần object khi dùng với To-infinitive)
advise
enable
invite
persuade
allow
force
motivate
recommend
command
get
oblige
remind
convince
hire
order

require
encourage
instruct
permit
send
forbid
train
urge
warn (against)
show … how
teach / teach … how
tell / tell … how …
− I advised her not to quit her job now.
− They forced him to break into the house.
− The doctor advised my father to drink as much water as possible.
But
The doctor advised drinking as much water as possible. (sau V nếu khơng có O ta dùng gerund)
− He warns the boys not to come near the dog. ( or He warns the boys against coming …)
5. Verb + (Object) + To-Infinitive (Các động từ sau có thể cần hoặc khơng cần object)
ask
desire
know
prepare
beg
expect
need
promise
choose
help
offer

want
dare
intend
pay
wish
− They wished to talk with the president about their salary.
− I want him to play the song again.
− The man wants to cross the street.

would like

6. "To infinitive" được dùng sau 1 số danh từ:
"ability, anxiety, attempt, decision, demand, desire, determination, effort, offer, plan, promise,
refusal, request, willingness, wish ..."
- She was annoyed by his unwillingness to do his share of the work.
7. “To-inf” được dùng để diễn tả mục đích hoặc kết quả.
− We go to school to widen our knowledge.
− He grew up to be a handsome young man.
8. Ta có thể dùng “To-Infinitive” sau danh từ hoặc đại từ để thay thế cho mệnh đề quan hệ trong

các trường hợp sau:
a. Sau các từ chỉ số thứ tự ( first / second ... ), sau next, last , only và sau cấu trúc so sánh nhất
− He was the last man that left the ship. → he was the last man to leave the ship.
− Mary is the only one that understands him. → Mary is the only one to understand him.
− The first man that we must see is Tom. → The first man (for us) to see is Tom
b. Khi câu nói diễn tả mục đích hoặc sự cho phép
− He has a lot of documents that he must type → He has a lot of documents to type
− She has some homework that she has to finish → She has some homework to finish
− The children need a garden which they can play in → The children need a garden to play in

Passive Infinitive : to be + V3


−

He hoped to be invited to the party.
− The boys don’t wish to be asked to the principal’s room.


−

He doesn’t like to be called piggy.

C. BARE INFINITIVE
Ta dùng Bare Infinitive sau các động từ khiếm khuyết (modal verbs) và
“Would rather / had better”

1.

−
−

Notes:
−
−

You had better (not) work harder.
I'd rather (not) stay at home.
nếu 1 người (S1) muốn người khác (S2) làm điều gì ta phải chia động từ ở Quá Khứ
I’d rather you did your homework now.

He’d rather his friends didn’t leave so early.

Sau các động từ chỉ giác quan như: “see, hear, feel, watch, listen to, notice ...” hoặc sau các
động từ “make, let, help, have + O” (causative form : have s.o do s.th)

2.

−

I saw him unlock the door.
− The teacher made us do a lot of exercises.
− He had me repair his bike.

Notes:
See , hear , feel, watch, listen to, notice + bare-inf : diễn tả hành động đã chấm dứt hay hành động xảy
ra và chấm dứt hầu như tại 1 thời điểm.
− We saw him leave the house.
− I heard them make arrangements for their journey.

See , hear , feel, watch, listen to, notice + Gerund : diễn tả hành động đang xảy ra hay vẫn cịn đang
tiếp diễn khi ta nói.
− I heard someone coming up the stairs.
− I saw them going for a walk in the park some days ago.

Notes : Các động từ này (ngoại trừ let) khi ở bị động phải dùng to infinitive.
−

I was made to finish the report in 24 hours.
− We are helped to lose weight by jogging.
− The boys were seen to steal the fruits.

−

************************
Một số động từ khi đi với To-Infinitive hoặc Gerund sẽ thay đổi về nghĩa
Các động từ theo sau bởi “To-Infinitive” hoặc “Gerund” khơng khác hoặc ít khác nhau về nghĩa
• hate, love, like, prefer doing s.th : có ý nói chung chung.
− I hate getting up early.
− We love listening to music.
• hate, love, like, prefer to do s.th: đề cập đến một ý thích theo thói quen (cụ thể)
− We prefer to go out for lunch on Sundays.
− I don’t like to disturb colleagues at home.
•

Begin, start

Các động từ này khi dùng với Gerund hay To-inf thì khơng có gì khác biệt nhiều về nghĩa. Tuy nhiên ta
dùng “To-inf ” khi các động từ này đã được dùng ở dạng tiếp diễn hoặc theo sau Start / Begin là 2 động
từ “understand và realize”
− When we finished our class, it was starting to rain.


−

We began to realize that we were in danger.

Các động từ theo sau bởi “To-Infinitive” hoặc “Gerund” khác nhau về nghĩa

Remember / forget

1.

•

•

Remember / forget doing s.th : nhớ hay quên một hành động / việc làm nào đó trong quá khứ. (past
events)
− Sorry. I don’t remember meeting you before.
− They will never forget visiting Australia last year.
Remember / forget to do s.th : nhớ / quên phải làm việc gì (an obligation)
− Remember to bring the books back to the library.
− I forgot to turn off the lights before leaving home.

Try / attempt

2.
•

•

Try / attempt to do s.th : cố gắng hay nỗ lực làm việc gì, có thể thành công hay thất bại.
− I tried to warn him but it was too late
Try / attempt doing s.th : thử làm một việc gì đó
− Have you tried surfing? It’s great
− Try taking an aspirin. You’ll feel better.

Mean

3.
•

•

Mean to do s.th : cố ý hay có ý định làm việc gì
− Sorry, I didn’t mean to hurt you.
Mean doing s.th : có nghĩa là, có liên quan tới việc gì đó
− If we catch the early train, it will mean getting up at 5.00

Regret

4.
•

•

Regret doing s.th : hối tiếc, hối hận về một việc gì đó đã xảy ra trong quá khứ
− I regret being so rude to you yesterday.
Regret to do s.th : thông báo 1 tin xấu (lấy làm tiếc khi sắp sửa phải làm điều gì, thường là ngòai ý
muốn.)
− I regret to inform you that you have failed the exam.

Stop

5.
•

•

Stop to do s.th : dừng lại để làm một việc gì đó.
− Jane stopped to buy us some coke.
Stop doing s.th : dừng một việc đang làm (thơi, khơng làm 1 hành động gì nữa)

− He has to stop smoking and drinking because of his ill-health.

Go on

6.
•

•

Go on to do s.th : tiếp tục làm một việc khác
− After she received the test paper, she went on to do it.
Go on doing s.th : tiếp tục làm việc đang làm
− They went on singing after a short rest.

Consider

7.
•

•

Consider to do s.th : diễn tả một ý kiến ( coi như / xem như )
− She is considered to be the finest pianist of her generation.
Consider doing s.th : xem xét, nghĩ đến việc ... (= think about)
− I sometimes consider changing another job.

Need / want

8.
•

•

Diễn tả ý chủ động
− I need to cut this paper.
Diễn tả ý bị động
− This paper needs cutting.