Aller au contenu
Trilango
Se connecterS'inscrire
B1grammar46 questions

Gerunds and infinitives

Après certains verbes vient la forme en -ing, après d'autres to + verbe. Le schéma appartient au premier verbe et s'apprend avec lui. Ici tu revois les verbes comme enjoy/avoid/finish qui prennent -ing et want/decide/hope qui prennent to.

Apprentissage rapide

Après certains verbes vient la forme en -ing, après d'autres to + verbe. Le schéma appartient au premier verbe et doit s'apprendre avec lui.

À retenir

  • enjoy, avoid, finish, suggest, mind et keep prennent -ing.
  • want, decide, hope, promise, agree et manage prennent to.
  • Tout verbe qui suit une préposition prend -ing : good at cooking, instead of waiting.

Exemples

  1. 1We decided to spend our summer vacation exploring national nature parks.
  2. 2Emma enjoys listening to classical acoustic music while working on designs.

Piège courant à éviter

Quelques verbes prennent les deux avec des sens differents : stop smoking met fin à une habitude, stop to smoke interrompt autre chose pour fumer.

Approfondir

La règle

  1. The first verb decides

    When one verb is followed directly by another verb in an English sentence, the second verb must appear in a non-finite form: either as a Gerund (-ing form functioning as a noun complement) or as a To-Infinitive (to + bare verb). Choosing between a gerund and an infinitive is determined entirely by the governing first verb.

  2. Verbs + -ing

    (1) Verbs Followed by Gerunds (-ing): Common verbs of attitude, avoidance, and continuation: enjoy, avoid, consider, finish, mind, practice, suggest, deny, admit, spend time, can't help, feel like, miss.

    • I enjoy reading novels
    • She avoided answering the question
    • He suggested having dinner

  3. Verbs + to

    (2) Verbs Followed by To-Infinitives: Common verbs of planning, decision, intention, and necessity: decide, plan, hope, expect, promise, agree, refuse, afford, offer, manage, want, need, choose, learn.

    • We decided to travel by train
    • She hopes to find a good job
    • He promised to call me

  4. Either form

    (3) Verbs Followed by Either without Change of Meaning: start, begin, continue, like, love, hate, prefer.

    • It started raining
    • It started to rain

  5. Verbs that change meaning

    (4) Verbs that Change Meaning Based on Verb Form: Remember to do (a duty/responsibility: "Remember to lock the door") vs. Remember doing (recalling a past memory: "I remember locking the door"). Stop to do (pausing in order to do something: "He stopped to buy coffee") vs. Stop doing (quitting a habit: "He stopped smoking"). Try to do (making an effort: "Try to open the jar") vs. Try doing (experimenting with a method: "Try drinking warm tea").

Anatomie de la phrase

Des phrases de cette leçon, découpées dans l'ordre qu'exige l'anglais.

  1. SujetEmmaVerbeenjoysObjetlistening to classical acoustic musicTempswhile working on designs.

  2. SujetThe driverVerbemanagedObjetto avoid hitting the bicycleLieuon the narrow street.

  3. SujetSheVerbesuggestedObjetmeeting at the Italian coffee shopLieuon Main StreetTempsat noon.

Guide visuel

How to read this B1 topic

At B1, grammar links ideas: condition, result, reported meaning, experience, and narrative order.

1. Name the relationship

Ask whether the sentence gives a condition, contrast, cause, report, or result.

If it rains, we will stay home.

2. Separate time from aspect

Finished event, visible result, duration, and background action use different forms.

I had left before she arrived.

3. Test both clauses

In complex sentences, the second half often proves the first half.

I wish I knew.

Decision path before answering

Use these checks before choosing between close options.

  1. 1Mark the subject, main verb, object, and any connector.
  2. 2Underline the time expression or discourse clue.
  3. 3Reject any option with the wrong agreement, tense, article, pronoun case, or word order.
  4. 4Read the whole sentence once more for naturalness and register.

Contrasts that often decide the answer

Event or background

Simple forms move events forward; continuous forms show an action in progress.

I left while she was talking.

Fact or stance

Modals, hedges, and reporting structures show how certain or responsible the speaker sounds.

This may indicate a problem.

Clause or compressed phrase

Advanced writing often compresses full clauses into participle, noun, or prepositional phrases.

Having reviewed the data, we revised the plan.

Exemples

  1. 1We decided to spend our summer vacation exploring national nature parks.
  2. 2Emma enjoys listening to classical acoustic music while working on designs.
  3. 3The driver managed to avoid hitting the bicycle on the narrow street.
  4. 4Don't forget to lock the front door securely before leaving the house.
  5. 5I clearly remember meeting your older brother at the university library.
  6. 6He promised to telephone his parents as soon as his flight landed in Rome.
  7. 7They cannot afford to purchase a brand new car at this current moment.
  8. 8She suggested meeting at the Italian coffee shop on Main Street at noon.
  9. 9After walking for three hours, the hikers stopped to drink some fresh water.
  10. 10He stopped drinking sugary sodas because he wanted to improve his health.

Exceptions

Preposition + Gerund Rule: Any verb that follows a preposition (including phrasal verbs ending in a preposition) must obligatorily take the -ing gerund form: "She is good at swimming", "Thank you for inviting us", "I look forward to meeting you" (to here is a preposition, not an infinitive marker). Infinitives of Purpose: To + base verb is universally used to express why someone does an action (purpose): say "I went to the store to buy bread", never "for buy bread" or "for to buy bread".

Erreurs fréquentes

  • Using infinitive after prepositions

    Erreur

    He left without to say goodbye.

    Correct

    He left without saying goodbye.

    Prepositions require gerunds.

  • For + infinitive for purpose

    Erreur

    I came here for study.

    Correct

    I came here to study.

    Purpose takes to-infinitive.

  • Wrong complement verb

    Erreur

    I enjoy to read books.

    Correct

    I enjoy reading books.

    Enjoy obligatorily takes a gerund.

Récap

L'essentiel de la leçon sur une carte, avant de te tester.

À retenir

  1. enjoy, avoid, finish, suggest, mind et keep prennent -ing.
  2. want, decide, hope, promise, agree et manage prennent to.
  3. Tout verbe qui suit une préposition prend -ing : good at cooking, instead of waiting.

Erreurs fréquentes

  • Erreur: He left without to say goodbye.

    Correct: He left without saying goodbye.

  • Erreur: I came here for study.

    Correct: I came here to study.

  • Erreur: I enjoy to read books.

    Correct: I enjoy reading books.

Teste-toi

Apprends chaque verbe avec la forme qui le suit, puis entraîne-toi sur ce point.

Points de grammaire associés

Poursuivez votre apprentissage avec d'autres notions de ce niveau.

À suivreJeuxRetour au plan du jour