Grammar Games Speed Round
Gerund or Infinitive Game
Decide when a verb takes -ing or to + verb.
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Play first. Understand every answer.
The round is short; the corrections are the lesson. Use the guide below whenever you want a refresher.
How to play
- Choose Practice for an untimed round or Challenge for a timed round with three lives.
- Practice lets you choose a difficulty. Challenge mixes all three levels in a 12-question round.
- Read the correction after each answer, then continue with the related exercises for a full lesson.
Grammar guide
Gerund or Infinitive Game: rules and examples
Some verbs are followed by -ing, while others take to + base verb. Enjoy takes -ing; want takes to + verb. A preposition is followed by -ing.
01
Gerund after
enjoy, finish, avoid, suggest, mind, practice, keep, can't stand + -ing
She enjoys hiking.
Enjoy takes -ing.
02
Infinitive after
decide, want, hope, plan, promise, agree, refuse, learn + to + verb
We decided to leave.
Decide takes to + verb.
03
Either, same meaning
start, begin, continue, like, love (I like reading / to read)
She started reading at noon.
Start can also take to read with a similar meaning.
04
Either, different meaning
stop, remember, forget, try: I stopped smoking ≠ I stopped to smoke
He stopped smoking.
He quit the habit; stopped to smoke means he paused for a cigarette.
05
After prepositions
always the gerund: good at drawing, interested in learning
She is good at drawing.
A verb directly after at takes -ing.
FAQ
What is a gerund?
A gerund is the -ing form of a verb used as a noun: "Swimming is great exercise", "I enjoy reading." It can be a subject, an object, or follow a preposition.
Which verbs are followed by the gerund?
Common ones: enjoy, finish, avoid, suggest, mind, keep, practice, consider, imagine, miss, can't stand, give up. Example: "She finished writing the report."
Which verbs are followed by the to-infinitive?
Common ones: want, decide, hope, plan, promise, agree, refuse, learn, offer, expect, manage, afford. Example: "He agreed to help us."
Which verbs change meaning between gerund and infinitive?
The big four are stop, remember, forget and try. Stop doing = quit; stop to do = pause in order to do. Remember/forget + to-infinitive looks forward to a duty; + gerund looks back at a memory. Try + to-infinitive = attempt something difficult; try + gerund = experiment with a method.
Why is it 'I look forward to hearing from you' and not 'to hear'?
Because in 'look forward to', the word 'to' is a preposition, not part of an infinitive — and prepositions are always followed by the -ing form. The same applies to 'be used to' and 'object to'.
Can I use this game in class?
Yes. Let learners explain their choices before you reveal each correction.
Does the game save my score?
Your best Challenge score is saved in this browser.