Do, to do, and doing are all examples of gerunds and infinitives. Interactive questions, answers, and clear explanations can help you improve your grammar.
Gerund and Infinitive: Do, To Do, Doing Exercises
It’s very important to know when to use do, to do, and doing in English. These forms are all from the same verb, but they do different things in grammar. You need to know how gerunds and infinitives work in everyday situations like after verbs, adjectives, and prepositions at B1 level.
This guide will teach you the clear rules and examples that show the difference between the bare infinitive (do), the to-infinitive (to do), and the gerund (doing).
Do is the bare infinitive.
The bare infinitive is the verb’s base form without “to.” For instance: do, go, make, and eat.
We typically employ the bare infinitive subsequent to:
Modal verbs
The base form of the verb comes after modal verbs.
Examples:
- You must do your homework.
- She can speak English.
- We should leave now.
- They might come later.
After modal verbs like can, must, should, may, might, and will, we use the base form without to.
Let and do
After “let” and “do,” we use the bare infinitive.
Examples:
- My parents let me go out.
- The teacher made us do the exercise again.
We use verb + base form after let and make.
To-Infinitive: To Do
To make the to-infinitive, you need to add to + base verb.
Examples:
- to do
- to eat
- to learn
We use the to-infinitive in a number of ways.
After a lot of common verbs
Some verbs are followed by “to” and another verb.
Verbs that are common:
want, need, decide, hope, plan, try, learn, agree, promise
Examples:
- I want to learn English.
- She decided to leave early.
- They need to study more.
These verbs are followed by the infinitive with “to.”
To say what you mean
We use “to + verb” to say why someone does something.
Examples:
- I study hard to pass the exam.
- She went to the shop to buy food.
- He called me to ask a question.
The infinitive shows what the verb means.
After adjectives
After adjectives, we often use “to” with verbs.
Examples:
- I am happy to see you.
- It is important to understand the rules.
- She was surprised to hear the news.
The infinitive tells you why you feel that way.
Gerund: Doing
The gerund is a verb with a “ing” ending that is used as a noun.
Examples:
- doing
- eating
- learning
- working
After prepositions
We use the gerund when a verb comes after a preposition.
Examples:
- She is good at drawing.
- Thank you for helping me.
- They are interested in learning English.
We use verb + ing after prepositions like at, in, on, for, and about.
After certain verbs
The gerund comes after some verbs.
Common verbs:
enjoy, like, love, hate, finish, avoid, suggest, consider
Examples:
- I enjoy reading books.
- She finished doing her homework.
- They suggested going out.
These verbs are followed by verb + ing.
As the subject of a sentence
The subject can be a gerund.
Examples:
- Learning English is fun.
- Exercising every day is healthy.
- Reading helps you improve vocabulary.
The gerund functions as a noun.
Verbs That Can Use Both Gerund and Infinitive
There are some verbs that can be followed by both forms. The meaning is sometimes the same.
Examples:
- I like reading books.
- I like to read books.
Both are correct.
Some verbs, on the other hand, change meaning depending on the form.
Example:
- I stopped smoking. (I quit the habit)
- I stopped to smoke. (I stopped another activity in order to smoke)
This difference is very important.
