Gerunds vs Infinitives After Specific Academic Verbs

Mastering when verbs require '-ing' vs 'to + infinitive' and avoiding common gerund slips.

## Gerunds vs Infinitives Rules Certain verbs require a **Gerund (-ing)** as their object, while others require a **to-Infinitive**. ### 1. Verbs Followed Strictly by Gerunds (-ing): - *avoid, consider, delay, deny, enjoy, involve, justify, prioritize, recommend, suggest, postpone* - *Example*: *The report recommends **implementing** [NOT 'to implement'] congestion pricing.* ### 2. Verbs Followed Strictly by to-Infinitives: - *aim, afford, decide, demand, hesitate, hope, intend, manage, offer, plan, refuse, strive, tend* - *Example*: *Authorities strive **to provide** [NOT 'providing'] universal healthcare.* ### 3. Prepositions are ALWAYS followed by Gerunds: - *After **analyzing** the data...* - *In addition to **reducing** emissions...* - *With the aim of **fostering** innovation...*

5 Common IELTS Mistakes & Side-by-Side Corrections:

Common Candidate Mistake:

"The committee suggested to build a new transit hub."

Band 8+ Correct Form:

"The committee suggested building a new transit hub."

Why: The verb 'suggest' takes a gerund ('suggested building') or a 'that' clause, NEVER a to-infinitive.

Common Candidate Mistake:

"Governments should avoid to waste public funds."

Band 8+ Correct Form:

"Governments should avoid wasting public funds."

Why: 'avoid' is followed strictly by a gerund ('avoid wasting').

Common Candidate Mistake:

"In addition to reduce pollution, green roofs absorb stormwater."

Band 8+ Correct Form:

"In addition to reducing pollution, green roofs absorb stormwater."

Why: 'In addition to' is a prepositional phrase, requiring the gerund '-ing' form ('reducing').

Common Candidate Mistake:

"Many candidates look forward to receive their TRF score report."

Band 8+ Correct Form:

"Many candidates look forward to receiving their TRF score report."

Why: 'look forward to' is a phrasal verb where 'to' is a preposition, taking gerund 'receiving'.

Common Candidate Mistake:

"The mayor prioritized to improve public school infrastructure."

Band 8+ Correct Form:

"The mayor prioritized improving public school infrastructure."

Why: 'prioritize' takes a gerund object ('prioritized improving').

Interactive 5-Question Strategy Quiz

0 / 10 Answered

1

Choose the correct verb form: 'The minister recommended ___ congestion pricing in metropolitan zones.'

2

Select the sentence with correct infinitive verb:

3

Fill in the blank: 'In addition to ___ carbon emissions, solar panels reduce utility bills.'

4

Which sentence correctly uses 'suggest'?

5

Choose the correct form after 'consider': 'The council is considering ___ the historic library.'

6

Select the correct sentence with 'look forward to':

7

Fill in the blank: 'The study aims ___ the correlation between diet and longevity.'

8

Choose the correct sentence:

9

Select the sentence with gerund as grammatical subject:

10

Complete the sentence: 'Before ___ the experimental trial, researchers calibrated all sensors.'

Gerunds vs Infinitives After Specific Academic Verbs

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