Verbs & Other Verbs: Verbs + Other Verbs (#10)

Dennis Oliver

Verbs + Other Verbs (#9):
Gerund or Infinitive #1

Some verbs can be followed by either a gerund (-ing verb)
or an infinitive (to + verb) with no difference in meaning or
usage. Here are the most common ones:

attempt
begin
can't bear
continue
cease
hate

like
love
prefer
can't stand
start

Examples:

He attempted to solve / solving the problem.

When will they begin to do / doing the work?

I can't bear to leave / leaving!

When did the soldiers cease to fight / fighting?

She hates to get / getting up in the morning.

He doesn't like to play / playing basketball.

She's loved to cook / cooking since she was a child.

I prefer to be / being alone.

Some people can't stand to be / being inactive.

I don't know why the baby has started to cry / crying.

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Special Notes:

If one of the verbs listed above is used in
a progressive tense, the infinitive (to + verb)
form is used, not the gerund (-ing form):

I'm attempting to solve this problem
(not *I'm attempting solving this problem.)

The baby is beginning to walk (not *The baby
is beginning walking).

The soldiers were ceasing to fight (not *The soldiers
were ceasing fighting).

The baby was continuing to cry (not *The baby
was continuing crying).

It's starting to rain (not *It's starting raining).

The verbs can't bear, cease, hate, like, love,
prefer, and can't stand are not normally used in
progressive tenses.

Verbs & Other Verbs: Verbs + Other Verbs (#10)

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