Virtuous English AcademyAdvanced Gerunds and Infinitives (B2)
- #B2
- #Grammar
- #Rules
- #Examples
Some verbs take both the gerund and the infinitive but with different meanings (remember doing vs remember to do). This lesson explores these subtle patterns that trouble even advanced learners.
At B2 the verb patterns learned at B1 extend into perfect, passive and continuous forms, and the meaning-changing verbs are expected to be under full control. Having done, to have done, being done, to be done — each of these carries information about time and voice that the basic forms cannot.
The perfect infinitive is especially useful. He seems to have forgotten places the forgetting before the seeming. She is thought to have left locates the departure earlier than the thinking. Without this form you would need a whole extra clause to express the same relationship.
B2 also requires precision with the small group of verbs whose meaning changes. Stop, remember, forget, try, regret, go on and mean each have two readings, and the pattern is consistent: the gerund looks backwards to something already real, while the infinitive looks forwards to something intended or subsequent.
How to form Advanced Gerunds and Infinitives
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Simple infinitive | to + base | She hopes to qualify. |
| Perfect infinitive | to have + participle | She seems to have qualified. |
| Passive infinitive | to be + participle | She expects to be promoted. |
| Perfect passive infinitive | to have been + participle | He claims to have been misled. |
| Continuous infinitive | to be + -ing | She appears to be working. |
| Simple gerund | -ing | I remember locking it. |
| Perfect gerund | having + participle | He denied having seen the email. |
| Passive gerund | being + participle | She hates being ignored. |
Advanced Gerunds and Infinitives: the key rules
-
The meaning-switch verbs demand precision: regret, try, mean, go on, stop, remember, forget.
We regret to inform you… (formal bad news) vs I regret quitting (I wish I hadn't).
-
Perfect and passive forms exist for both: to have finished, having met, to be told, being watched.
She claims to have met the minister. I hate being watched while I work.
-
Verbs of perception take bare infinitive for the whole event, -ing for a slice of it.
I saw him fall (the whole fall). I saw him falling (mid-fall).
-
Need + -ing carries passive meaning.
The lock needs replacing. (= needs to be replaced)
When to use Advanced Gerunds and Infinitives
-
Expressing an earlier action compactly
The perfect infinitive avoids a whole subordinate clause.
The painting is believed to have been stolen in 1974.
-
Reporting claims about the past
Perfect and perfect passive infinitives are standard in journalism and formal reports.
He is alleged to have accepted payments from the contractor.
-
Distinguishing what happened from what was intended
The meaning-changing verbs let you be precise about sequence.
I regret telling him. / I regret to tell you that the post is filled.
-
Describing something done to the subject
Passive gerunds and infinitives after verbs of liking, expecting and avoiding.
Nobody enjoys being corrected in public.
Meaning-changing verbs: the underlying pattern
One principle covers all of them, which is far more efficient than memorising each pair separately.
Gerund — looks backwards
The action is already real: completed, habitual, or experienced.
I stopped smoking. I remember posting it. He went on talking for an hour.
Infinitive — looks forwards
The action is intended, subsequent, or about to happen.
I stopped to smoke. I remembered to post it. He went on to become director.
Advanced Gerunds and Infinitives in example sentences
- She seems to have misunderstood the brief.Perfect infinitive — the misunderstanding came first.
- The documents appear to have been altered.Perfect passive infinitive.
- He denied having met her before.Perfect gerund after deny.
- I don't like being told what to do.Passive gerund.
- She expects to be offered the position.Passive infinitive after expect.
- He appears to be struggling with the workload.Continuous infinitive.
- I regret to inform you that the application was unsuccessful.regret + infinitive — formal bad news, forward-looking.
- I regret not applying when I had the chance.regret + gerund — backward-looking regret.
Advanced Gerunds and Infinitives in a real conversation
Perfect infinitives do a lot of work here, compressing sequence into single phrases.
Auditor:The entries appear to have been backdated.
Manager:He denied having altered anything.
Auditor:Does he remember approving them?
Manager:He claims to have been on leave that week.
Auditor:Then someone else is thought to have signed off.
Manager:I regret to say we don't yet know who.
Common mistakes (and how to fix them)
-
I look forward to hear from you.
I look forward to hearing from you.
The to in look forward to is a preposition — the gerund must follow. The single most common error in formal emails.
-
He went on to talk about the same topic for another hour. (meaning he continued)
He went on talking about the same topic for another hour.
Go on + -ing = continue the same thing; go on + to-infinitive = move to a new thing.
-
Try to add some lemon — maybe the sauce improves. (suggesting an experiment)
Try adding some lemon — the sauce might improve.
Try + -ing = experiment; try + to-infinitive = struggle to achieve something difficult.
Practise Advanced Gerunds and Infinitives today
The perfect infinitive is the highest-value form here — it appears throughout B2 reading texts.
- Write six sentences with perfect infinitives after seem, appear, claim and be thought.
- Write four sentences with passive gerunds and four with passive infinitives.
- Write pairs for stop, remember, forget, regret and go on showing both meanings.
- Rewrite four two-clause sentences as single sentences using a perfect infinitive.
Advanced Gerunds and Infinitives: frequently asked questions
When do I need a perfect infinitive?
When the action of the infinitive happened before the action of the main verb. He seems tired describes now; He seems to have been ill places the illness earlier. Compare She is said to be wealthy with She is said to have been wealthy — the second implies she no longer is. This form is essential for reporting passives and appears constantly in formal writing.
Is there a single rule for the meaning-changing verbs?
Yes, and it is worth learning instead of six separate pairs. The gerund refers to an action that is already real — completed, habitual or experienced. The infinitive refers to an action that is intended, subsequent or yet to happen. Apply it to stop, remember, forget, try, regret, go on and mean and the pairs become predictable rather than arbitrary.
What is the difference between try doing and try to do?
Try to do means attempt something difficult: I tried to open the window but it was stuck. Try doing means experiment with something as a possible solution: Try opening the window — it might help. The first concerns effort against difficulty; the second concerns testing an option. Technical support English uses the second constantly.
When is the perfect gerund actually necessary?
Less often than it might seem. After verbs like deny, admit and regret, the simple gerund usually already implies a past action: He denied taking it is perfectly clear. The perfect gerund — having taken — adds emphasis on the earlier time and is more formal. It becomes genuinely useful when ambiguity about sequence would otherwise arise.