Verb Patterns: Infinitive, Gerund or Base Form?

 Verb Patterns: Infinitive, Gerund or Base Form?

By Sergio Viula – Grammar Drops

One of the most important (and confusing!) topics in English grammar is verb patterns.

After certain words, which form of the verb should you use?

• Infinitive (to + verb)
• Gerund (-ing form)
• Base form (verb without changes)

Let’s break it down in a simple, practical way.

1. Gerund (-ing): When Do We Use It?

• After Prepositions

If a verb comes after a preposition, it must be in the -ing form.

Examples:

I am good at playing soccer.

I am interested in cooking.

She’s afraid of flying.

Remember:

Preposition + verb = -ing

Not to play. Not play.

Always playing.

When the Verb Is the Subject of the Sentence

In Portuguese, we say:

Nadar é legal.

In English, we say:

• Swimming is nice.
• Cooking is fun.
• Studying takes time.

Here, the -ing form works like a noun. We are talking about the activity itself.

Don’t confuse this with the present continuous:

• I am swimming now. (action happening now)
• Swimming is nice. (the activity in general)

After Verbs of Preference

Some verbs are commonly followed by -ing:

• like
• love
• hate
• enjoy
• dislike
• don’t mind

Examples:

• I enjoy reading.
• She doesn’t mind waiting.
• They love traveling.

2. Infinitive (to + verb): When Do We Use It?

After Certain Verbs

Some verbs are typically followed by to + verb:

• need
• want
• have (to – obligation)
• plan

Examples:

I need to buy some groceries.

I want to buy a new car.

I have to study tonight.

I plan to travel next year.

After Adjectives

When you use an adjective and then add a verb, you usually need the infinitive.

Structure:

It + be + adjective + to + verb

• It’s important to study.
• It’s nice to have friends.
• It’s good to play video games.

3. Base Form: When Do We Use It?

After Modal Verbs

Modal verbs are followed by the base form (no to, no -ing).

• can
• could
• must
• might
• may
• should

Examples:

I can cook.

You must study.

We might go out tonight.

She should rest.

Never say:

I can to cook (wrong)

I must studying (wrong)

Just the base verb: I can cook. I must study.

These are the main patterns you’ll see most often in English.

Are there exceptions? Yes.

Are there more patterns? Of course.

But if you master these three forms and the situations above, you’ll already be much more confident.

Practice

Choose the correct form:

Answers at the bottom of this post.

1. I’m good at ______ (cook).
2. She wants to ______ (learn) Spanish.
3. They can’t ______ (come) today.
4. ______ (exercise) is important.
5. I enjoy ______ (watch) movies.

Grammar Drops: English can be easier than you think — when you understand the patterns.

See you in the next Grammar Drops video.

(Answers: cooking, learn, come, Exercising, watching)