Mastering English Grammar: Infinitives, Gerunds, and Phrasal Verbs

Posted on Mar 22, 2025 in English

Infinitives in English Grammar

Infinitive with ‘to’:

  • afford, agree, appear, ask, arrange, beg, care, decide, expect, encourage, fail, force, hope, intend, learn, manage, offer, order, plan, pretend, promise, refuse, request, seem, teach, tell, try, wait, want, warn, wish…
  • After semi-modals: have (got) to, used to, be going to, be able to…
  • Adjectives
  • too/enough
  • would like, love, hate
  • Infinitives of purpose (to/in order to/so as to)

Infinitive without ‘to’:

  • After modal verbs: must, can, could, will, would, shall, should, may, might, (needn’t & dare).
  • After expressions: would rather, had better
  • After certain verbs: let, make, feel, hear, see, smell

Gerunds in English Grammar

  • admit, avoid, consider, deny, dislike, enjoy, finish, imagine, mind, miss, practise, resist, spend, suggest, understand, love, like, hate…
  • can’t stand, can’t bear, can’t risk, it’s no use, it’s (not) worth…
  • Prepositions and phrasal verbs
  • come + go + gerund
  • Subject

Gerunds vs. Infinitives

  • FORGET + gerund: Forgetting a past event or action
  • FORGET + infinitive: Forgetting to do something
  • REMEMBER + gerund: Remembering a past action
  • REMEMBER + infinitive: Remembering what needs to be done
  • REGRET + gerund: Regretting a past action
  • REGRET + infinitive: Regretting what will be said in formal language
  • MEAN + gerund: Describing the possible consequences of a decision
  • MEAN + infinitive: Expressing an intention or a plan
  • STOP + gerund: Suspending or ending something
  • STOP + infinitive: Interrupting an action to do something else
  • TRY + gerund: Suggesting or offering a possible solution to a problem
  • TRY + infinitive: Trying to do something
  • NEED + gerund: Action
  • NEED + infinitive: Intention, objective

Modal Verbs

CAN / COULD / HAD BETTER (make recommendations) / HAVE GOT TO / MAY / MIGHT / MUST / OUGHT TO – OUGHT NOT (without “to”) / SHALL / SHOULD / WILL / WOULD / WILL BE ABLE TO (future capabilities) / NEEDN’T

Common Phrasal Verbs

  • ASK OUT: invite on a date
  • BELIEVE IN: have faith in
  • BREAK DOWN: stop functioning
  • BREAK IN: enter illegally
  • BRING UP: raise (a child)
  • CARRY OUT: execute
  • CATCH UP WITH: reach the same level
  • CLOSE DOWN: shut permanently
  • COME OUT: be released
  • COME UP AGAINST: encounter difficulties
  • COME UP WITH: suggest
  • DEAL WITH: handle
  • DO WITHOUT: manage without
  • DROP OUT OF: quit
  • END UP: arrive eventually
  • FALL FOR: be attracted to
  • FEEL UP TO: have the energy for
  • FILL IN: complete
  • FIT IN: belong
  • GET AWAY WITH: escape punishment
  • GET BACK TOGETHER: reconcile
  • GET INTO: become involved in
  • GET ON WITH: have a good relationship
  • GET OUT: remove
  • GET OUT OF: avoid
  • GET UP: rise
  • GIVE OUT: distribute
  • GO AWAY: leave
  • GO OUT: exit
  • GO UP: increase
  • GROW UP: mature
  • HANG OUT: spend time idly
  • KEEP ON: continue
  • LEAVE OUT: exclude
  • LET IN: allow entry
  • LOCK UP: secure with a lock
  • LOOK FOR: search
  • LOOK FORWARD TO: anticipate with pleasure
  • LOOK UP TO: admire
  • MEET UP WITH: encounter
  • OPEN UP: reveal
  • PICK UP: collect
  • PUT DOWN TO: attribute
  • PUT OFF: postpone
  • PUT UP WITH: tolerate
  • RELY ON: depend on
  • SET UP: establish
  • SPLIT UP: separate
  • STAND UP FOR: defend
  • SWITCH OFF: turn off
  • TAKE OFF: depart
  • TAKE OVER: assume control
  • TALK INTO: persuade
  • TUNE IN: adjust to a frequency
  • TURN OFF: extinguish
  • WORK OUT: calculate
  • RUB OUT: erase
  • TURN DOWN: reject
  • HAND OUT: distribute
  • GO ON: continue
  • GET OVER: recover from
  • LET DOWN: disappoint
  • GET OFF: descend
  • TELL OFF: scold
  • RUN OUT OF: exhaust supply
  • BLOW UP: explode
  • PUT AWAY: store
  • CALL FOR: request
  • STAND FOR: represent
  • TURN UP: appear