Gerunds and infinitives: ESL lesson plans and exercises

Q: What's the difference between a gerund and an infinitive?

Gerunds end in -ing; infinitives are to + verb. Both can follow another verb, and the first verb decides which: I want to export my payments , but Bruno keeps scrolling . After a preposition only the gerund works ( before leaving ), and the infinitive also gives a reason: She practices every day to get better .

Q: Why do we say look forward to seeing you?

Because this to is a preposition, so -ing follows. Prepositions take the -ing form, and look forward to and object to both end in one: I look forward to hearing from you ; Ryan objected to hiring a team . The same rule covers interested in , instead of and in favor of . So I look forward to meet you is a mistake.

Q: What is the infinitive of purpose?

To + verb that answers the question Why? Kids go to YOLA to learn music ; We tune the violin to make the sound right . A short answer can be the infinitive alone: Why do you practice? – To get better. Before a noun, use for : I play the violin for fun . Avoid for to learn and Because to get better .

Q: How do I teach gerunds and infinitives in ESL classes?

In small groups of verbs, one pattern at a time. English A2.1 on edio.ai starts with feelings ( love dancing , don't mind waiting ), then purpose ( to learn music ), then plans and goals ( want to fly , decide to apply ). At B1, English for IT mixes both groups in user stories, and Business English B2 sorts four patterns for running a meeting, plus verbs like stop and try that change meaning.

Q: What are good activities for gerunds and infinitives?

Surveys and guessing games about likes, plans and habits. A find-someone-who with Do you enjoy cooking? and Do you want to learn to drive? mixes both patterns. In a ranking game, students sort hobbies from love to hate and say why. The speaking chapter of each gerund and infinitive lesson adds a chat and a game, such as Spin the wheel or a memory game.

Q: Are there interactive gerund and infinitive exercises?

Yes, a few play on this page. They come from the lessons listed here, which also have drag-and-drop, gap-fills, tables to complete and quizzes on verb patterns with -ing or to . Students answer in their own edio.ai accounts, and each answer, -ing or to , is checked at once. A free trial opens every gerund and infinitive lesson for your class.

Q: Can I set these lessons as homework?

Yes, or teach them live. As homework, each student works in their own account: the -ing and to drills check themselves, and anything that needs your eye comes back for review. Live, one student or a whole group follows the lesson in sync with you, and real likes and plans ( I enjoy… , I want to… ) keep the practice personal.

Levels A1 to B2 18 lesson plans · 7 drill lessons Exercises that check themselves

A gerund is the -ing form of a verb (dancing), and an infinitive is to + the base form (to dance). Which one comes next depends on the first verb: I enjoy dancing, but I want to dance. This page lists 18 ready-made lessons on gerunds and infinitives from the edio.ai library, levels A2 to B2, from jazz in New Orleans to chairing a meeting. Try their -ing and to exercises, compare the verb patterns in the grammar schemes, and choose a lesson by level; each one is interactive and in American English.

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Gerunds and infinitives lesson plans and drills

18 lesson plans and 7 drill lessons, A1 to B2. Lesson plans are whole lessons with reading, listening and speaking; drill lessons are 43 to 46 self-checking exercises with no new words.

Try the gerund and infinitive exercises

One exercise from each of 6 lessons. These are the same exercises your students do in edio.

Gerunds and infinitives explained

We need gerunds and infinitives after verbs like enjoy or want, after prepositions and to say why. Enjoy, don't mind, avoid and suggest take -ing; want, hope, decide and agree take to. After a preposition, always use -ing: instead of typing. To + verb also gives a reason: Kids go there to learn music.

Like, love, enjoy, don't mind, hate + -ing

For how we feel about an activity, the second verb takes -ing: I love dancing, Marco hates practicing. Like, love and hate can also take to (I love to dance), but enjoy and don't mind only take -ing.

Verb	It means…	Example
love ❤️❤️	I like it a lot	I love dancing.
like ❤️	it's nice	I like listening to jazz.
enjoy 😊	it's fun for me	We enjoy clapping along.
don't mind 😐	it's OK, not a problem	I don't mind waiting.
hate 😖	I don't like it at all	Marco hates practicing.

From the lesson Where jazz was born (English A2.1)

To + verb for purpose: why?

To + the base form gives the reason for an action: I play the violin to relax. Before a noun, use for instead: I came for a lesson, or I came to have a lesson. Never use both: for to learn is wrong.

to + verb

Kids go there to learn music.
I came to have a lesson.
I play the violin to relax.

for + noun

Kids go there for music lessons.
I came for a lesson.
I play the violin for fun.

From the lesson An orchestra for every kid (English A2.1)

Want, hope, decide, need + to

Want, hope, decide, try, plan, learn and need take to + the base form: We plan to drive to Stockton. Only the first verb changes for the person or the past (She wanted to fly); the verb after to stays the same.

Verb	Example
want to	Marco wants to open a restaurant one day.
hope to	Ruben hopes to grow the best asparagus.
decide to	Yesterday, Nora decided to visit a farm.
try to	Biscuit tried to steal a tortilla.
plan to	We plan to drive to Stockton.
learn to	José learned to speak English at about twelve.
need to	You need to study hard.

From the lesson Never give up: from farm fields to space (English A2.1)

Which form comes next? Check the word before it

Two groups to learn: want, need, would like and plan take to, while avoid, finish, suggest and keep take -ing. After any preposition, such as before, without or instead of, a verb takes -ing: She sends a file instead of typing the numbers.

After these words	Use	Example
want, need, would like, plan, decide, hope, forget, try	to + verb	I want to export my payments.
avoid, enjoy, finish, suggest, mind, keep, consider	verb-ing	Bruno keeps scrolling through old payments.
a preposition: instead of, before, after, by, without, about, of	verb-ing	She sends a file instead of typing the numbers.

From the lesson As a user, I want… (English for IT B1)

Remember, forget, stop, try: two meanings

Some verbs change meaning with the form. Remember + -ing looks back at a memory, but remember to names a job still to do. We've stopped using plastic tape ends a habit, while Ryan stopped to answer a call means a pause for something else.

Verb	+ -ing	+ to + verb
remember	a memory of the past: I remember meeting Lukas in Amsterdam.	a task you don't forget: Remember to send the minutes.
forget	a past moment, usually with never: I'll never forget opening our first café.	a task you didn't do: Sorry, I forgot to book the room.
stop	end an activity: We've stopped using plastic tape.	pause in order to do something: Ryan stopped to answer a call.
try	do it as an experiment: Ana tried roasting the Kenyan coffee a little longer.	make an effort that is hard or fails: He tried to open the door, but it was stuck.

From the lesson Running a Meeting (Business English B2)

Questions about gerunds and infinitives

What's the difference between a gerund and an infinitive?

Gerunds end in -ing; infinitives are to + verb. Both can follow another verb, and the first verb decides which: I want to export my payments, but Bruno keeps scrolling. After a preposition only the gerund works (before leaving), and the infinitive also gives a reason: She practices every day to get better.

Which verbs are followed by a gerund?

Enjoy, mind, avoid, finish, suggest, keep and consider, among others. I suggest adding a filter; Please avoid making last-minute changes. At B2 the list grows with recommend, delay, postpone, risk, involve, deny and can't help. A frequent mistake is suggest to: say Ryan suggested starting with Saturdays, never suggested to start.

Which verbs are followed by an infinitive?

Want, need, hope, decide, plan, agree and promise, among many. Erin really hopes to see the export soon; We agreed to test weekend shifts. Others include learn, refuse, offer, manage, afford and would like. Some verbs put a person first: ask, tell, remind and encourage + someone + to, as in Ryan will ask the roasters to sign up.

Which verbs take both a gerund and an infinitive?

Like, love, hate, remember, forget, stop and try, among others. With the first three, both forms work: I hate waiting or I hate to wait. With the other four, the meaning changes: Sorry, I forgot to book the room is a task you missed, but I'll never forget opening our first café is a memory. Try to open is an effort; try roasting is an experiment.

Why do we say look forward to seeing you?

Because this to is a preposition, so -ing follows. Prepositions take the -ing form, and look forward to and object to both end in one: I look forward to hearing from you; Ryan objected to hiring a team. The same rule covers interested in, instead of and in favor of. So I look forward to meet you is a mistake.

What is the infinitive of purpose?

To + verb that answers the question Why? Kids go to YOLA to learn music; We tune the violin to make the sound right. A short answer can be the infinitive alone: Why do you practice? – To get better. Before a noun, use for: I play the violin for fun. Avoid for to learn and Because to get better.

How do I teach gerunds and infinitives in ESL classes?

In small groups of verbs, one pattern at a time. English A2.1 on edio.ai starts with feelings (love dancing, don't mind waiting), then purpose (to learn music), then plans and goals (want to fly, decide to apply). At B1, English for IT mixes both groups in user stories, and Business English B2 sorts four patterns for running a meeting, plus verbs like stop and try that change meaning.

What are good activities for gerunds and infinitives?

Surveys and guessing games about likes, plans and habits. A find-someone-who with Do you enjoy cooking? and Do you want to learn to drive? mixes both patterns. In a ranking game, students sort hobbies from love to hate and say why. The speaking chapter of each gerund and infinitive lesson adds a chat and a game, such as Spin the wheel or a memory game.

Are there interactive gerund and infinitive exercises?

Yes, a few play on this page. They come from the lessons listed here, which also have drag-and-drop, gap-fills, tables to complete and quizzes on verb patterns with -ing or to. Students answer in their own edio.ai accounts, and each answer, -ing or to, is checked at once. A free trial opens every gerund and infinitive lesson for your class.

Can I set these lessons as homework?

Yes, or teach them live. As homework, each student works in their own account: the -ing and to drills check themselves, and anything that needs your eye comes back for review. Live, one student or a whole group follows the lesson in sync with you, and real likes and plans (I enjoy…, I want to…) keep the practice personal.

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Gerunds and infinitives lesson plans and drills

Like, love, hate + -ing: I love dancing

Where jazz was born

An orchestra for every kid

Never give up: from farm fields to space

Verb + to or -ing: what do you enjoy doing?

What's it like to work in space?

Who writes Wikipedia?

A day on, not a day off?

The house that welcomed a neighborhood

A walk that lasted 24 hours

Head, heart, hands and health

As a user, I want…

Gerunds and infinitives: enjoy doing or decide to do?

Running a Meeting

Riding a pod with no driver

The town that painted bike lanes first

Bringing a parrot back from the edge

The beavers that came by parachute

Fifteen bison take the train

Volunteer on vacation?

The towers the city tried to pull down

Verbs + -ing or to: stop doing or stop to do?

Make, let, allow and get: who makes the rules?

To, in order to and so that: what's it for?

No use, no point and worth + -ing: what's worth your time?

Try the gerund and infinitive exercises

Gerunds and infinitives explained

Like, love, enjoy, don't mind, hate + -ing

To + verb for purpose: why?

Want, hope, decide, need + to

Which form comes next? Check the word before it

Remember, forget, stop, try: two meanings

Questions about gerunds and infinitives

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Teach gerunds and infinitives with ready-made lessons