B2 First & C1 Advanced: Gerunds and Infinitives – Rules, Examples and Common Mistakes

Haley Macfarlane
Aug 27
6 min read

Should you say I enjoy reading or I enjoy to read?

What about I stopped smoking and I stopped to smoke? Both of these sentences are grammatically correct, but they have completely different meanings.

Gerunds and infinitives are an area of English grammar that can cause problems even for advanced learners. Unfortunately, there isn't one simple rule that tells you which form to use every time.

For students preparing for Cambridge B2 First or C1 Advanced, understanding these patterns is particularly useful. They can appear in Reading and Use of English, but using them accurately will also improve your Writing and Speaking.

Let's look at how they work.

What is a gerund?

A gerund is the -ing form of a verb used in a position where we would normally use a noun.

For example:

Swimming is good exercise.

I enjoy travelling.

She's interested in learning Spanish.

Although swimming, travelling and learning come from verbs, they function as gerunds in these sentences.

When do we use a gerund?

After certain verbs

Some verbs are normally followed by a gerund. Common examples include:

enjoy, avoid, consider, suggest, recommend, admit, deny, mind, miss, practise and finish.

For example:

I enjoy working from home.

She suggested taking the earlier train.

He denied breaking the window.

We say I enjoy reading, not I enjoy to read.

At B2 and C1 level, it is useful to learn these combinations as complete verb patterns rather than trying to translate individual words from your first language.

After prepositions

When a verb comes immediately after a preposition, we normally use the -ing form.

She's interested in studying abroad.

Thank you for helping me.

He left without saying goodbye.

This is also important with expressions containing to when to is a preposition rather than part of an infinitive.

I'm looking forward to seeing you.

She's used to working long hours.

This causes a lot of mistakes because learners often see to and automatically expect an infinitive. However, in expressions such as look forward to and be used to, it is followed by a noun or gerund.

As the subject of a sentence

A gerund can also be used as the subject of a sentence.

Learning a language takes time.

Reading regularly can improve your vocabulary.

Getting enough sleep before an exam is important.

What is an infinitive?

The infinitive is the base form of a verb. One common form is the to-infinitive:

to go, to study, to learn, to improve

For example:

I decided to study English.

She hopes to take the exam next year.

When do we use the to-infinitive?

After certain verbs

Some verbs are normally followed by to + infinitive.

Common examples include:

agree, decide, expect, hope, learn, manage, offer, plan, promise, refuse, seem and want.

For example:

We decided to leave early.

He managed to finish the exam on time.

They promised to contact me.

Again, learning the complete pattern will make it easier to use these verbs accurately.

To express purpose

We commonly use an infinitive to explain why somebody does something.

I went to the library to study.

She's taking a course to improve her English.

He called me to ask for some advice.

In this situation, we would say I went to the library to study, rather than I went to the library for studying.

Verbs that can be followed by both forms

Some verbs can be followed by either a gerund or an infinitive.

With some verbs, there is very little difference in meaning. With others, however, changing the form changes the meaning of the sentence.

Remember

Compare these two sentences:

I remember meeting her.

Here, you have a memory of meeting her in the past.

Remember to meet her at the station.

Here, remember refers to something that you must not forget to do.

Stop

He stopped smoking.

This means that he no longer smokes.

He stopped to smoke.

This means that he stopped doing another activity in order to have a cigarette.

Try

Try restarting the computer.

Here, restarting the computer is being suggested as a possible solution.

Try to restart the computer.

Here, the person should make an effort to restart it, although it may be difficult.

Regret

I regret telling him what happened.

The action happened in the past and the speaker now regrets it.

We regret to inform you that your application was unsuccessful.

This structure is commonly used in formal English when introducing bad news.

These differences become particularly important at higher levels because choosing the wrong form can completely change what you mean.

What about the bare infinitive?

Sometimes we use the infinitive without to. This is known as the bare infinitive.

It commonly appears after modal verbs:

You should study more.

She might come later.

We must leave now.

We also use it in certain structures with verbs such as let and make.

They let us leave early.

The teacher made us rewrite the essay.

For example, we say She made me apologise, not She made me to apologise.

Why are gerunds and infinitives important for Cambridge exams?

For B2 First and C1 Advanced candidates, understanding verb patterns can help across different parts of the exam.

In Reading and Use of English, you may need to recognise which structure follows a particular verb, adjective or preposition. These patterns can also be important in Key Word Transformations, where a sentence may need to be rewritten using a different grammatical structure without changing its meaning.

Accurate use of more complex verb patterns can also help you demonstrate a wider grammatical range in Writing and Speaking.

Instead of memorising individual verbs, try learning complete patterns such as:

avoid doing something

manage to do something

look forward to doing something

encourage someone to do something

This makes it much easier to recall the correct structure when you need to use it.

Common mistakes with gerunds and infinitives

One common problem is using an infinitive after a preposition. We say:

I'm interested in learning English.

Not:

I'm interested in to learn English.

Another common mistake is using a gerund after a verb that normally requires an infinitive:

I decided to study abroad.

Not:

I decided studying abroad.

Learners also sometimes assume that every instance of to must be followed by an infinitive. This leads to mistakes such as I'm looking forward to see you. The correct form is:

I'm looking forward to seeing you.

It is also important to learn whether a verb requires an object. For example:

She advised me to take the exam later.

Rather than:

She advised to take the exam later.

These small differences become increasingly important as you progress towards B2 and C1.

How can you learn gerunds and infinitives more effectively?

Trying to memorise a huge alphabetical list of verbs followed by gerunds and another list followed by infinitives is unlikely to be the most effective approach.

Instead, learn the whole expression when you encounter a new verb.

Rather than simply learning the meaning of avoid, learn the pattern avoid doing something and put it into a sentence:

Try to avoid making the same mistake.

Instead of learning manage as an isolated word, learn manage to do something:

She managed to finish the Reading paper on time.

When a verb can take both forms, record examples of both structures together with their different meanings.

Over time, these combinations will begin to sound natural rather than feeling like grammar rules you have to remember.

Final thoughts

Gerunds and infinitives can seem complicated because there isn't one rule that covers every situation. However, once you start learning verbs as patterns rather than individual words, choosing the correct structure becomes much easier.

For Cambridge B2 First and C1 Advanced candidates, these patterns are particularly worth mastering. They can help you in Reading and Use of English and allow you to use a wider range of structures accurately in your Writing and Speaking.

When you encounter a new verb or expression, don't just record its meaning. Make a note of the words and structures that normally follow it and practise using the complete pattern in your own sentences.

Free Gerunds & Infinitives Practice PDF

Want to practise what you've learned?

Download our free B2–C1 Gerunds & Infinitives Grammar Guide and Practice Worksheet.

The guide includes clear explanations of the main gerund and infinitive patterns, common mistakes, verbs that change meaning depending on the form used, and 48 practice questions, including Cambridge-style sentence transformations.

Inside the PDF:

Gerunds, to-infinitives and bare infinitives
Common verb patterns
Verbs followed by both forms
Changes in meaning: remember, stop, try, regret, mean and more
Common B2–C1 mistakes
48 practice questions
Cambridge-style transformations
Full answer key

[Download the free Gerunds & Infinitives PDF]

At English Exams International, we offer online Cambridge exam preparation for B2 First and C1 Advanced, with courses designed to help you develop both your English level and the specific exam skills you need to succeed.