Gerunds and infinitives (Part 1)

Writing requires creativity and practice

How to use gerunds and infinitives

How do you say this sentence in English? bailar es divertido.

Dance is fun. ❌ I’m sorry, that’s not correct.

👉 That’s the reason why we are studying gerunds and infinitives. Many students make this mistake. Learn and study this lesson to speak better English. This will make a huge difference!

Let’s continue with this example: bailar es divertido.

In a sentence, the subject is what that performs the action or is the main focus of the sentence. In this case, the subject is a verb: bailar.

Gerunds as Subject

Gerunds can function as the subject of a sentence, representing an activity or action.

Running is a great way to stay fit. Correr es una gran manera de mantenerse en forma.
Singing brings me joy. Cantar me da alegría.
Learning a new language can be challenging. Aprender un nuevo idioma puede ser un desafío.
Painting is her passion. Pintar es su pasión.
Writing requires creativity and practice. Escribir requiere creatividad y práctica.

And the answer to the question we asked before is : dancing is fun.

As you can see in the translations, in Spanish we use the verb in the infinitive, that is why it is very common to make this mistake in English. But now you know it! 😀

Infinitives as Subject

Infinitives can also be used as the subject of a sentence, expressing a general idea or concept. The verb here always goes with “to”!

To travel is a wonderful experience. Viajar es una experiencia maravillosa.
To explore new places is exciting. Explorar nuevos lugares es emocionante.
To learn a musical instrument takes time and practice. Aprender un instrumento musical requiere tiempo y práctica.
To help others is to make the world a better place. Ayudar a los demás es hacer del mundo un lugar mejor.
To save money is important for financial stability. Ahorrar dinero es importante para la estabilidad financiera.

Infinitive as Object

Infinitive as Object

In these examples, the infinitive represents the action or purpose that is desired, decided, hoped for, needed, or planned by the subject of the sentence.

She wants to travel the world.
He decided to start a new business.
They hope to win the competition.
I need to buy some groceries.
We plan to visit our relatives next month.

And the answer to the question we asked before is : I love to dance.

Let’s move to the next lesson to learn a bit more about gerunds and infinitives! 👉