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To Come vs Coming Infinitives & Gerunds

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Notes from a Native English Speaker

Infinitives: An infinitive is the base form of a verb, usually preceded by the word "to" (e.g., to swim, to eat, to learn). It can function as a noun, adjective, or adverb in a sentence. Infinitives are often used to express intentions, purposes, desires, or potential actions. Gerunds: A gerund is the -ing form of a verb (e.g., swimming, eating, learning). It’s different from a “present participle” which functions as a verb tense. A gerund can be the subject, object, or complement of a sentence.

When and How to Use Each Expression?

Get a sense of when and how each expression can be used through the following examples!

To come (Infinitive)

Purpose or Intention: Use the infinitive "to come" when you want to express a purpose, intention, desire, or potential action

Example

I want to come to your party tonight.

Coming (Gerund)

Activity or Experience: Use the gerund "coming" when you want to refer to the activity itself or the experience as a noun.

Example

Coming to the event was a great experience.

Where can infinitives/gerunds be placed in a sentence?

To come (Infinitive)

  • 1Subject

    To come early is important for the meeting.

    To come early is important for the meeting.

    • "*To come*" serves as the subject of the sentence.
    • Infinitive phrase (subject) + verb (is) + adjective phrase (important for the meeting).
  • 2Object

    She wants me to come with her to the concert.

    She wants me to come with her to the concert.

    • "Me *to come* with her to the concert" is the object of the verb "wants."
    • Noun (She) + verb (wants) + noun phrase (me *to come* with her to the concert).
  • 3Adjective Modifier

    He needs a car to come to the event.

    He needs a car to come to the event.

    • "*To come* to the event" modifies the noun "car."
    • Noun (He) + verb (needs) + noun phrase (a car *to come* to the event).

Coming (Gerund)

  • 1Subject

    Coming early is always appreciated.

    Coming early is always appreciated.

    • "*Coming*" is the subject of the sentence.
    • Gerund (subject) + verb (is) + adverb (always) + verb (appreciated).
  • 2Object

    I enjoy coming to your house.

    I enjoy coming to your house.

    • "*Coming* to your house" is the object of the verb "enjoy."
    • Noun (I) + verb (enjoy) + gerund (*coming* to your house).
  • 3Object of Preposition

    He has a fear of coming to parties.

    He has a fear of coming to parties.

    • "Of *coming* to parties" is the object of the preposition "of."
    • Noun phrase (He) + verb (has) + noun phrase (a fear of *coming* to parties).

Verbs Taking Infinitives/Gerunds as Objects

The following are verbs that can take only the base form of the verb (infinitive), only the -ing form (gerund), or both.

Verbs Taking Infinitives as Objects

Example

We plan to come early for the conference.

They hope to come to the party tomorrow night.

She wants to come to the beach this weekend.

He decided to come to the meeting after all.

We agreed to come together for the concert.

Verbs Taking Gerunds as Objects

Example

They enjoy coming to the park on weekends.

I recommend coming early to avoid the crowd.

She dislikes coming to social events.

We avoid coming to this restaurant because of the long wait.

Can you imagine coming to a party in a costume?

Verbs Taking Both Infinitives and Gerunds as Objects

Example

He likes to come to the movies with us. He likes coming to the movies with us.

They started to come to the gym regularly. They started coming to the gym regularly.

She began to come to the yoga class every morning. She began coming to the yoga class every morning.

This content was generated with the assistance of AI technology based on RedKiwi's unique learning data. By utilizing automated AI content, we can quickly deliver a wide range of highly accurate content to users. Experience the benefits of AI by having your questions answered and receiving reliable information!