To Dedicate vs Dedicating Infinitives & Gerunds

When and How to Use Each Expression?

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

To dedicate (Infinitive)

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

Example

I want to dedicate this book to my parents.

Dedicating (Gerund)

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

Example

Dedicating time to self-care is essential for overall well-being.

Where can infinitives/gerunds be placed in a sentence?

To dedicate (Infinitive)

• 1. Subject

  To dedicate oneself to a cause requires commitment and passion.

  To dedicate oneself to a cause requires commitment and passion.

  • "*To dedicate* oneself to a cause" serves as the subject of the sentence.
  • Infinitive phrase (subject) + verb (requires) + noun phrase (commitment and passion).
• 2. Object

  She wants me to dedicate my time to charity work.

  She wants me to dedicate my time to charity work.

  • "Me *to dedicate* my time to charity work" is the object of the verb "wants."
  • Noun (She) + verb (wants) + noun phrase (me *to dedicate* my time to charity work).
• 3. Adjective Modifier

  We need a room to dedicate for meetings.

  We need a room to dedicate for meetings.

  • "*To dedicate* for meetings" modifies the noun "room."
  • Noun (We) + verb (need) + noun phrase (a room *to dedicate* for meetings).

Dedicating (Gerund)

• 1. Subject

  Dedicating oneself to a cause can bring about positive change.

  Dedicating oneself to a cause can bring about positive change.

  • "*Dedicating* oneself to a cause" is the subject of the sentence.
  • Gerund (subject) + verb (can bring) + noun phrase (positive change).
• 2. Object

  I enjoy dedicating my weekends to creative projects.

  I enjoy dedicating my weekends to creative projects.

  • "*Dedicating* my weekends to creative projects" is the object of the verb "enjoy."
  • Noun (I) + verb (enjoy) + gerund (*dedicating* my weekends to creative projects).
• 3. Object of Preposition

  She has a passion for dedicating her time to community service.

  She has a passion for dedicating her time to community service.

  • "For *dedicating* her time to community service" is the object of the preposition "for."
  • Noun phrase (She) + verb (has) + noun phrase (a passion for *dedicating* her time to community service).

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

• plan
• hope
• want
• decide
• agree

Example

They plan to dedicate their lives to helping others.

I hope to dedicate more time to my hobbies in the future.

He wants to dedicate his career to environmental conservation.

She decided to dedicate her efforts to improving education.

We agreed to dedicate a portion of our profits to charity.

Verbs Taking Gerunds as Objects

• enjoy
• recommend
• avoid
• imagine
• consider

Example

They enjoy dedicating their energy to helping others.

I recommend dedicating at least 30 minutes a day to exercise.

He avoids dedicating too much time to social media.

Can you imagine yourself dedicating your life to scientific research?

She is considering dedicating her skills to a new career path.

Verbs Taking Both Infinitives and Gerunds as Objects

• like
• start
• begin

Example

I like to dedicate my weekends to relaxation and self-care. I like dedicating my weekends to relaxation and self-care.

They started to dedicate their resources to environmental sustainability. They started dedicating their resources to environmental sustainability.

He began to dedicate his time to volunteer work. He began dedicating his time to volunteer work.