To Divide vs Dividing 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 divide (Infinitive)

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

Example

I want to divide the tasks evenly among the team members.

Dividing (Gerund)

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

Example

Dividing the tasks evenly among the team members is crucial for success.

Where can infinitives/gerunds be placed in a sentence?

To divide (Infinitive)

• 1. Subject

  To divide the responsibilities is essential for a successful project.

  To divide the responsibilities is essential for a successful project.

  • "*To divide* the responsibilities" serves as the subject of the sentence.
  • Infinitive phrase (subject) + verb (is) + noun phrase (essential for a successful project).
• 2. Object

  She asked me to divide the cake into equal slices.

  She asked me to divide the cake into equal slices.

  • "Me *to divide* the cake into equal slices" is the object of the verb "asked."
  • Noun (She) + verb (asked) + noun phrase (me *to divide* the cake into equal slices).
• 3. Adjective Modifier

  We need a ruler to divide the paper into sections.

  We need a ruler to divide the paper into sections.

  • "*To divide* the paper into sections" modifies the noun "ruler."
  • Noun (We) + verb (need) + noun phrase (a ruler *to divide* the paper into sections).

Dividing (Gerund)

• 1. Subject

  Dividing the work equally among team members promotes collaboration.

  Dividing the work equally among team members promotes collaboration.

  • "*Dividing* the work equally among team members" is the subject of the sentence.
  • Gerund (subject) + verb (promotes) + noun phrase (collaboration).
• 2. Object

  I enjoy dividing the chores with my siblings.

  I enjoy dividing the chores with my siblings.

  • "*Dividing* the chores with my siblings" is the object of the verb "enjoy."
  • Noun (I) + verb (enjoy) + gerund (*dividing* the chores with my siblings).
• 3. Object of Preposition

  She has a talent for dividing complex problems into manageable parts.

  She has a talent for dividing complex problems into manageable parts.

  • "For *dividing* complex problems into manageable parts" is the object of the preposition "for."
  • Noun phrase (She) + verb (has) + noun phrase (a talent for *dividing* complex problems into manageable parts).

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 divide the work equally among the team members.

I hope to divide my time between work and family.

He wants to divide the profits fairly among the shareholders.

We decided to divide the responsibilities based on expertise.

They agreed to divide the expenses equally among themselves.

Verbs Taking Gerunds as Objects

• recommend
• consider
• avoid
• postpone
• understand

Example

Experts recommend dividing your income into different savings categories.

We are considering dividing the project into smaller phases.

I try to avoid dividing my attention between multiple tasks.

They decided to postpone dividing the resources until the next meeting.

It's important to understand the rationale behind dividing the tasks.

Verbs Taking Both Infinitives and Gerunds as Objects

• like
• start
• begin

Example

She likes to divide her time between work and hobbies. She likes dividing tasks into smaller steps.

We started to divide the responsibilities among the team members. We started dividing the workload evenly.

He began to divide his attention between multiple projects. He began dividing his focus on specific goals.