To Egg vs Egging 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 egg (Infinitive)

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

Example

I refuse to egg the house because it's not a responsible thing to do.

Egging (Gerund)

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

Example

Egging someone's house is a destructive act that can lead to legal consequences.

Where can infinitives/gerunds be placed in a sentence?

To egg (Infinitive)

• 1. Subject

  To egg someone's property is considered vandalism.

  To egg someone's property is considered vandalism.

  • "*To egg* someone's property" serves as the subject of the sentence.
  • Infinitive phrase (subject) + verb (is considered) + noun phrase (vandalism).
• 2. Object

  She wants me to egg the car as a prank.

  She wants me to egg the car as a prank.

  • "Me *to egg* the car as a prank" is the object of the verb "wants."
  • Noun (She) + verb (wants) + noun phrase (me *to egg* the car as a prank).
• 3. Adjective Modifier

  They need fresh eggs to egg the house.

  They need fresh eggs to egg the house.

  • "Fresh eggs *to egg* the house" modifies the noun "need."
  • Noun (They) + verb (need) + noun phrase (fresh eggs *to egg* the house).

Egging (Gerund)

• 1. Subject

  Egging is a common prank during Halloween.

  Egging is a common prank during Halloween.

  • "*Egging*" is the subject of the sentence.
  • Gerund (subject) + verb (is) + noun phrase (a common prank during Halloween).
• 2. Object

  I enjoy egging my friends on April Fool's Day.

  I enjoy egging my friends on April Fool's Day.

  • "*Egging* my friends on April Fool's Day" is the object of the verb "enjoy."
  • Noun (I) + verb (enjoy) + gerund (*egging* my friends on April Fool's Day).
• 3. Object of Preposition

  They were caught in the act of egging a car.

  They were caught in the act of egging a car.

  • "In the act of *egging* a car" is the object of the preposition "in."
  • Noun phrase (They) + verb (were caught) + noun phrase (in the act of *egging* a car).

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

• refuse
• plan
• attempt
• pretend
• choose

Example

He refuses to egg the building because it's against the law.

They plan to egg their neighbor's yard on Halloween night.

She attempted to egg the politician during his speech.

We pretend to egg each other as a silly game.

He chose to egg the school as his senior prank.

Verbs Taking Gerunds as Objects

• avoid
• recommend
• consider
• imagine
• miss

Example

He avoids egging houses because it's disrespectful.

They recommend against egging public property.

She considers egging a form of harmless fun.

Can you imagine someone egging their own car for a prank?

I miss the days of egging my friends' houses during Halloween.

Verbs Taking Both Infinitives and Gerunds as Objects

• like
• start
• begin

Example

They like to egg abandoned buildings. They like egging abandoned buildings.

He started to egg cars when he was a teenager. He started egging cars when he was a teenager.

She began to egg houses as a rebellious act. She began egging houses as a rebellious act.