To Excite vs Exciting 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 excite (Infinitive)

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

Example

I hope to excite the audience with my performance.

Exciting (Gerund)

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

Example

Exciting the crowd is an adrenaline rush.

Where can infinitives/gerunds be placed in a sentence?

To excite (Infinitive)

• 1. Subject

  To excite the crowd is my goal.

  To excite the crowd is my goal.

  • "*To excite* the crowd" serves as the subject of the sentence.
  • Infinitive phrase (subject) + verb (is) + noun phrase (my goal).
• 2. Object

  She wants me to excite the guests at the party.

  She wants me to excite the guests at the party.

  • "Me *to excite* the guests at the party" is the object of the verb "wants."
  • Noun (She) + verb (wants) + noun phrase (me *to excite* the guests at the party).
• 3. Adjective Modifier

  We need a captivating story to excite the audience.

  We need a captivating story to excite the audience.

  • "A captivating story *to excite* the audience" modifies the noun "story."
  • Noun (We) + verb (need) + noun phrase (a captivating story *to excite* the audience).

Exciting (Gerund)

• 1. Subject

  Exciting the viewers is our main goal.

  Exciting the viewers is our main goal.

  • "*Exciting* the viewers" is the subject of the sentence.
  • Gerund (subject) + verb (is) + noun phrase (our main goal).
• 2. Object

  I enjoy exciting people with my music.

  I enjoy exciting people with my music.

  • "*Exciting* people with my music" is the object of the verb "enjoy."
  • Noun (I) + verb (enjoy) + gerund (*exciting* people with my music).
• 3. Object of Preposition

  They have a talent for exciting the crowd.

  They have a talent for exciting the crowd.

  • "For *exciting* the crowd" is the object of the preposition "for."
  • Noun phrase (They) + verb (have) + noun phrase (a talent for *exciting* the crowd).

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
• wish
• decide
• attempt
• pretend

Example

He plans to excite the crowd with his dance moves.

I wish to excite everyone with my speech.

They decided to excite the fans with a surprise performance.

She attempted to excite the judges with her acrobatic routine.

He pretended to excite the audience with his magic tricks.

Verbs Taking Gerunds as Objects

• enjoy
• recommend
• avoid
• imagine
• consider

Example

She enjoys exciting the audience with her energetic performance.

They recommend exciting activities for team building.

He avoids exciting unnecessary conflicts.

Can you imagine exciting the crowd with your dance moves?

I am considering exciting new opportunities in my career.

Verbs Taking Both Infinitives and Gerunds as Objects

• like
• start
• begin

Example

They like to excite the crowd with their thrilling stunts. They like exciting the crowd with their thrilling stunts.

She started to excite the audience with her powerful voice. She started exciting the audience with her powerful voice.

We began to excite the spectators with our amazing choreography. We began exciting the spectators with our amazing choreography.