To Juggle vs Juggling 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 juggle (Infinitive)

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

Example

I want to juggle five balls at once.

Juggling (Gerund)

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

Example

Juggling is a popular form of entertainment.

Where can infinitives/gerunds be placed in a sentence?

To juggle (Infinitive)

• 1. Subject

  To juggle requires great hand-eye coordination.

  To juggle requires great hand-eye coordination.

  • "*To juggle*" serves as the subject of the sentence.
  • Infinitive phrase (subject) + verb (requires) + noun phrase (great hand-eye coordination).
• 2. Object

  She wants me to juggle flaming torches.

  She wants me to juggle flaming torches.

  • "Me *to juggle* flaming torches" is the object of the verb "wants."
  • Noun (She) + verb (wants) + noun phrase (me *to juggle* flaming torches).
• 3. Adjective Modifier

  I need three balls to juggle simultaneously.

  I need three balls to juggle simultaneously.

  • "*To juggle* simultaneously" modifies the noun "three balls."
  • Noun (I) + verb (need) + noun phrase (three balls *to juggle* simultaneously).

Juggling (Gerund)

• 1. Subject

  Juggling requires focus and concentration.

  Juggling requires focus and concentration.

  • "*Juggling*" is the subject of the sentence.
  • Gerund (subject) + verb (requires) + noun phrase (focus and concentration).
• 2. Object

  I enjoy juggling colorful balls.

  I enjoy juggling colorful balls.

  • "*Juggling* colorful balls" is the object of the verb "enjoy."
  • Noun (I) + verb (enjoy) + gerund (*juggling* colorful balls).
• 3. Object of Preposition

  He has a talent for juggling different objects.

  He has a talent for juggling different objects.

  • "For *juggling* different objects" is the object of the preposition "for."
  • Noun phrase (He) + verb (has) + noun phrase (a talent for *juggling* different objects).

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

• decide
• attempt
• refuse
• pretend
• struggle

Example

We decided to juggle knives for our performance.

He attempted to juggle different objects in the air.

They refused to juggle on a unicycle.

She pretended to juggle oranges but dropped them.

I struggle to juggle multiple tasks at once.

Verbs Taking Gerunds as Objects

• enjoy
• recommend
• avoid
• imagine
• consider

Example

She enjoys juggling fire torches for a circus act.

They recommend practicing juggling with scarves before moving to balls.

I avoid juggling sharp objects for safety reasons.

Can you imagine yourself juggling chainsaws?

He is considering juggling as a full-time profession.

Verbs Taking Both Infinitives and Gerunds as Objects

• like
• start
• begin

Example

She likes to juggle with rings. She likes juggling with rings.

We started to juggle together as a hobby. We started juggling together as a hobby.

He began to juggle in his teenage years. He began juggling in his teenage years.