To Mislead vs Misleading 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 mislead (Infinitive)

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

Example

He promised to mislead the public with false information.

Misleading (Gerund)

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

Example

Misleading others can lead to serious consequences.

Where can infinitives/gerunds be placed in a sentence?

To mislead (Infinitive)

• 1. Subject

  To mislead is unethical and dishonest.

  To mislead is unethical and dishonest.

  • "*To mislead*" serves as the subject of the sentence.
  • Infinitive phrase (subject) + verb (is) + adjective (unethical and dishonest).
• 2. Object

  They want him to mislead the investors.

  They want him to mislead the investors.

  • "Him *to mislead* the investors" is the object of the verb "want."
  • Noun (They) + verb (want) + noun phrase (him *to mislead* the investors).
• 3. Adverb Modifier

  She tried her best to mislead the jury.

  She tried her best to mislead the jury.

  • "*To mislead* the jury" modifies the verb "tried."
  • Noun (She) + verb (tried) + possessive pronoun (her) + adverb phrase (*to mislead* the jury).

Misleading (Gerund)

• 1. Subject

  Misleading the public is a violation of trust.

  Misleading the public is a violation of trust.

  • "*Misleading* the public" is the subject of the sentence.
  • Gerund (subject) + verb (is) + noun phrase (a violation of trust).
• 2. Object

  I dislike misleading advertisements.

  I dislike misleading advertisements.

  • "*Misleading* advertisements" is the object of the verb "dislike."
  • Noun (I) + verb (dislike) + gerund (*misleading* advertisements).
• 3. Object of Preposition

  He was accused of misleading the investors.

  He was accused of misleading the investors.

  • "*Misleading* the investors" is the object of the preposition "of."
  • Noun phrase (He) + verb (was accused of) + gerund (*misleading* the investors).

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
• demand
• wish
• refuse
• choose

Example

He plans to mislead the audience with his persuasive speech.

They demand him to mislead the public for their benefit.

She wishes to mislead people into believing her lies.

He refused to mislead his followers with false promises.

They chose to mislead their competitors with deceptive tactics.

Verbs Taking Gerunds as Objects

• avoid
• recommend
• consider
• mind
• imagine

Example

She avoids misleading her clients with false information.

They recommend against misleading customers with deceptive practices.

I am considering misleading others for personal gain.

Do you mind misleading your colleagues to get ahead?

Can you imagine misleading your loved ones for your own benefit?

Verbs Taking Both Infinitives and Gerunds as Objects

• like
• start
• begin

Example

He likes to mislead people with his cunning tactics. He likes misleading people with his cunning tactics.

They started to mislead the public for their own gain. They started misleading the public for their own gain.

She began to mislead her followers with false promises. She began misleading her followers with false promises.