To Postpone vs Postponing 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 postpone (Infinitive)

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

Example

I decided to postpone the meeting until next week.

Postponing (Gerund)

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

Example

Postponing the decision was not an option.

Where can infinitives/gerunds be placed in a sentence?

To postpone (Infinitive)

• 1. Subject

  To postpone the event was a difficult decision.

  To postpone the event was a difficult decision.

  • "*To postpone* the event" serves as the subject of the sentence.
  • Infinitive phrase (subject) + verb (was) + noun phrase (a difficult decision).
• 2. Object

  She asked me to postpone the deadline.

  She asked me to postpone the deadline.

  • "Me *to postpone* the deadline" is the object of the verb "asked."
  • Noun (She) + verb (asked) + noun phrase (me *to postpone* the deadline).
• 3. Adjective Modifier

  We need more time to postpone the project completion date.

  We need more time to postpone the project completion date.

  • "*To postpone* the project completion date" modifies the noun "time."
  • Noun (We) + verb (need) + noun phrase (more time *to postpone* the project completion date).

Postponing (Gerund)

• 1. Subject

  Postponing the project would have serious consequences.

  Postponing the project would have serious consequences.

  • "*Postponing* the project" is the subject of the sentence.
  • Gerund (subject) + verb (would have) + noun phrase (serious consequences).
• 2. Object

  I dislike postponing important tasks.

  I dislike postponing important tasks.

  • "*Postponing* important tasks" is the object of the verb "dislike."
  • Noun (I) + verb (dislike) + gerund (*postponing* important tasks).
• 3. Object of Preposition

  He is considering postponing the event.

  He is considering postponing the event.

  • "*Postponing* the event" is the object of the preposition "considering."
  • Noun phrase (He) + verb (is considering) + noun phrase (*postponing* the event).

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 postpone the trip due to bad weather.

I hope to postpone the appointment to a later date.

He wants to postpone the event until next month.

We decided to postpone the release of the new product.

They agreed to postpone the meeting for another week.

Verbs Taking Gerunds as Objects

• enjoy
• recommend
• dislike
• avoid
• imagine

Example

She enjoys postponing decisions until she has all the necessary information.

They recommend postponing the project until after the holidays.

I strongly dislike postponing important meetings.

He tries to avoid postponing deadlines at all costs.

Can you imagine postponing your vacation for another year?

Verbs Taking Both Infinitives and Gerunds as Objects

• like
• start
• begin

Example

They would like to postpone the event until next month. They would like postponing the event until next month.

We started to postpone the decision-making process. We started postponing the decision-making process.

He began to postpone the implementation of the new policy. He began postponing the implementation of the new policy.