To Tend vs Tending 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 tend (Infinitive)

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

Example

She tends to tend to her garden every day.

Tending (Gerund)

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

Example

Tending to a garden can be a therapeutic activity.

Where can infinitives/gerunds be placed in a sentence?

To tend (Infinitive)

• 1. Subject

  To tend to plants requires patience and care.

  To tend to plants requires patience and care.

  • "*To tend* to plants" serves as the subject of the sentence.
  • Infinitive phrase (subject) + verb (requires) + noun phrase (patience and care).
• 2. Object

  He asked me to tend to his pets while he's away.

  He asked me to tend to his pets while he's away.

  • "Me *to tend* to his pets while he's away" is the object of the verb "asked."
  • Noun (He) + verb (asked) + noun phrase (me *to tend* to his pets while he's away).
• 3. Adverb Modifier

  I woke up early to tend to my responsibilities.

  I woke up early to tend to my responsibilities.

  • "*To tend* to my responsibilities" modifies the adverb "early."
  • Noun (I) + verb (woke up) + adverb phrase (early *to tend* to my responsibilities).

Tending (Gerund)

• 1. Subject

  Tending to plants requires knowledge and dedication.

  Tending to plants requires knowledge and dedication.

  • "*Tending* to plants" is the subject of the sentence.
  • Gerund (subject) + verb (requires) + noun phrase (knowledge and dedication).
• 2. Object

  I enjoy tending to my garden and watching it thrive.

  I enjoy tending to my garden and watching it thrive.

  • "*Tending* to my garden and watching it thrive" is the object of the verb "enjoy."
  • Noun (I) + verb (enjoy) + gerund (*tending* to my garden and watching it thrive).
• 3. Object of Preposition

  She has a passion for tending to her plants.

  She has a passion for tending to her plants.

  • "For *tending* to her plants" is the object of the preposition "for."
  • Noun phrase (She) + verb (has) + noun phrase (a passion for *tending* to her plants).

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 tend to the garden this weekend.

I hope to tend to my plants and help them grow.

She wants to tend to a flower bed in her backyard.

We decided to tend to the vegetable garden together.

They agreed to tend to the flowers and keep them healthy.

Verbs Taking Gerunds as Objects

• enjoy
• recommend
• dislike
• avoid
• imagine

Example

He enjoys tending to his bonsai tree collection.

Gardening experts recommend regular tending for healthy plants.

I dislike the task of tending to the lawn in hot weather.

They avoid tending to plants that require too much water.

Can you imagine yourself tending to a beautiful flower garden?

Verbs Taking Both Infinitives and Gerunds as Objects

• like
• start
• begin

Example

She likes to tend to her indoor plants. She likes tending to her indoor plants.

We started to tend to the community garden. We started tending to the community garden.

He began to tend to the flower beds in the park. He began tending to the flower beds in the park.