To Total vs Totaling 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 total (Infinitive)

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

Example

I refuse to total the expenses for this month.

Totaling (Gerund)

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

Example

Totaling the expenses took longer than expected.

Where can infinitives/gerunds be placed in a sentence?

To total (Infinitive)

• 1. Subject

  To total the expenses is my responsibility.

  To total the expenses is my responsibility.

  • "*To total* the expenses" serves as the subject of the sentence.
  • Infinitive phrase (subject) + verb (is) + noun phrase (my responsibility).
• 2. Object

  He wants me to total the sales figures.

  He wants me to total the sales figures.

  • "Me *to total* the sales figures" is the object of the verb "wants."
  • Noun (He) + verb (wants) + noun phrase (me *to total* the sales figures).
• 3. Adjective Modifier

  I need a calculator to total the bill.

  I need a calculator to total the bill.

  • "*To total* the bill" modifies the noun "calculator."
  • Noun (I) + verb (need) + noun phrase (a calculator *to total* the bill).

Totaling (Gerund)

• 1. Subject

  Totaling the expenses is a crucial task.

  Totaling the expenses is a crucial task.

  • "*Totaling* the expenses" is the subject of the sentence.
  • Gerund (subject) + verb (is) + noun phrase (a crucial task).
• 2. Object

  I enjoy totaling the sales figures.

  I enjoy totaling the sales figures.

  • "*Totaling* the sales figures" is the object of the verb "enjoy."
  • Noun (I) + verb (enjoy) + gerund (*totaling* the sales figures).
• 3. Object of Preposition

  She has a knack for totaling the bills accurately.

  She has a knack for totaling the bills accurately.

  • "For *totaling* the bills accurately" is the object of the preposition "for."
  • Noun phrase (She) + verb (has) + noun phrase (a knack for *totaling* the bills accurately).

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

She plans to total the expenses for the project tomorrow.

They hope to total the budget before the meeting.

He wants to total all the numbers by the end of the day.

We decided to total the costs ourselves.

They agreed to total the expenses together.

Verbs Taking Gerunds as Objects

• enjoy
• recommend
• dislike
• avoid
• imagine

Example

She enjoys totaling the expenses for the month.

They recommend totaling the inventory regularly.

I dislike the task of totaling the receipts.

He avoids totaling the numbers manually.

Can you imagine yourself totaling the expenses without a calculator?

Verbs Taking Both Infinitives and Gerunds as Objects

• like
• start
• begin

Example

She likes to total the sales every week. She likes totaling the sales every week.

We started to total the expenses monthly. We started totaling the expenses monthly.

He began to total the revenue annually. He began totaling the revenue annually.