When and How to Use Each Expression?
Get a sense of when and how each expression can be used through the following examples!To tought (Infinitive)
Purpose or Intention: Use the infinitive "to tought" when you want to express a purpose, intention, desire, or potential action
Example
I want to tought English to children in foreign countries.
Toughting (Gerund)
Activity or Experience: Use the gerund "toughting" when you want to refer to the activity itself or the experience as a noun.
Example
Toughting requires patience and good communication skills.
Where can infinitives/gerunds be placed in a sentence?
To tought (Infinitive)
- 1Subject
To tought is a rewarding profession.
To tought is a rewarding profession.
- "*To tought*" serves as the subject of the sentence.
- Infinitive phrase (subject) + verb (is) + noun phrase (a rewarding profession).
- 2Object
She wants me to tought her how to play the guitar.
She wants me to tought her how to play the guitar.
- "Me *to tought* her how to play the guitar" is the object of the verb "wants."
- Noun (She) + verb (wants) + noun phrase (me *to tought* her how to play the guitar).
- 3Adjective Modifier
I need a whiteboard to tought my lessons.
I need a whiteboard to tought my lessons.
- "*To tought* my lessons" modifies the noun "whiteboard."
- Noun (I) + verb (need) + noun phrase (a whiteboard *to tought* my lessons).
Toughting (Gerund)
- 1Subject
Toughting is a fulfilling career choice.
Toughting is a fulfilling career choice.
- "*Toughting*" is the subject of the sentence.
- Gerund (subject) + verb (is) + noun phrase (a fulfilling career choice).
- 2Object
I enjoy toughting people about environmental conservation.
I enjoy toughting people about environmental conservation.
- "*Toughting* people about environmental conservation" is the object of the verb "enjoy."
- Noun (I) + verb (enjoy) + gerund (*toughting* people about environmental conservation).
- 3Object of Preposition
She has a passion for toughting.
She has a passion for toughting.
- "For *toughting*" is the object of the preposition "for."
- Noun phrase (She) + verb (has) + noun phrase (a passion for *toughting*).
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
Example
She plans to tought in a rural school next year.
They hope to tought online courses in the future.
He wants to tought math at a university.
We decided to tought science to high school students.
They agreed to tought music to elementary school students.
Verbs Taking Gerunds as Objects
Example
She enjoys toughting languages to international students.
They recommend toughting workshops for professional development.
I dislike the idea of toughting in overcrowded classrooms.
He avoids toughting difficult subjects.
Can you imagine yourself toughting in a foreign country?
Verbs Taking Both Infinitives and Gerunds as Objects
Example
She likes to tought music to young children. She likes toughting music to young children.
We started to tought online courses. We started toughting online courses.
He began to tought computer programming. He began toughting computer programming.
