{"id":273271,"date":"2026-09-10T03:01:16","date_gmt":"2026-09-10T08:01:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/langcom.org\/?p=273271"},"modified":"2026-09-10T03:01:16","modified_gmt":"2026-09-10T08:01:16","slug":"gerunds-infinitives-verb-patterns-b1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/langcom.org\/fr\/blog\/gerunds-infinitives-verb-patterns-b1\/","title":{"rendered":"Mastering Verb Patterns: Gerunds or Infinitives? (B1 English Grammar)"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"lc-answer\"><strong>In English, when one verb follows another, the second verb must take a specific form: either the <span data-no-translation>-ing<\/span> form (called a gerund) or the <span data-no-translation>to + base verb<\/span> form (called an infinitive).<\/strong> There is no simple rule to know which form to use; it depends on the first verb. For example, we say <span data-no-translation>I enjoy reading<\/span> (gerund) but <span data-no-translation>I want to read<\/span> (infinitive). Learning these verb patterns is key to speaking and writing English naturally. You need to memorize which verbs are followed by gerunds and which are followed by infinitives. This guide will help you understand the most common patterns at B1 level, so you can choose the correct verb form every time.<\/div>\n<h2>Que sont les g\u00e9rondifs et les infinitifs ?<\/h2>\n<p>Before we look at verb patterns, let&#8217;s quickly review what gerunds and infinitives are:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>A <span data-no-translation>gerund<\/span> est le <span data-no-translation>-ing<\/span> form of a verb that acts like a noun. For example, in <span data-no-translation>I enjoy swimming<\/span>, <span data-no-translation>swimming<\/span> is a gerund.<\/li>\n<li>Un <span data-no-translation>infinitive<\/span> is the base form of a verb, usually with <span data-no-translation>to<\/span> before it. For example, in <span data-no-translation>I want to swim<\/span>, <span data-no-translation>to swim<\/span> is an infinitive.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>When two verbs are together, the first verb decides the form of the second verb.<\/p>\n<div class=\"lc-cta lc-cta-blended\" style=\"border-radius:14px;padding:30px;margin:30px 0;text-align:center;color:#fff;background:linear-gradient(135deg,#0E63C4,#0A2540);\"><h3 style=\"color:#fff;font-size:22px;font-weight:800;margin:0 0 8px;\">\ud83c\udf93 Apprenez l'anglais gr\u00e2ce \u00e0 la m\u00e9thode mixte<\/h3><p style=\"margin:0 0 10px;opacity:.95;\">Petits groupes \u00b7 Tuteur IA disponible 24 h\/24, 7 j\/7 \u00b7 Pr\u00e9paration aux examens de Cambridge<\/p><p style=\"margin:0 0 16px;font-size:18px;\">Plans provenant de <strong><span class=\"woocommerce-Price-amount amount\"><bdi><span class=\"woocommerce-Price-currencySymbol\" translate=\"no\" dir=\"auto\">$<\/span>39<\/bdi><\/span><\/strong> <s style=\"opacity:.6;\"><span class=\"woocommerce-Price-amount amount\"><bdi><span class=\"woocommerce-Price-currencySymbol\" translate=\"no\" dir=\"auto\">$<\/span>79<\/bdi><\/span><\/s> par mois<\/p><a href=\"\/fr\/\" style=\"display:inline-block;margin-top:8px;padding:13px 30px;border-radius:8px;font-weight:700;text-decoration:none;background:#fff;color:#0E63C4;\">R\u00e9servez votre cours<\/a><\/div>\n<h2>Verbs Followed by Gerunds (-ing)<\/h2>\n<p>Many common verbs are always followed by a gerund (the <span data-no-translation>-ing<\/span> form of the verb). You cannot use <span data-no-translation>to + infinitive<\/span> after these verbs.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Nous utilisons <span data-no-translation>avoid<\/span> with a gerund: <span data-no-translation>She avoids meeting new people.<\/span><\/li>\n<li>Nous utilisons <span data-no-translation>enjoy<\/span> with a gerund: <span data-no-translation>I enjoy watching movies.<\/span><\/li>\n<li>Nous utilisons <span data-no-translation>finish<\/span> with a gerund: <span data-no-translation>Have you finished studying?<\/span><\/li>\n<li>Nous utilisons <span data-no-translation>mind<\/span> with a gerund (often in questions or negatives): <span data-no-translation>Do you mind opening the window?<\/span><\/li>\n<li>Nous utilisons <span data-no-translation>suggest<\/span> with a gerund: <span data-no-translation>He suggested going for a walk.<\/span><\/li>\n<li>Nous utilisons <span data-no-translation>keep<\/span> with a gerund: <span data-no-translation>Keep practising, and you will improve.<\/span><\/li>\n<li>Nous utilisons <span data-no-translation>practise<\/span> with a gerund: <span data-no-translation>You should practise speaking English every day.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Remember that verbs after prepositions also always take the gerund form. For example:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span data-no-translation>I'm good at playing tennis.<\/span> (after <span data-no-translation>at<\/span>)<\/li>\n<li><span data-no-translation>She's thinking about moving to another city.<\/span> (after <span data-no-translation>about<\/span>)<\/li>\n<li><span data-no-translation>I'm looking forward to seeing you.<\/span> (after <span data-no-translation>to<\/span>, when <span data-no-translation>to<\/span> is a preposition)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Verbs Followed by Infinitives (to + verb)<\/h2>\n<p>Other common verbs are always followed by an infinitive (the <span data-no-translation>to + base verb<\/span> form). You cannot use the gerund after these verbs.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Nous utilisons <span data-no-translation>decide<\/span> with an infinitive: <span data-no-translation>They decided to travel next month.<\/span><\/li>\n<li>Nous utilisons <span data-no-translation>expect<\/span> with an infinitive: <span data-no-translation>I expect to finish work early today.<\/span><\/li>\n<li>Nous utilisons <span data-no-translation>hope<\/span> with an infinitive: <span data-no-translation>She hopes to visit Paris soon.<\/span><\/li>\n<li>Nous utilisons <span data-no-translation>learn<\/span> with an infinitive: <span data-no-translation>He learned to play the guitar.<\/span><\/li>\n<li>Nous utilisons <span data-no-translation>need<\/span> with an infinitive: <span data-no-translation>We need to buy some food.<\/span><\/li>\n<li>Nous utilisons <span data-no-translation>offer<\/span> with an infinitive: <span data-no-translation>He offered to help me.<\/span><\/li>\n<li>Nous utilisons <span data-no-translation>plan<\/span> with an infinitive: <span data-no-translation>They plan to get married.<\/span><\/li>\n<li>Nous utilisons <span data-no-translation>promise<\/span> with an infinitive: <span data-no-translation>I promise to call you later.<\/span><\/li>\n<li>Nous utilisons <span data-no-translation>refuse<\/span> with an infinitive: <span data-no-translation>She refused to answer my question.<\/span><\/li>\n<li>Nous utilisons <span data-no-translation>want<\/span> with an infinitive: <span data-no-translation>I want to learn English.<\/span><\/li>\n<li>Nous utilisons <span data-no-translation>would like<\/span> with an infinitive: <span data-no-translation>I would like to drink some water.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Certains verbes, comme <span data-no-translation>help<\/span>, can be followed by an infinitive with <span data-no-translation>to<\/span> or without <span data-no-translation>to<\/span>. Both are correct: <span data-no-translation>He helped me to carry the bags.<\/span> ou <span data-no-translation>He helped me carry the bags.<\/span><\/p>\n<table>\n<caption>Common Verbs Followed by Gerunds or Infinitives (B1 Level)<\/caption>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>Verbs Followed by Gerunds (&lt;span data-no-translation&gt;-ing&lt;\/span&gt;)<\/th>\n<th>Verbs Followed by Infinitives (&lt;span data-no-translation&gt;to + verb&lt;\/span&gt;)<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td><span data-no-translation>avoid<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span data-no-translation>agree<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span data-no-translation>enjoy<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span data-no-translation>decide<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span data-no-translation>finish<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span data-no-translation>expect<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span data-no-translation>mind<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span data-no-translation>hope<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span data-no-translation>suggest<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span data-no-translation>learn<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span data-no-translation>keep<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span data-no-translation>need<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span data-no-translation>practise<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span data-no-translation>offer<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span data-no-translation>think about<\/span> (preposition)<\/td>\n<td><span data-no-translation>plan<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span data-no-translation>look forward to<\/span> (preposition)<\/td>\n<td><span data-no-translation>promise<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span data-no-translation><\/span><\/td>\n<td><span data-no-translation>refuse<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span data-no-translation><\/span><\/td>\n<td><span data-no-translation>want<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span data-no-translation><\/span><\/td>\n<td><span data-no-translation>would like<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h2>Exemples<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><span data-no-translation>She avoids meeting other artists.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-no-translation>The experience helped him to become a champion.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-no-translation>Salma refused to give up.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-no-translation>She learned to speak English quickly.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-no-translation>Johnny Depp doesn't enjoy being famous.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-no-translation>He was always thinking about making films.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-no-translation>He loved using the family video camera.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-no-translation>I just wanted to get out of school.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-no-translation>I could start saving money.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-no-translation>He decided to leave to study acting.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Entra\u00eenement<\/h2>\n<div class=\"h5p-iframe-wrapper\"><iframe id=\"h5p-iframe-1324\" class=\"h5p-iframe\" data-content-id=\"1324\" style=\"height:1px\" src=\"about:blank\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" title=\"I05 L2 GRAMMAR Verb patterns\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<div class=\"lc-cta lc-cta-placement\" style=\"border-radius:14px;padding:30px;margin:30px 0;text-align:center;color:#fff;background:linear-gradient(135deg,#2B87DA,#29C4A9);\"><h3 style=\"color:#fff;font-size:22px;font-weight:800;margin:0 0 8px;\">\u270d\ufe0f Vous ne savez pas quel est votre niveau ?<\/h3><p style=\"margin:0 0 16px;opacity:.95;\">Passez notre test de niveau gratuit et recevez des commentaires personnalis\u00e9s de la part d'examinateurs certifi\u00e9s par Cambridge.<\/p><a href=\"\/fr\/anglais\/academie\/test-gratuit\/\" style=\"display:inline-block;margin-top:8px;padding:13px 30px;border-radius:8px;font-weight:700;text-decoration:none;background:#0A2540;color:#fff;\">Passez notre test de niveau GRATUIT<\/a><\/div>\n<h2>Erreurs courantes chez les hispanophones<\/h2>\n<p>Spanish speakers often make mistakes with gerunds and infinitives because the rules are different from Spanish. Here are some common errors:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Using infinitive after prepositions:<\/strong> In Spanish, you use the infinitive after prepositions (e.g., <em>antes de salir<\/em>). In English, you must use the gerund.<br \/>  <span data-no-translation>Incorrect: I'm interested in to learn English.<\/span><br \/>  <span data-no-translation>Correct: I'm interested in learning English.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><strong>Confusing verbs that take gerunds with those that take infinitives:<\/strong> It's easy to mix them up. For example, after <span data-no-translation>enjoy<\/span>, you must use a gerund.<br \/>  <span data-no-translation>Incorrect: I enjoy to travel.<\/span><br \/>  <span data-no-translation>Correct: I enjoy travelling.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><strong>Using gerund where an infinitive is needed:<\/strong> For verbs like <span data-no-translation>want<\/span>, you must use an infinitive.<br \/>  <span data-no-translation>Incorrect: I want buying a new car.<\/span><br \/>  <span data-no-translation>Correct: I want to buy a new car.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The best way to avoid these mistakes is to memorize the common verbs in each category and practise using them.<\/p>\n<h2>Questions fr\u00e9quemment pos\u00e9es<\/h2>\n<h3>How can I remember which verbs take gerunds and which take infinitives?<\/h3>\n<p>The best way is to learn common verbs in groups. You can make flashcards, create example sentences, or use the table provided in this post. Regular practice and exposure to English will help you remember these patterns naturally.<\/p>\n<h3>Are there any verbs that can take both a gerund and an infinitive?<\/h3>\n<p>Yes, some verbs can be followed by both a gerund and an infinitive. For example, <span data-no-translation>like<\/span>, <span data-no-translation>love<\/span>, <span data-no-translation>hate<\/span>, et <span data-no-translation>start<\/span> can often take either form with little or no change in meaning (e.g., <span data-no-translation>I love swimming<\/span> ou <span data-no-translation>I love to swim<\/span>). However, some verbs change meaning depending on the form (e.g., <span data-no-translation>remember<\/span>, <span data-no-translation>stop<\/span>). For B1 level, focus on the verbs that have a fixed pattern first.<\/p>\n<h3>Why is it important to use the correct verb pattern?<\/h3>\n<p>Using the correct verb pattern makes your English sound more natural and correct. It helps you communicate clearly and avoid misunderstandings. It's a fundamental part of English grammar that improves your fluency and accuracy.<\/p>\n<h2>Le\u00e7ons associ\u00e9es<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/langcom.org\/fr\/?p=273043\">G\u00e9rondifs et infinitifs<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/langcom.org\/fr\/?p=273084\">G\u00e9rondifs et infinitifs<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/langcom.org\/fr\/?p=273184\">G\u00e9rondifs et infinitifs<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/langcom.org\/fr\/?p=273258\">G\u00e9rondifs et infinitifs<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In English, when one verb follows another, the second verb must take a specific form: either the -ing form (called a gerund) or the to + base verb form (called an infinitive). There is no simple rule to know which form to use; it depends on the first verb. For example, we say I enjoy [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":192,"featured_media":274218,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"bwfblock_default_font":"","langcom_teaches":"Gerunds and infinitives","langcom_cefr":"B1","langcom_type":"grammar","langcom_faq":"[{\"q\": \"How can I remember which verbs take gerunds and which take infinitives?\", \"a\": \"The best way is to learn common verbs in groups. You can make flashcards, create example sentences, or use the table provided in this post. Regular practice and exposure to English will help you remember these patterns naturally.\"}, {\"q\": \"Are there any verbs that can take both a gerund and an infinitive?\", \"a\": \"Yes, some verbs can be followed by both a gerund and an infinitive. For example, <span data-no-translation>like<\/span>, <span data-no-translation>love<\/span>, <span data-no-translation>hate<\/span>, and <span data-no-translation>start<\/span> can often take either form with little or no change in meaning (e.g., <span data-no-translation>I love swimming<\/span> or <span data-no-translation>I love to swim<\/span>). However, some verbs change meaning depending on the form (e.g., <span data-no-translation>remember<\/span>, <span data-no-translation>stop<\/span>). For B1 level, focus on the verbs that have a fixed pattern first.\"}, {\"q\": \"Why is it important to use the correct verb pattern?\", \"a\": \"Using the correct verb pattern makes your English sound more natural and correct. It helps you communicate clearly and avoid misunderstandings. It's a fundamental part of English grammar that improves your fluency and accuracy.\"}]","_kiss_seo_title":"","_kiss_seo_excerpt":"In English, when one verb follows another, the second verb must take a specific form: either the -ing form (called a gerund) or the to + base verb form...","_mwseo_canonical":"","_mwseo_keywords":"","_mwseo_primary_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[168],"tags":[651,1032],"formats":[],"class_list":["post-273271","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-b1-intermediate-english","tag-grammar","tag-verb-patterns"],"dsm_author":{"name":"Ra\u00fal","avatar_url":"https:\/\/langcom.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/nsl_avatars\/1de86ea706740d324aaef3dd8bf0843b.png","archive_link":"https:\/\/langcom.org\/fr\/blog\/author\/raulmaguinahamann\/","biodata":""},"dsm_categories":[{"term_name":"B1 Intermediate 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