Gerund vs Infinitive Quiz with Answers
Decide when a verb takes the ing form and when it takes the to form, with the common verb pairs.
When to Use a Gerund or an Infinitive
A gerund is the ing form of a verb used as a noun, as in “Swimming is fun”. An infinitive is to plus the base verb, as in “I want to swim”. Both let a verb act like a name for an activity, and the hard part is knowing which one a sentence expects, because English does not give you a single rule that covers all of it.
Some verbs only take the gerund. Enjoy, avoid, finish, and mind fall here, so you say “I enjoy reading”, never “I enjoy to read”. Other verbs only take the infinitive. Want, decide, hope, and agree belong to this set, giving “She decided to leave”. A gerund is also the natural choice straight after a preposition, which is why “good at cooking” and “tired of waiting” both use ing. When an action sits as the subject at the very front, the gerund usually fits best, as in “Running keeps me healthy”.
Common Mistakes
The first mistake is putting an infinitive after a preposition, so “interested in to learn” slips out instead of “interested in learning”. The second is treating every verb the same and guessing, when the truth is that each verb has its own preference you have to meet head on. The third is the small group where both forms work but the meaning shifts. “I stopped smoking” means you quit the habit, while “I stopped to smoke” means you paused in order to have one. Remember and forget behave the same way, so the choice changes the whole message.
A tip that saves time. When a preposition sits just before, pick the gerund with confidence. For everything else, learn verbs in small groups so the pattern sticks by ear rather than by rule.
Choose an answer for each question. You get the correct answer and a short reason straight away, then your total score at the end.
1. Fill in the blank: “Neha enjoys ___ old Hindi songs.”
2. Choose the correct form: “We decided ___ a new house this year.”
3. Fill in the blank: “Arjun wants ___ a doctor.”
4. Choose the correct form: “You should avoid ___ junk food every day.”
5. Fill in the blank: “They hope ___ the match on Sunday.”
6. Choose the correct form after a preposition: “Kiran is good at ___ chess.”
7. Fill in the blank: “Please finish ___ your dinner before we leave.”
8. Choose the correct form: “Deepa is thinking of ___ her own bakery.”
9. Fill in the blank: “I can’t afford ___ a new car right now.”
10. Identify the error: “He suggested to go to the beach.”
11. Choose the correct sentence.
12. Fill in the blank: “Sunita is interested in ___ yoga classes.”
13. Choose the correct form: “The children kept ___ even after the bell rang.”
14. Which sentence is correct?
15. Fill in the blank: “Manoj apologised for ___ late to the office.”
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