The infinitive and the gerund are non-personal forms of the verb. They do not change to agree with person or number, but they do not fulfill the same function. The infinitive names the action in a general way: to sing, to read, to leave. The gerund presents the action in progress or as part of another action: singing, reading, leaving. That is why they are easily confused, although one is closer to the name of the action and the other to the process. In I want to leave, to leave appears as a complete action that can be wanted. In I am leaving, leaving shows the action in progress.

Basic differences between infinitivo and gerundio

Idea
The infinitivo names the action in a general way and usually functions as a non-personal form of the verb.
The gerundio presents the action as something in progress or developing.
Both forms are non-personal, so they do not change like a conjugated verb.
They are often confused because both forms talk about the action, but they present it differently.

The infinitive can take the place of a noun. It appears as the subject in Smoking damages health and also as the object in I prefer to travel by train. In these cases, the action is presented in a general way, without a specific person or a precise moment. It can also come after another element that completes it, as in Before eating, without speaking or upon arriving. The infinitive serves to name the action itself, not to show it happening. That is why it sounds natural when the idea is to talk about the activity in the abstract, as in Studying opens doors or Reading at night is relaxing.

Nominal uses of infinitivo

Usage	Explanation
Subject	Use the infinitivo as the subject when the action functions as the topic of the sentence.
Direct object	Use the infinitivo as the direct object when it completes the meaning of another verb.
Prepositional complement	Use the infinitivo as a complement when it depends on a preposition and names the action in general.
General idea of action	Use the infinitivo to talk about the action in a general or abstract way.

The gerund places the action within a process. With I am working, you are reading or they kept walking, attention is focused on what is happening at that moment or during a developing period of time. It can also indicate simultaneity: He entered smiling shows that the smile accompanies the entrance. When it expresses manner, it answers how something happens: He left running, she answered trembling, he finished laughing. In all these cases, the gerund does not name the action as a general idea; it presents it while it progresses, accompanies another action or describes the way in which it is carried out.

Aspectual values of gerundio

Usage	Explanation
Action in development	Use the gerundio to show an action that is happening now or at a nearby moment.
Simultaneity	Use the gerundio when two actions occur at the same time.
Immediate anteriority	Use the gerundio for an action that happens just before another and prepares it.
Mode or manner	Use the gerundio to indicate how the main action occurs.

After a preposition, the infinitive is used, because the preposition needs a form that functions as a nominal complement. That is why we say before leaving, after eating, without saying anything, to learn Spanish. The gerund does not occupy that place in the general standard. The combination preposition + infinitive makes it possible to express time, purpose, cause or manner with a clear and compact structure. In upon arriving, after seeing the news or for not studying, the preposition introduces the relationship and the infinitive retains the value of a named action. That is the usual form in English when the preposition comes before the verb.

Use of infinitivo after a preposition

Idea
After a preposition, infinitivo is normally used.
Gerundio usually does not go after a preposition in standard English.
The preposition requires a form with nominal value, not a form of progress.
Expressions such as without, to and before are usually followed by infinitivo.

Many verbs are followed by the infinitive to express desire, necessity, intention or preference. I want to leave, we need to rest, she prefers to stay, he can help, she must study. The main verb conveys the speaker's attitude and the infinitive expresses the action that one wants, can, must or prefers to carry out. With verbs such as to like, the structure changes, but the infinitive still appears to name the activity: I like to dance, we like to cook. To expect + infinitive, to think + infinitive and to know + infinitive are also frequent when the main verb introduces the action that follows.

quererpoderdeberesperarnecesitarempezargustarpreferirdecidirintentar

---

Significa tener posibilidad de hacer algoSignifica tomar una resolución sobre una acciónSignifica dar inicio a una acción o procesoSignifica elegir una opción antes que otraSignifica hacer un esfuerzo para conseguir algoSignifica causar agrado o preferenciaSignifica confiar en que algo ocurra o tener la intención de hacerloSignifica tener obligación o conveniencia de hacer algoSignifica desear o tener intención de hacer algoSignifica requerir algo para lograr una meta

Common verbs with infinitivo

Word	Definition
querer	Means to desire or intend to do something.
necesitar	Means to require something to achieve a goal.
gustar	Means to cause pleasure or indicate preference.
poder	Means to have the possibility of doing something.
deber	Means to have an obligation or it being advisable to do something.
preferir	Means to choose one option over another.
intentar	Means to make an effort to achieve something.
esperar	Means to trust that something will happen or intend to do it.
decidir	Means to make a decision about an action.
empezar	Means to initiate an action or process.

Scramble

With to be + gerund, an action in progress is presented: I am studying, they are waiting, we are eating. Attention falls on the process at that moment. To keep + gerund and to continue + gerund add the idea that the action does not stop: It keeps raining, they continue working, he continued speaking. These periphrases show duration, progress or persistence. The auxiliary verb contributes the temporal or aspectual value, and the gerund gives the image of the action in progress. That is why they sound natural in everyday scenes such as She keeps looking for her keys or We are watching a series.

Verbal periphrases with gerundio

Idea
With to be plus gerundio, an action in progress is presented.
With to continue plus gerundio, continuity of an action is expressed.
With to carry on plus gerundio, it is emphasized that the action does not stop.
These periphrases highlight the development of the action, not merely the fact of mentioning it.

With verbs of perception such as to see, to hear and to look at, the infinitive and the gerund do not mean the same thing. The infinitive presents the action as a complete event that is perceived: I saw him enter, I heard the neighbors sing. The gerund shows the action in progress: I saw her entering, I heard the neighbors singing. In the first case, attention goes to the act of entering or singing as a complete event. In the second, the scene focuses on the action in progress. This contrast also appears with similar verbs when the intention is to distinguish between an observed event and an activity that is developing before the senses.

Perception with infinitivo and gerundio

Usage	Explanation
Perceived complete action	Use the infinitivo when you want to present the action as a complete event perceived from beginning to end.
Perceived action in progress	Use the gerundio when you want to highlight the action while it is happening.
Hearing an event	Use the infinitivo with to hear when the action is perceived as a complete event.
Hearing an activity	Use the gerundio when the action is heard in progress.

The gerund should not describe a noun as if it were an adjective. That is why forms such as a person being kind or the letter telling the truth are incorrect when the gerund is intended to modify the noun. The gerund expresses action in progress, simultaneity or manner, not permanent qualities of the noun. In the general standard, that function belongs to the adjective or to a clearer clause: a kind person, the letter that tells the truth. In some places, the gerund may be heard used in that way, but it does not belong to standard usage.

gerundio descriptivogerundio atributivogerundio como adjetivo

---

Se usa de forma no estándar para describir un sustantivo, aunque no se recomienda en la norma cultaEn el habla coloquial puede aparecer para caracterizar un sustantivo, pero no es la forma normativaPuede oírse en algunos contextos informales para describir una escena, aunque conviene evitarlo en escritura formal

Nonstandard use of adjectival gerundio

Region	Variant	Definition	Example
Spain	gerundio como adjetivo	It is used nonstandardly to describe a noun, although it is not recommended in educated usage.	Es incorrecto decir un niño llorando para describir al niño como si fuera una etiqueta.It is incorrect to say a crying child to describe the child as if it were a label.
Mexico	gerundio descriptivo	In colloquial speech it may appear to characterize a noun, but it is not the normative form.	En registro cuidado se prefiere decir un niño que llora.In careful usage, a child who cries is preferred.
Argentina	gerundio atributivo	It may be heard in some informal contexts to describe a scene, although it is best avoided in formal writing.	En una redacción formal se escribe la mujer que canta.In formal writing, the woman who sings is written.

Scramble