Gerund and Infinitive after Adjectives
In English, certain adjectives are followed by either a gerund (-ing form) or an infinitive (to + verb), and choosing the correct form is essential for grammatically accurate sentences. Understanding which structure to use depends on the specific adjective and sometimes the meaning you want to convey.
Many adjectives that describe feelings or reactions are typically followed by infinitives. For example: "I'm happy to help you," "She was surprised to see him," or "They are eager to learn." Common adjectives in this category include glad, ready, willing, afraid, likely, and certain.
However, some adjectives are followed by prepositions, which then require a gerund. For instance: "I'm tired of waiting," "She's good at solving problems," or "He's interested in learning French." The preposition determines that a gerund must follow. Additionally, the construction "It's + adjective + gerund" appears in expressions like "It's no use crying over spilt milk" or "It's worth trying."
Mastering these patterns will help you sound more natural and avoid common errors that even intermediate learners make. Try the quiz to check your knowledge!
Choose the correct word to complete the sentence.
🎸 After three months of daily practice, Jamie is finally getting good ___ the guitar.
The correct answer is at playing.
After the adjective "good" + the preposition at, use a gerund (-ing form). The pattern is: be good at + gerund.
Choose the correct word to complete the sentence.
⏰ My productivity coach always says: "___ important ___ your tasks the night before."
The correct answer is It's ... to plan.
In the pattern It's + adjective + to-infinitive, we use to + base verb. "It's important to plan" follows this rule.
Choose the correct word to complete the sentence.
🌅 Since starting my new job, I'm used ___ at 5:30 a.m. every day.
The correct answer is to waking up.
In be used to + gerund, the word to is a preposition (not part of an infinitive), so it must be followed by a gerund (-ing form). This means "be accustomed to."
Spot the mistake! One sentence below has an error with gerund or infinitive use. Select the INCORRECT sentence.
🚌 Marco is adjusting to his new commute routine.
The correct answer is It's necessary studying every day for the exam.
This sentence is incorrect. In the pattern It's + adjective + to-infinitive, we must use to + base verb, not a gerund. The correct form is: "It's necessary to study every day for the exam."
Help complete Maria's journal entry about how her life has changed.
📓 Maria's Journal:
"My morning routine is so different now! When I was in college, I ___ sleep until noon every weekend. Those lazy mornings feel like a distant memory. These days, after two years at my new job, I ___ waking up at 6 a.m.—it actually feels normal now!"
Choose the correct pair to fill both blanks:
The correct answer is used to ... am used to.
The first blank requires used to + base verb ("used to sleep") to describe a past habit that no longer exists. The second blank requires be used to + gerund ("am used to waking") to express being accustomed to something. Though both contain "used to," they have different structures and meanings: past habit vs. current familiarity.
Drag the correct words to complete the sentences about daily habits.
Context: Maya is describing her morning routine to a new roommate.
"I've always been good at learning new things quickly. After three months of early shifts, I'm finally used to waking up at 5 a.m.!"
The first blank is at.
After the adjective "good," we use the preposition at. The second blank is learning. After the preposition at, use a gerund (-ing form). The third blank is to. In "be used to" (meaning "be accustomed to"), to is a preposition. The fourth blank is waking. After the preposition to in "be used to," use a gerund (-ing form).
Drag the correct words to complete this advice about study habits.
Context: A tutor is giving tips to a student struggling with time management.
"It's really important to arrive on time for class. Also, it's not easy to stay focused for hours, so take short breaks!"
The first blank is to arrive.
In the pattern It's + adjective + to…, use a to-infinitive. The second blank is to stay. In the pattern It's + adjective + to…, use a to-infinitive.
Drag the correct words to fix this journal entry. One sentence has a mistake!
Context: Tom is writing about his progress with a new fitness routine.
"Week 1: It's hard to exercise every day. ❌ Week 4: I'm finally good at to run long distances! Wait… that doesn't look right."
Help Tom correct his mistake:
"I'm finally good at running long distances!"
The correct answer is running.
After the preposition at (in "good at"), use a gerund (-ing form), not a to-infinitive. "Good at to run" is incorrect!
Drag the correct words to complete these sentences. Pay attention to the difference between past habits and being accustomed to something!
Context: Carlos is comparing his old life in Spain with his new routine in Canada.
"In Spain, I used to wake up at 10 a.m. (That was my habit back then!) Now in Canada, I am used to waking up at 6 a.m. for work. (I'm accustomed to it now!)"
The first blank is used to.
Used to + base verb describes a past habit that no longer exists. The second blank is wake. After used to (past habit), use the base verb (no -ing, no "to"). The third blank is am used to. Be used to + gerund means "be accustomed to" something now. The fourth blank is waking. In be used to, the word to is a preposition, so it's followed by a gerund (-ing form).
Drag the correct words to complete this conversation about learning a new skill.
Context: Two coworkers are chatting about their weekend hobbies.
Lina: "Is it difficult to learn the guitar?"
Sam: "At first, yes! But I'm getting better at playing every week. It's necessary to practice daily, though!"
The first blank is to learn.
In the pattern It's + adjective + to…, use a to-infinitive. The second blank is playing. After the preposition at (in "better at"), use a gerund (-ing form). The third blank is to practice. In the pattern It's + adjective + to…, use a to-infinitive.
Gerund
- ✅ I enjoy reading. — ❌ I enjoy to read.
- ✅ She's good at swimming. — ❌ She's good at to swim.
- ✅ He avoids making eye contact. — gerund after avoid
- ✅ Running is good exercise. — gerund as subject
A gerund is the -ing form of a verb functioning as a noun. It follows verbs like enjoy, avoid, finish, mind and ALL prepositions. Never use an infinitive where a gerund is required.
Rule: after a preposition (at, in, of, about, without) → always gerund. After enjoy, avoid, finish, mind, suggest, deny → always gerund.
Habitual aspect
- ✅ I walk to work every day. — present simple (current habit)
- ✅ I used to smoke. — past habit, no longer true
- ✅ Every summer we would go to the lake. — repeated past action
- ❌ I would live in Paris. — wrong (would for habitual needs an action, not a state)
The habitual aspect marks actions as repeated/routine: present simple (now), used to (past, stopped), would (past repeated actions within a time frame).
Rule: used to works for both states and actions. Would works only for repeated actions — never states (I used to know him ✅, not I would know him ❌).
Infinitive
- ✅ I want to go. — to-infinitive after want
- ✅ She can swim. — bare infinitive after modal
- ✅ Let me help. — bare infinitive after let
- ❌ I enjoy to read. — wrong (enjoy takes gerund, not infinitive)
The infinitive has two forms: to-infinitive (to go) after verbs like want, decide, plan, hope; bare infinitive (go) after modals and causatives (let, make, help).
Rule: after want, need, decide, plan, hope, expect, agree, refuse → to-infinitive. After can, will, must, let, make → bare infinitive. After enjoy, avoid, finish → gerund, NOT infinitive.
Preposition
- ✅ interested in — ❌ interested on
- ✅ good at football — ❌ good in football
- ✅ depend on — ❌ depend of
- ✅ arrive at the station — ❌ arrive to the station
Prepositions link nouns to the rest of the sentence: time (at 5pm), place (in London), manner (with care), abstract (afraid of). Most are idiomatic — the "correct" preposition must be memorised with each verb/adjective combination.
Rule: there is no universal rule. English prepositions are learned by combination: interested IN, good AT, depend ON, afraid OF. Your native language's equivalent will often mislead.
Verb
- walk → walk / walks / walked / walked / walking (5 forms, regular)
- go → go / goes / went / gone / going (5 forms, irregular)
- be → am/is/are/was/were/be/being/been (8 forms)
- can → can / could (modal: only 2 forms, no -s, no -ing)
A verb is the one word class every English sentence requires. Carries tense (when), aspect (duration), mood (attitude), and voice (active/passive). Regular verbs add -ed; ~200 irregular verbs have unpredictable past forms.
Key insight: fix your verbs and most grammar problems disappear. Wrong tense, wrong agreement, wrong form — verb errors account for the majority of grammatical mistakes.
B1 | Intermediate
- ✅ If I had more time, I would travel more. — second conditional
- ✅ The bridge was built in 1920. — passive voice
- ✅ She said she was tired. — reported speech with backshift
- ✅ Although it rained, we enjoyed the trip. — complex sentence with concession
These are B1 patterns — the CEFR intermediate level. At B1 you link ideas, use passive voice, handle reported speech, and manage second conditional — enough for travel, work basics, and everyday independence.
Marker: if you can explain why something happened and follow a news story, you're B1.
Medium
- If I were you, I would apologise. — one rule (second conditional), but distractors like was tempt you
- Answers require active thought, not instant pattern recognition
- Vocabulary and context are realistic, not artificially simplified
- Usually tests one rule, but the wrong answers are plausible
Medium marks middle-difficulty challenges: A2–B1, one rule tested, but with realistic distractors that require genuine understanding.
Use "Medium" when Easy feels too obvious but Hard feels overwhelming. This is where most productive learning happens — the sweet spot of difficulty.