Ready to sharpen your understanding of gerunds, participles & infinitives? Our Gerunds, Participles & Infinitives Quiz is designed to test how well you can navigate infinitive gerund participle usage and master participles infinitives and gerunds in context. Dive into gerund participle infinitive transformation exercises and boost your gerund infinitive practice with instant feedback and clear explanations. Visit our guide to gerunds participles and infinitives and jump into fun exercises, or explore advanced tips with gerund infinitive practice . Get ready to challenge your knowledge with carefully crafted questions, from everyday sentences to complex clauses. Whether you're brushing up for exams or refining your writing, take the quiz now to elevate your grammar skills!
Which of the following words is a gerund?
Dancing
To dance
Danced
Dance
A gerund is a verb form ending in -ing that functions as a noun. “Dancing” here acts as a noun, referring to the activity itself. The other forms are either infinitives, past participles, or base verbs. For more detail, see Purdue OWL on gerunds.
She is good at ___ new languages.
to learn
learn
learning
learns
After the preposition ‘at’, English requires the gerund form of the verb. “Learning” functions as a noun indicating the activity she excels in. Infinitives and base forms are not used after prepositions. For more, see Grammarly on gerunds after prepositions.
Identify the infinitive in this sentence: “Her dream is to become a doctor.”
Her
dream
to become
doctor
An infinitive is the base form of a verb preceded by “to.” Here “to become” is the infinitive acting as a subject complement describing her dream. The other words are nouns or pronouns. See EF on English infinitives.
Which sentence uses a present participle correctly?
The cat sleeping on the mat is mine.
The cat slept on the mat is mine.
Sleeping the cat on the mat is mine.
To sleep cat on the mat is mine.
A present participle ends in -ing and functions as an adjective or to form continuous tenses. “Sleeping” modifies “cat,” describing what the cat is doing. The other options misuse verb forms. For more, see Grammarly on participles.
Select the gerund serving as the subject in this sentence: “__ early helps productivity.”
To wake
Waking
Woke
Wake
When a verb acts as the subject of a sentence, English uses the gerund form. “Waking early” is a noun phrase meaning the act of waking, which helps productivity. Infinitives and base forms cannot serve in this role. Learn more at Purdue OWL.
In “the broken vase,” what grammatical function does “broken” serve?
Gerund
Infinitive
Participle
Noun
“Broken” is a past participle used as an adjective to modify “vase.” Participles can function as adjectives, while gerunds function as nouns and infinitives are verb forms with “to.” See more about participles at Grammarly.
I want ____ a new hobby.
learning
to learn
learned
learn
After verbs like “want,” we use the infinitive form of another verb to express purpose or desire. “To learn” correctly complements “want.” Gerunds are not used after “want” in this context. For more, see EF on infinitives.
I enjoy ___ movies in the cinema.
to watch
watch
watching
watched
“With verbs of enjoyment like “enjoy,” English requires the gerund form of the verb that follows. “Watching” acts as a noun to indicate the activity enjoyed. An infinitive would be incorrect here. See guidelines at Purdue OWL.
She stopped ____ coffee at work.
to drink
drinking
drank
drinks
Here, “stop” means “cease an action,” so it takes a gerund. “Stopped drinking” indicates she gave up the habit. If “stop” meant “pause in order to do something else,” it would take an infinitive. Read more at Grammarly.
I heard him ____ the door.
to open
open
opening
open
Correction: The intended answer should be “opening.” After verbs of perception like “heard,” the present participle describes an ongoing action heard. “I heard him opening the door” is correct. The other forms are ungrammatical in this context. See EF on participles.
He remembered ____ the letter before leaving.
sending
to send
sent
send
When “remember” refers to recalling a past action, it takes a gerund. “Remember sending” indicates the memory of having done it. If it were about recalling a future action, it would take an infinitive: “remember to send.” See Purdue OWL.
“Tired from the journey, they rested at the inn.” What part of speech is “Tired”?
Gerund
Infinitive
Participle
Adverb
The form “Tired” is a past participle used adjectivally to describe the pronoun “they.” It introduces a participial phrase. Gerunds act as nouns, infinitives are “to” + verb, and adverbs modify verbs. More at Grammarly.
She prefers ___ letters by hand than emailing.
to write
writing
wrote
writes
After “prefer” when contrasting two actions, English allows either the gerund or the infinitive. However, when explicitly stating preference in general (without “rather”), the infinitive is more formal. Both are possible, but “to write” is preferred here. See Purdue OWL.
They couldn't help ____ at his jokes.
laugh
to laugh
laughing
laughed
“Can’t help” is always followed by a gerund, expressing an inability to avoid an action. “Laughing” correctly follows and functions as a noun. Infinitives and base forms are incorrect after “cannot help.” See Grammarly.
Identify the underlined clause: “Having finished his work, he went home.”
Present participle clause
Perfect participle clause
Gerund clause
Infinitive clause
A perfect participle uses “having” + past participle to show that one action was completed before another. “Having finished” indicates the prior completion before he went home. It’s not a gerund or infinitive. See EF on participles.
He was seen ____ to the station by a friend.
drive
to drive
driving
driven
After passive constructions with perception verbs like “seen,” English uses the present participle to indicate the action observed. “He was seen driving” is correct. An infinitive or past participle would change the meaning incorrectly. Read more at Purdue OWL.
I regret ____ you the bad news.
telling
to tell
told
tell
When “regret” refers to apologizing at the moment of speaking, it takes an infinitive: “regret to tell you.” If it referred to past actions, it would use a gerund: “regret telling you.” See Grammarly.
She is looking forward to ____ you soon.
to see
seeing
see
saw
“Look forward to” is a phrasal verb ending in the preposition “to,” which requires a gerund, not an infinitive. “Seeing” correctly follows. Infinitives are incorrect after phrasal verbs with prepositions. More at Purdue OWL.
Which sentence correctly uses a perfect infinitive?
She seems to have forgotten the meeting.
She seems having forgotten the meeting.
Having seem to forget the meeting.
She seems to have forget the meeting.
A perfect infinitive is formed with “to have” + past participle and expresses an action completed before the time of the main verb. “To have forgotten” fits this pattern. The other options misuse the structure or verb forms. See EF on perfect infinitives.
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Study Outcomes
Understand gerunds, participles and infinitives -
Gain clarity on how each verbal form functions in sentences, enabling you to express actions, states, and descriptions with confidence.
Identify participial phrases -
Spot participles and their modifiers in complex sentences to see how they add descriptive detail and enhance meaning.
Differentiate between verbals -
Distinguish gerunds, participles, and infinitives in various contexts to select the correct form and avoid common errors.
Apply gerund infinitive practice -
Construct accurate sentences using gerunds and infinitives, reinforcing your grammar through targeted exercises.
Examine how different verbals interact in a sentence to uncover subtle shifts in meaning and usage.
Practice gerund participle infinitive usage -
Engage with quiz questions designed to solidify your understanding and track your progress in mastering these verb forms.
Cheat Sheet
Form and Function of Gerunds vs. Infinitives -
Gerunds (verb+ing) act as nouns while infinitives (to+verb) can function as nouns, adjectives, or adverbs (Cambridge University Press). For example, "Swimming is fun" vs. "She wants to swim in the lake." A handy mnemonic: "ING is a Noun, TO is More."
Participles as Descriptive Modifiers -
Participles (present: verb+ing; past: verb+ed/en) work like adjectives to add vivid detail (Oxford English Grammar). For example, "The running water soothed her" (present) and "The carved statue gleamed" (past). Remember the "Participle Party Rule": one comma if it opens a sentence, none if it's restrictive.
Gerunds as Subjects and Objects -
Gerunds are excellent for gerund infinitive practice because they serve as sentence subjects or objects (Purdue OWL). In "Reading improves memory," reading is the subject; in "I enjoy reading," it's the object. Use the formula SUBJECT + GERUND to express general activities.
Infinitives to Express Purpose -
Infinitive gerund participle combinations show purpose, result, or intention (University of Cambridge). For instance, "She paused to think" uses "to think" to explain why she paused. A memory trick: "TO DO = TASK OBJECTIVE."
Verb Patterns: Gerund vs. Infinitive Meanings -
Certain verbs change meaning with gerunds versus infinitives - e.g., "stop doing" vs. "stop to do" (Hewings Cambridge Grammar). "I stopped smoking" means quitting the habit, while "I stopped to smoke" means pausing another activity to smoke. Practice this gerund participle infinitive contrast to avoid confusion.
