Differences between Gerunds and Infinitives -

A gerund is a verb form that ends in “-ing” and has the force of both a noun and a verb, referring to it as a “double part of speech.”

An Infinitive is a verb that is not limited by the verb’s tense or the person or number of the subject.

Differences between Gerunds and Infinitives

In Modern Grammar, the difference between Gerunds and Infinitives is not stressed as both of them may be transformed into a Gerund. But an infinitive cannot be the object of a preposition; only gerunds can.

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Infinitive	Gerund
To swim in the ocean is refreshing.	Swimming in the ocean is refreshing.
To learn a foreign language takes dedication.	Learning a foreign language takes dedication.
She decided to read a book before bed.	She decided on reading a book before bed.
To cook is her passion.	Cooking is her passion.
To write poetry requires creativity.	Writing poetry requires creativity.
He loves to watch movies at the theater.	He loves watching movies at the theater.
To travel the world is his dream.	Traveling the world is his dream.

Differences between gerunds and infinitives on the basis of formation

Gerund: A gerund is formed by adding the suffix “-ing” to the root form of a verb (For example – swimming, eating, running).

Infinitive: An infinitive is the root form of a verb, usually preceded by the word “to” (For example – to swim, to eat, to run).

Differences between gerunds and infinitives on the basis of function

Gerund:

A gerund functions as a noun in a sentence. It can act as a subject, object, or complement.

For example:

Subject: Swimming is my favorite sport.
Object: I enjoy eating ice cream.
Complement: Her passion is running marathons.

Infinitive:

An infinitive can act as a noun, adjective, or adverb in a sentence. It can act as a subject, object, complement, adjective modifier, or adverbial modifier.

Examples include:

Subject: To swim in the ocean is my dream.
Object: She wants to eat pizza for dinner.
Complement: His goal is to run a marathon.
Adjective Modifier: I have a book to read.
Adverbial Modifier: He left to catch the train.

Differences between gerunds and infinitives on the basis of usage

Gerund:

Gerunds are commonly used after certain verbs, prepositions, or as the object of a sentence.

Examples include:

Verbs: I enjoy swimming in the pool.
Prepositions: She apologized for yelling at me.
Object: I like dancing.

Infinitive:

Infinitives are often used after certain verbs, or adjectives, or as the subject/object/complement of a sentence.

Examples include:

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Verbs: They decided to go on a trip.
Adjectives: The child’s laughter is joyous to hear.
Subject: To succeed requires hard work.
Object: He wants to buy a new car.
Complement: His dream is to become a pilot.