Gerunds and Infinitives

Gerunds

A gerund is a noun made from a verb. To form a gerund we just add -ing to the base form of a verb.

                               Runing
                               Swimming
                               Eating

Gerunds perform the same functions as nouns in the sentence (Subject, Direct Object)

                              Walking everyday in the morning is good for our heart. (subject)

                              Gabriela likes drinking coffee in her break time. (direct object)

Infinitives

An infinitive is "to" plus the base form of a verb. Infinitives often take the place of nouns.

                             I have to sleep.

                             We need to buy something here.

They perform (as well as gerunds) the function of subjects, direct objects, subject complements, etc.

                            To know me is to love me. (Subject)

                            Singing is to know people's hearts. (Direct object)

• Gerunds and infinitives have the same functions in the sentence. They can work as subject, direct object, prepositional complemets, etc.
• In spanish, gerunds and infinitives are know as formas no personales del verbo. They also have the same gramatical functions as in english.
• In spanish gerunds finish in -ando, -iendo. Caminando, cocinando, corriendo. And infinitives finish in -ar, -er, -ir. Tomar, conducir, hablar.
• At the time of translating, we have to note this to translate in a proper way.