The Editor’s Manual
Free learning resource on English grammar, punctuation, usage, and style.
Some verbs can take gerunds and infinitives as the object interchangeably (e.g., “start,” “love,” “prefer”). But certain verbs can take only infinitives (e.g., “need,” “plan,” “agree”), while others can take only gerunds (e.g., “finish,” “consider,” “suggest”).
An infinitive is the basic form of a verb. It is generally used with the word “to” (“to run”). It can function as a noun, an adjective, or an adverb in a sentence.