Gerunds vs. Infinitives. Learn with Examples from "Jane Eyre"

Have you ever started a sentence with one verb and suddenly… got stuck?

You want to say something like:
➡️ I enjoy…
➡️ She decided…
➡️ He stopped…

But then you freeze.
Should the next word be “to read” or “reading”?
Is it “I enjoy to read” or “I enjoy reading”?
(Spoiler: it’s the second one.)

This is a very common moment of confusion for English learners. The problem?
In English, we often need two verbs in one sentence. But the second verb doesn’t stay in its normal form. Instead, it becomes either a gerund (verb + -ing) or an infinitive (to + verb).

Unfortunately, there are no magic rules that cover every situation. Some verbs take gerunds, some take infinitives, and some can take both — with a little twist in meaning.

But don’t worry — you’re not alone. Even advanced learners make mistakes with this. That’s why we’ve created this simple guide, with real examples from Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë. Her writing is full of these forms, and the grammar is elegant, emotional, and useful.

So let’s get started!

Using Gerunds (Verb + -ing)

A gerund is a verb ending in -ing that sometimes works like a noun. We use gerunds in these main situations:

A. As the subject of a sentence

• Reading calms the mind.
• Walking in the garden helped Jane think.

Knitting, sewing, reading, writing, ciphering, will be all you will have to teach.

Jane Eyre, Charlotte BrontëOpen book

B. After certain verbs

Some verbs must be followed by a gerund, not an infinitive:

• enjoy → She enjoys reading.
• avoid → He avoids talking about it.
• suggest → I suggest waiting.
• admit, consider, deny, finish, keep, practice

I did not cry so as to be heard, however; I avoided sobbing.

Jane Eyre, Charlotte BrontëOpen book

C. After prepositions

When a verb follows a preposition (like in, on, without, about), use a gerund:

• She left without saying goodbye.
• He is good at painting.

I devoured a spoonful or two of my portion without thinking of its taste;

Jane Eyre, Charlotte BrontëOpen book

Using Infinitives (To + Verb)

An infinitive is the base form of the verb with to. We use infinitives in these situations:

A. To show purpose or reason

• I called to ask a question.
• She came to help.

“That proves you have a wicked heart; and you must pray to God to change it: to give you a new and clean one: to take away your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.”

Jane Eyre, Charlotte BrontëOpen book

B. After adjectives

• I’m happy to see you.
• It’s difficult to understand.

“Thank you, Mr. Rochester, for your great kindness. I am strangely glad to get back again to you:

Jane Eyre, Charlotte BrontëOpen book

C. After certain verbs

Some verbs must be followed by an infinitive:

• want, hope, decide, plan, agree, refuse, expect, promise, learn

“In about a month I hope to be a bridegroom,” continued Mr. Rochester;

Jane Eyre, Charlotte BrontëOpen book

Using the Bare Infinitive (Verb without “to”)

A bare infinitive is the verb in its base form without “to”. We use it in these cases:

A. After modal verbs

• can, could, may, might, must, shall, should, will, would

Example: I can swim. / She must go.

“you should try to be useful and pleasant, then, perhaps, you would have a home here;

Jane Eyre, Charlotte BrontëOpen book

B. After make, let, and sometimes help

• He made me wait.
• Let her speak.

“Let her stand half-an-hour longer on that stool, and let no one speak to her during the remainder of the day.”

Jane Eyre, Charlotte BrontëOpen book

In more formal English, help often uses the full infinitive, but in casual speech it can take bare infinitive:

• She helped me (to) move.

Verbs That Can Use Both (No Meaning Change)

Some verbs allow both gerunds and infinitives with no big difference in meaning:

begin, start, like, love, continue, hate

“They began to talk; their conversation eased me completely:

Jane Eyre, Charlotte BrontëOpen book

→ You could also say: They began talking...

Both are correct here.

Examples:

• I like to read = I like reading
• She started to cry = She started crying

The difference is very small or none at all.

Verbs That Can Use Both (But the Meaning Changes)

Some verbs take both gerunds and infinitives, but the meaning is different, so you need to be careful while using them!

Here are the most common:

Examples:

• She stopped smoking = She quit smoking.

• She stopped to smoke = She paused another activity in order to smoke.

• I remember locking the door. (You have the memory.)

• Remember to lock the door. (Don't forget!)

These are tricky but very common in both speech and writing.

“Grateful! I cannot remember detecting gratitude in his face.”

Jane Eyre, Charlotte BrontëOpen book

Conclusion

Learning when to use gerunds and infinitives takes practice — but it becomes easier when you learn the patterns and see them in real writing. Let's review some of them:

Here’s a final trick:

• If the verb is about enjoying, finishing, avoiding → use a gerund.
• If the verb is about wanting, planning, deciding → use an infinitive.
• If it follows a modal verb → use the bare infinitive.
• If you're not sure — read more English and notice the patterns.

Jane Eyre is a great place to see both gerunds and infinitives in action. The language is clear, emotional, and full of real grammar in use.