Infinitives vs. Gerunds in Academic Writing

Verb forms in formal prose

Academic writing uses infinitives and gerunds constantly, often in dense sentences where the wrong form distracts the reader. Precision matters because form errors can subtly alter meaning, especially with verbs like suggest and propose, which carry weight in research writing.

Formal prose also tends to stack verbs, as in we decided to attempt to measure, which multiplies the chance of a form error. Understanding the conventions helps you keep these constructions clean and clear.

Academic patterns for verb forms

Where academic form errors hide

• methods sentences that chain verbs, like we attempted measuring instead of to measure
• recommendations using suggest, which requires a gerund
• purpose statements with aim and seek, which take infinitives
• prepositional phrases that incorrectly take an infinitive

An academic form audit

1. 1
   Check suggest and recommend

   Confirm these are followed by gerunds, not infinitives.

2. 2
   Check aim, seek, attempt

   Confirm these purpose verbs are followed by infinitives.

3. 3
   Scan prepositional phrases

   Ensure every verb after a preposition is a gerund.

4. 4
   Trim stacked verbs

   Break long chains of verbs so each form is clearly correct.

Precision reviewers expect

Correct verb complements in academic writing signal command of formal English. They keep dense sentences readable and prevent the small form errors that distract reviewers. The conventions are learnable with focused attention to a few high-frequency verbs.

For manuscripts, a checker speeds the audit. The free Grammar Checker at AI Humanizer Lab, with no word limits, flags infinitive and gerund errors across the whole paper, helping your methods, discussion, and recommendations stay consistent.

Forms that flow from practice

The infinitive-versus-gerund choice flows from practice more than from logic. Once you have seen enjoy followed by a gerund a dozen times, the wrong form starts to feel jarring. Exposure is the real teacher, so read widely and notice which form each common verb takes.

A practical shortcut is to keep a short personal list of verbs that trip you up, with their required form beside each. Review the list before you write, and the forms stick faster than any abstract rule. Within a few weeks, the most common verbs stop causing trouble.

High-frequency verbs to master

• enjoy, avoid, finish, and suggest, which take gerunds
• decide, want, hope, and agree, which take infinitives
• stop and remember, which change meaning with the form
• any verb that follows a preposition, which always takes a gerund

Forms that become automatic

Verb forms become automatic through exposure and a little focused practice. The more correct English you read, the more your instincts align with native patterns, and the less you rely on rules you have to look up. Over a few weeks, the most common verbs stop causing hesitation.

Keep a personal list of verbs that trip you up, and review it before you write. That small effort pays off quickly, because the same high-frequency verbs appear in almost everything you write. Mastering them removes a steady source of error and lets your attention return to your ideas.