İngilizcede bir cümlede iki fiil arka arkaya gelebilir: birinci fiil çekimlenir (zamana, özneye göre), ikinci fiil ise değişmez bir kalıba girer. Bu kalıp ya gerund (fiil + -ing: reading, going, doing) ya infinitive (to + fiil: to read, to go, to do) ya da yalın mastar (bare infinitive: read, go, do) olur. Bu konu, hangi birinci fiilin hangi kalıbı çektiğini ve bu seçimin anlamı nasıl değiştirdiğini anlatır.
Bu yapı neden var? Çünkü İngilizce, bir eylemin başka bir eylemin nesnesi ya da öznesi olmasına izin verir. I enjoy dedikten sonra 'neyi?' sorusunun cevabı bir isim (I enjoy music) olabileceği gibi bir eylem de (I enjoy dancing) olabilir. İşte o eylemi isimleştiren biçim gerund'dır. to-infinitive ise çoğu zaman ileriye dönük bir niyet, amaç ya da olası eylem taşır (I want to dance = henüz yapılmamış, istenen eylem).
Türkçedeki benzeri ve neden zor?
Türkçede bu ayrımın tek bir karşılığı vardır: -mek/-mak mastarı. 'Yüzmeyi severim' ve 'Yüzmek istiyorum' cümlelerinde aynı -mek eki geçer. Ama İngilizce bunları ikiye ayırır: I like swimming (gerund) ama I want to swim (infinitive). Türkçe düşünen öğrenci, tek mastar mantığıyla her yere to koyma eğilimindedir: I enjoy to swim (YANLIŞ). Zorluğun kaynağı budur: Türkçe iki İngilizce yapıyı tek kalıpta birleştirir, İngilizce ise ayırır ve seçimi ezber gerektirir.
Bu konu tek başına durmaz. Edilgen çatı Edilgen Çatı ile birleşir (The report needs revising ≈ needs to be revised); durum fiilleri Durum Fiilleri gerund alışkanlıklarını etkiler; ettirgen yapı Ettirgen Yapı ise make/let ile yalın mastarı devreye sokar.
In English, two verbs can come one after another in a sentence: the first verb is conjugated (for tense and subject), while the second verb takes a fixed form. This form is either a gerund (verb + -ing: reading, going, doing), an infinitive (to + verb: to read, to go, to do), or a bare infinitive (read, go, do). This topic explains which first verb governs which form and how this choice changes the meaning.
Why does this structure exist? Because English allows one action to be the object or subject of another action. After saying I enjoy, the answer to the question 'what?' can be a noun (I enjoy music) or an action (I enjoy dancing). The form that nominalises that action is the gerund. The to-infinitive, by contrast, usually carries a forward-looking intention, purpose, or possible action (I want to dance = a desired action not yet done).
The Turkish equivalent and why it is difficult
In Turkish there is only one equivalent for this distinction: the -mek/-mak infinitive. The same -mek suffix appears in the sentences 'Yüzmeyi severim' and 'Yüzmek istiyorum'. But English splits these in two: I like swimming (gerund) but I want to swim (infinitive). A student thinking in Turkish tends to put to everywhere, following single-infinitive logic: I enjoy to swim (WRONG). This is the source of the difficulty: Turkish merges two English structures into one form, while English separates them and requires the choice to be memorised.
This topic does not stand alone. It combines with the passive voice Passive Voice (The report needs revising ≈ needs to be revised); stative verbs Stative Verbs affect gerund habits; and the causative structure Causatives brings the bare infinitive into play with make/let.
- İkinci fiilin biçimini birinci fiil belirler: bazıları gerund, bazıları infinitive, bazıları ikisini de alır.
- Gerund = fiil + -ing (doing, going). İsimleşmiş eylemdir; özne, nesne veya edat sonrası kullanılır.
- Infinitive = to + fiil (to do, to go). Çoğunlukla amaç, niyet, gelecekteki/istenen eylem bildirir.
- Gerund alan yaygın fiiller: enjoy, avoid, finish, mind, suggest, deny, admit, consider, practise, imagine, risk, keep, miss.
- Infinitive alan yaygın fiiller: want, decide, hope, plan, promise, refuse, agree, offer, manage, learn, expect, afford.
- Edattan sonra her zaman gerund gelir: good at cooking, afraid of falling, instead of waiting. (Buradaki to bir edatsa da: look forward to seeing.)
- Amaç bildirmek için ('...mek için') to-infinitive kullanılır: I called to say thanks.
- Anlam değiştirenler: stop, remember, forget, try, regret, go on, mean, need. Bunlarda -ing ile to farklı şey söyler.
- make, let, modal fiiller ve algı fiilleri (see, hear, feel) yalın mastar alır: She made me wait. / I saw him leave.
- Türkçe 'tek mastar' mantığıyla her yere to koymayın: enjoy to do daima yanlıştır.
- The first verb determines the form of the second verb: some take the gerund, some the infinitive, and some take both.
- Gerund = verb + -ing (doing, going). It is a nominalised action; used as a subject, object, or after a preposition.
- Infinitive = to + verb (to do, to go). It mostly expresses purpose, intention, or a future/desired action.
- Common verbs taking the gerund: enjoy, avoid, finish, mind, suggest, deny, admit, consider, practise, imagine, risk, keep, miss.
- Common verbs taking the infinitive: want, decide, hope, plan, promise, refuse, agree, offer, manage, learn, expect, afford.
- A gerund always follows a preposition: good at cooking, afraid of falling, instead of waiting. (Even when to here is a preposition: look forward to seeing.)
- To express purpose ('in order to') the to-infinitive is used: I called to say thanks.
- Meaning-changers: stop, remember, forget, try, regret, go on, mean, need. With these, -ing and to say different things.
- make, let, modal verbs and perception verbs (see, hear, feel) take the bare infinitive: She made me wait. / I saw him leave.
- Do not put to everywhere following the Turkish 'single infinitive' logic: enjoy to do is always wrong.
Bu konu özne-fiil çekimiyle değil, ikinci fiilin biçimiyle ilgilidir. Yani olumlu/olumsuz/soru çekimi birinci fiilde yapılır; ikinci fiil kalıbı (gerund veya infinitive) genelde sabit kalır. Aşağıda üç durumu ayrı ayrı görelim.
Olumlu (Affirmative)
Formül (gerund): özne + fiil + [fiil]-ing. Formül (infinitive): özne + fiil + to + [fiil].
Olumsuz (Negative)
Olumsuzluk iki yerde olabilir: (1) birinci fiil olumsuzlanır (don't/doesn't): I don't want to go. (2) İkinci fiilin kendisi olumsuzlanır: not + gerund/infinitive: I decided not to go. / She apologised for not calling. Burada not, gerund/infinitive'in hemen önüne gelir.
Soru (Question)
Soru da birinci fiilde kurulur; ikinci fiil kalıbı değişmez. Yardımcı fiil öne alınır: Do you enjoy reading? / Did they decide to stay?
| Birinci fiil tipi | İkinci fiil biçimi | Örnek |
|---|---|---|
| enjoy / avoid / finish | gerund (-ing) | avoid making mistakes |
| want / decide / hope | to + fiil | hope to win |
| make / let / modal | yalın fiil (bare) | let it go / must stay |
| edat (at, of, about...) | gerund (-ing) | afraid of losing |
| amaç ('için') | to + fiil | left early to catch the bus |
This topic is not about subject-verb conjugation but about the form of the second verb. That is, the affirmative/negative/question conjugation is done on the first verb; the second-verb pattern (gerund or infinitive) generally stays fixed. Let us look at the three cases separately below.
Affirmative
Formula (gerund): subject + verb + [verb]-ing. Formula (infinitive): subject + verb + to + [verb].
Negative
Negation can occur in two places: (1) the first verb is negated (don't/doesn't): I don't want to go. (2) The second verb itself is negated: not + gerund/infinitive: I decided not to go. / She apologised for not calling. Here not comes immediately before the gerund/infinitive.
Question
Questions are also formed on the first verb; the second-verb pattern does not change. The auxiliary is moved to the front: Do you enjoy reading? / Did they decide to stay?
| Type of first verb | Form of second verb | Example |
|---|---|---|
| enjoy / avoid / finish | gerund (-ing) | avoid making mistakes |
| want / decide / hope | to + verb | hope to win |
| make / let / modal | bare infinitive | let it go / must stay |
| preposition (at, of, about...) | gerund (-ing) | afraid of losing |
| purpose ('in order to') | to + verb | left early to catch the bus |
Gerund alan fiiller
enjoy, avoid, finish, mind, suggest, admit → I enjoy cooking on weekends.
To-infinitive alan fiiller
want, decide, hope, plan, agree, manage → She wants to travel around Asia.
Edattan sonra DAİMA gerund
good at cooking, without saying, look forward to seeing (to = edat!).
1) Gerund alan fiillerden sonra (en yaygın)
Belirli fiiller kendinden sonra daima -ing ister. Bir hafıza yardımı: bunların çoğu 'bir eylemi bitirme, kaçınma, sürdürme, kabul/inkâr etme' fikrini taşır. Liste geniştir; en sık kullanılanları ezberleyin: enjoy, avoid, finish, mind, suggest, recommend, deny, admit, consider, practise, imagine, risk, miss, keep, involve, mention, postpone, delay, resist, can't help, can't stand, feel like, give up.
2) To-infinitive alan fiillerden sonra
Belirli fiiller to + fiil ister; bunların çoğu 'gelecekte olacak/istenen/planlanan bir eylem' fikri taşır: want, would like, decide, hope, plan, expect, promise, refuse, agree, offer, manage, learn, afford, arrange, fail, seem, appear, tend, threaten, pretend, prepare, wish.
3) Fiil + nesne + to-infinitive
Bir grup fiil, eylemi başkasının yapmasını istediğinizde 'fiil + nesne + to' kalıbına girer: want, ask, tell, expect, would like, advise, encourage, allow, force, invite, remind, warn, persuade, order, enable.
4) Edatlardan sonra (daima gerund)
Bir edat (in, on, at, of, about, for, without, after, before, by, instead of...) varsa, ardından gelen fiil her zaman gerund olur. Bu istisnasız bir kuraldır ve öğrenciye büyük kolaylık sağlar. Sıfat + edat kalıpları da dâhildir: good at, interested in, afraid of, keen on, tired of, capable of, responsible for.
5) Özne olarak gerund
Bir eylem cümlenin öznesi olacaksa, en doğal biçim gerund'dır: Smoking is bad for you. To-infinitive de özne olabilir ama daha soyut/resmi ya da atasözü havası taşır (To err is human).
6) Amaç bildiren to-infinitive ('...mek için')
Bir şeyi neden yaptığınızı ('amacıyla') söylemek için to-infinitive kullanılır. Resmî yazıda in order to / so as to tercih edilir.
Verbs taking the gerund
enjoy, avoid, finish, mind, suggest, admit → I enjoy cooking on weekends.
Verbs taking the to-infinitive
want, decide, hope, plan, agree, manage → She wants to travel around Asia.
ALWAYS a gerund after a preposition
good at cooking, without saying, look forward to seeing (to = preposition!).
1) After verbs taking the gerund (most common)
Certain verbs always require -ing after them. A memory aid: most of them carry the idea of 'finishing, avoiding, continuing, admitting or denying an action'. The list is broad; memorise the most common ones: enjoy, avoid, finish, mind, suggest, recommend, deny, admit, consider, practise, imagine, risk, miss, keep, involve, mention, postpone, delay, resist, can't help, can't stand, feel like, give up.
2) After verbs taking the to-infinitive
Certain verbs require to + verb; most of them carry the idea of 'an action that will happen, is wanted, or is planned in the future': want, would like, decide, hope, plan, expect, promise, refuse, agree, offer, manage, learn, afford, arrange, fail, seem, appear, tend, threaten, pretend, prepare, wish.
3) Verb + object + to-infinitive
A group of verbs takes the 'verb + object + to' pattern when you want someone else to do the action: want, ask, tell, expect, would like, advise, encourage, allow, force, invite, remind, warn, persuade, order, enable.
4) After prepositions (always a gerund)
If there is a preposition (in, on, at, of, about, for, without, after, before, by, instead of...), the verb that follows is always a gerund. This is a rule without exceptions and is a great help to the student. Adjective + preposition patterns are included too: good at, interested in, afraid of, keen on, tired of, capable of, responsible for.
5) Gerund as subject
If an action is to be the subject of a sentence, the most natural form is the gerund: Smoking is bad for you. The to-infinitive can also be a subject but is more abstract/formal or has a proverbial feel (To err is human).
6) The to-infinitive of purpose ('in order to')
The to-infinitive is used to say why you do something ('for the purpose of'). In formal writing in order to / so as to are preferred.
Bu konuda 'zaman zarfı' yoktur; ama bir kalıbın hangi biçimi çekeceğini ele veren tetikleyici kelimeler vardır. Aşağıdaki tablo, bir cümlede gördüğünüzde büyük olasılıkla gerund veya infinitive geleceğini haber veren işaretleri toplar.
| Gördüğünüz işaret | Beklenen biçim | Örnek |
|---|---|---|
| Bir edat (at/of/in/about/without/after...) | gerund | tired of waiting |
| look forward to / be used to / object to | gerund (to = edat) | used to living alone |
| want/ask/tell/advise + nesne | to-infinitive | told me to wait |
| '...mek için' (amaç) | to-infinitive | left to catch the bus |
| make / let / modal (can, must...) | yalın mastar | must go / let her try |
| see/hear/feel/watch + nesne | yalın mastar veya -ing | saw him fall / cross |
| it's no use / it's worth / can't help | gerund | it's worth trying |
There are no 'time adverbs' for this topic; but there are trigger words that reveal which form a pattern will take. The table below gathers the signals that, when you see them in a sentence, most likely announce that a gerund or infinitive will follow.
| Signal you see | Expected form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| A preposition (at/of/in/about/without/after...) | gerund | tired of waiting |
| look forward to / be used to / object to | gerund (to = preposition) | used to living alone |
| want/ask/tell/advise + object | to-infinitive | told me to wait |
| 'in order to' (purpose) | to-infinitive | left to catch the bus |
| make / let / modal (can, must...) | bare infinitive | must go / let her try |
| see/hear/feel/watch + object | bare infinitive or -ing | saw him fall / cross |
| it's no use / it's worth / can't help | gerund | it's worth trying |
Gerund = geriye bakar / gerçek eylem / deneyim. Infinitive = ileriye bakar / niyet / hedef. Bu, anlam değiştiren fiillerin (stop, remember, forget) anahtarıdır.
Gerund ve infinitive arasındaki en derin fark, bakış açısıdır. Gerund eylemi bir 'gerçek, deneyim, genel etkinlik' olarak sunar — sanki elle tutulur bir şey. Infinitive ise eylemi bir 'olasılık, niyet, hedef, henüz gerçekleşmemiş bir sonuç' olarak sunar — ileriye bakar. Bu sezgi, anlam değiştiren fiilleri (stop, remember, forget...) çözmenin anahtarıdır.
Kesinlik ve nezaket
would like/love/prefer + to kalıbı, mevcut/tek seferlik bir istek için kullanılır ve daha kibardır: I'd like to speak to the manager. Buna karşılık genel zevk için gerund: I love speaking in public. Nezaket katmanı burada infinitive tarafındadır.
Vurgu ve soyutlama
Özne konumunda gerund somut/günlük (Cooking relaxes me), to-infinitive ise soyut/felsefi ya da 'would' ile varsayımsal durur (To forgive is not to forget). Akademik ve edebi metinlerde bu ayrım üsluba renk katar.
Gerund = looks back / real action / experience. Infinitive = looks forward / intention / goal. This is the key to the meaning-changing verbs (stop, remember, forget).
The deepest difference between the gerund and the infinitive is perspective. The gerund presents the action as a 'fact, experience, general activity' — as if something tangible. The infinitive, by contrast, presents the action as a 'possibility, intention, goal, a result not yet realised' — it looks forward. This intuition is the key to solving the meaning-changing verbs (stop, remember, forget...).
Certainty and politeness
The would like/love/prefer + to pattern is used for a present/one-off request and is more polite: I'd like to speak to the manager. By contrast, for general enjoyment, the gerund: I love speaking in public. The layer of politeness here is on the infinitive side.
Emphasis and abstraction
In subject position the gerund is concrete/everyday (Cooking relaxes me), while the to-infinitive is abstract/philosophical or hypothetical with 'would' (To forgive is not to forget). In academic and literary texts this distinction adds colour to the style.
Türkçe
Tek mastar/eylem adı: -mek/-mak, -me/-ma. Gitmek istiyorum / Gitmeyi düşünüyorum — ikisi de aynı.
İngilizce
İki ayrı biçim, birinci fiile bağlı: I want to go / I'm thinking of going.
Türkçede eylemin isimleşmesi tek bir mastar ekiyle (-mek/-mak) ya da eylem adı ekleriyle (-me/-ma, -diğini) olur ve İngilizcedeki gerund/infinitive ayrımına karşılık gelmez. 'Gitmek istiyorum' ve 'Gitmeyi düşünüyorum' cümlelerinin ikisinde de Türkçe mastar/eylem adı vardır; oysa İngilizce birine to go, diğerine going der: I want to go / I'm thinking of going.
- Türkçe: tek mastar (-mek) → İngilizce: iki ayrı biçim (to do / doing). Seçim birinci fiile bağlı.
- Türkçe 'için' (amaç) → İngilizce to-infinitive. Bu bire bir örtüşür ve kolaydır: 'görmek için' = 'to see'.
- Türkçe '-den sonra / -meden' gibi edat benzeri yapılar → İngilizcede edat + gerund: 'bitirdikten sonra' = 'after finishing'.
- Türkçede olumsuzluk fiile gömülüdür (git-me-mek); İngilizcede 'not' gerund/infinitive'in önüne gelir: 'not to go', 'not going'.
Turkish
A single infinitive/verbal noun: -mek/-mak, -me/-ma. Gitmek istiyorum / Gitmeyi düşünüyorum — both the same.
English
Two separate forms, depending on the first verb: I want to go / I'm thinking of going.
In Turkish, the nominalisation of an action is done with a single infinitive suffix (-mek/-mak) or verbal-noun suffixes (-me/-ma, -diğini) and does not correspond to the English gerund/infinitive distinction. Both 'Gitmek istiyorum' and 'Gitmeyi düşünüyorum' contain a Turkish infinitive/verbal noun; whereas English says to go for one and going for the other: I want to go / I'm thinking of going.
- Turkish: a single infinitive (-mek) → English: two separate forms (to do / doing). The choice depends on the first verb.
- Turkish 'için' (purpose) → English to-infinitive. This overlaps one-to-one and is easy: 'görmek için' = 'to see'.
- Turkish preposition-like structures such as '-den sonra / -meden' → English preposition + gerund: 'bitirdikten sonra' = 'after finishing'.
- In Turkish, negation is embedded in the verb (git-me-mek); in English 'not' comes before the gerund/infinitive: 'not to go', 'not going'.
| Yapı | Anlam / kullanım | Örnek |
|---|---|---|
| used to + fiil | geçmiş alışkanlık (artık yok) | I used to smoke. (eskiden içerdim) |
| be used to + gerund | bir şeye alışkın olmak | I'm used to smoking. (içmeye alışığım) |
| get used to + gerund | alışmakta olmak (süreç) | I'm getting used to living here. |
| would rather + yalın fiil | tercih (bare infinitive) | I'd rather stay home. |
| prefer + gerund / to | tercih (genel/spesifik) | I prefer reading. / I'd prefer to read. |
Bu konu, edilgen çatıyla kesişir. need + gerund aslında edilgen bir anlam taşır: The window needs cleaning = needs to be cleaned ('temizlenmesi gerek'). Edilgen mantığını Edilgen Çatı konusunda görebilirsiniz. Ayrıca make/let/have someone do kalıbı ettirgen yapının parçasıdır; ayrıntı için Ettirgen Yapı konusuna bakın.
Bir başka kesişim: durum fiilleri. like, love, hate, prefer gibi duygu/tercih fiilleri hem gerund hem infinitive alabilir; bunların 'durum fiili' doğası Durum Fiilleri konusunda açıklanır ve neden -ing'le de kullanılabildiklerini aydınlatır.
| Structure | Meaning / use | Example |
|---|---|---|
| used to + verb | past habit (no longer true) | I used to smoke. (I smoked in the past) |
| be used to + gerund | to be accustomed to something | I'm used to smoking. (I'm accustomed to smoking) |
| get used to + gerund | getting accustomed (a process) | I'm getting used to living here. |
| would rather + bare infinitive | preference (bare infinitive) | I'd rather stay home. |
| prefer + gerund / to | preference (general/specific) | I prefer reading. / I'd prefer to read. |
This topic intersects with the passive voice. need + gerund actually carries a passive meaning: The window needs cleaning = needs to be cleaned ('it needs to be cleaned'). You can see the passive logic in the Passive Voice topic. Also, the make/let/have someone do pattern is part of the causative structure; for details see the Causatives topic.
Another intersection: stative verbs. Emotion/preference verbs like like, love, hate, prefer can take both the gerund and the infinitive; their 'stative verb' nature is explained in the Stative Verbs topic and sheds light on why they can also be used with -ing.
Edattan sonra yalın fiil ya da yanlış kalıp. enjoy to watch / discussed about / good at cook ✗ → enjoy watching / discussed leaving / good at cooking ✓.
A bare verb or the wrong pattern after a preposition. enjoy to watch / discussed about / good at cook ✗ → enjoy watching / discussed leaving / good at cooking ✓.
+ gerund (geriye)
He stopped smoking. = o eylemi bıraktı. I remember locking the door. = anı.
+ to (ileriye)
He stopped to smoke. = başka eylem için durdu. Remember to lock the door. = görev.
Bazı fiiller hem gerund hem infinitive alır ama biçim değişince anlam da tamamen değişir. Bu, konunun en kritik ve en çok puan getiren kısmıdır. Genel sezgi: gerund = geriye bakar / gerçek eylem / anı; infinitive = ileriye bakar / niyet / görev.
stop
remember / forget
try
regret
go on / mean / need
+ gerund (backward)
He stopped smoking. = quit that action. I remember locking the door. = a memory.
+ to (forward)
He stopped to smoke. = stopped in order to do another action. Remember to lock the door. = a task.
Some verbs take both the gerund and the infinitive, but when the form changes the meaning changes completely too. This is the most critical, highest-scoring part of the topic. General intuition: gerund = looks back / real action / memory; infinitive = looks forward / intention / task.
stop
remember / forget
try
regret
go on / mean / need
Akademik yazıda gerund, bir süreci ya da kavramı isimleştirmenin ekonomik yoludur ve özne konumunda sıkça görülür: Analysing the data revealed a clear trend. To-infinitive ise amaç ve iddia bildirir: This study aims to examine... Resmî amaç bağlaçları in order to / so as to tercih edilir; because of + gerund neden bildirir. Ayrıca edilgen mastar (to be considered, to be analysed) nesnel bir ton yaratır.
- 'choosing' — edat benzeri 'on' değil, 'depends on' + gerund kalıbı.
- 'using a gerund is' — gerund öbeği özne konumunda.
- 'seeks to / aim to' — akademik amaç bildiren to-infinitive.
- 'succeed in explaining' — edat (in) + gerund; 'succeed to' yanlış.
- 'go on to argue' vs 'go on arguing' — anlam değiştiren fiil örneği.
- 'Mastering these distinctions allows...' — gerund özne + allow kalıbı.
In academic writing the gerund is an economical way to nominalise a process or concept and is often seen in subject position: Analysing the data revealed a clear trend. The to-infinitive expresses purpose and claims: This study aims to examine... Formal purpose connectors in order to / so as to are preferred; because of + gerund states a reason. In addition, the passive infinitive (to be considered, to be analysed) creates an objective tone.
- 'choosing' — the 'depends on' + gerund pattern (the preposition 'on'), not a stray 'on'.
- 'using a gerund is' — a gerund phrase in subject position.
- 'seeks to / aim to' — the to-infinitive expressing academic purpose.
- 'succeed in explaining' — preposition (in) + gerund; 'succeed to' is wrong.
- 'go on to argue' vs 'go on arguing' — an example of a meaning-changing verb.
- 'Mastering these distinctions allows...' — gerund subject + the allow pattern.
- 'decided to learn' — decide + to; 'enjoyed practising' — enjoy + gerund. Aynı cümle grubunda iki farklı kalıp.
- 'struggling to play' — struggle + to; 'suggested breaking' — suggest + gerund (asla 'suggested to break' değil).
- 'Stop trying to rush' vs 'Try practising' — anlam değiştiren stop/try'ın birlikte kullanımı.
- 'couldn't help feeling', 'felt like giving up', 'kept reminding' — hepsi gerund alan konuşma kalıpları.
- 'remembered buying' (geçmiş anı) — gerund; 'regretted spending' — gerund (pişmanlık). Yön oku: geriye bakış.
- 'refused to quit', 'managed to play' — to-infinitive; 'got used to practising' — 'to' EDAT → gerund.
- 'stopped worrying' (bıraktı) vs 'stop to...' farkı; 'will never forget performing' — anı → gerund.
- 'chosen to keep going', 'learning to be patient' — zincirleme kalıplar; kalıp seçimi her fiilde ayrı.
- 'decided to learn' — decide + to; 'enjoyed practising' — enjoy + gerund. Two different patterns in the same group of sentences.
- 'struggling to play' — struggle + to; 'suggested breaking' — suggest + gerund (never 'suggested to break').
- 'Stop trying to rush' vs 'Try practising' — the meaning-changing stop/try used together.
- 'couldn't help feeling', 'felt like giving up', 'kept reminding' — all conversational patterns taking the gerund.
- 'remembered buying' (a past memory) — gerund; 'regretted spending' — gerund (regret). Direction arrow: looking back.
- 'refused to quit', 'managed to play' — to-infinitive; 'got used to practising' — 'to' is a PREPOSITION → gerund.
- 'stopped worrying' (quit) vs the 'stop to...' difference; 'will never forget performing' — a memory → gerund.
- 'chosen to keep going', 'learning to be patient' — chained patterns; the pattern choice is separate for each verb.
Temel
Orta
İleri
Basic
Intermediate
Advanced
Aşağıdaki sorular kural değil anlam sınar: iki biçim arasındaki anlam farkını gerçekten kavradınız mı?
- 'He stopped to check his phone.' — Telefonuna bakmayı bıraktı mı, yoksa bakmak için mi durdu?Bakmak İÇİN durdu (başka bir eylemi bıraktı, örneğin yürümeyi). stop + to = amaç.
- 'I regret to tell you the news.' — Haber çoktan verildi mi, şimdi mi veriliyor?Şimdi veriliyor. regret + to = kötü haberi vermenin nazik/resmi kalıbı (üzülerek bildiriyorum).
- 'She's used to getting up at 5.' — Eskiden mi 5'te kalkardı, yoksa 5'te kalkmaya alışkın mı?Alışkın (şu an alışkanlık). be used to + gerund. 'used to get up' olsaydı 'eskiden kalkardı' olurdu.
- 'The report needs revising.' — Kim revize edecek belli mi, anlam etken mi edilgen mi?Edilgen: rapor 'revize edilmesi gerek'. need + gerund = to be revised. Fail belirtilmez.
- 'Try adding more salt.' — Zorlu bir çaba mı isteniyor, yoksa bir çözüm mü öneriliyor?Bir çözüm/deneme öneriliyor. try + gerund = 'bir de bunu dene, belki işe yarar'.
The following questions test not the rule but the meaning: have you truly grasped the difference in meaning between the two forms?
- 'He stopped to check his phone.' — Did he stop checking his phone, or did he stop in order to check it?He stopped IN ORDER TO check it (he stopped another action, e.g. walking). stop + to = purpose.
- 'I regret to tell you the news.' — Has the news already been given, or is it being given now?It is being given now. regret + to = the polite/formal pattern for delivering bad news (I regret to inform you).
- 'She's used to getting up at 5.' — Did she used to get up at 5, or is she accustomed to getting up at 5?Accustomed (a present habit). be used to + gerund. If it were 'used to get up' it would mean 'she used to get up'.
- 'The report needs revising.' — Is it clear who will revise it; is the meaning active or passive?Passive: the report 'needs to be revised'. need + gerund = to be revised. The agent is not specified.
- 'Try adding more salt.' — Is a hard effort being asked for, or is a solution being suggested?A solution/experiment is being suggested. try + gerund = 'give this a try, maybe it will work'.
- She avoided ______ (answer) the question.answering
- They decided ______ (leave) early.to leave
- I'm looking forward to ______ (meet) you.meeting (to = edat)
- He made me ______ (wait) for an hour.wait (bare infinitive)
- We can't afford ______ (buy) a new car.to buy
- Do you mind ______ (open) the window?opening
- I went to the shop ______ (get) some bread.to get (amaç)
- She's good at ______ (draw).drawing (edat 'at')
- I enjoy to cook.I enjoy cooking.
- She suggested to go home.She suggested going home.
- We discussed about the plan.We discussed the plan. ('about' fazla)
- He wants that I help him.He wants me to help him.
- I'm used to get up early.I'm used to getting up early.
- They let me to go.They let me go.
- Erken kalkmaya alışkınım.I'm used to getting up early.
- Sana yardım etmeyi öneriyorum.I suggest helping you. (veya: I suggest that I help you.)
- Kapıyı kilitlemeyi unutma.Remember to lock the door.
- Sigara içmek için durdu.He stopped to smoke (a cigarette).
- Onunla tartışmanın faydası yok.It's no use arguing with him.
- forward / seeing / to / look / I / youI look forward to seeing you.
- to / decided / not / she / goShe decided not to go.
- worth / it's / tryingIt's worth trying.
- me / to / advised / rest / the doctorThe doctor advised me to rest.
- She avoided ______ (answer) the question.answering
- They decided ______ (leave) early.to leave
- I'm looking forward to ______ (meet) you.meeting (to = preposition)
- He made me ______ (wait) for an hour.wait (bare infinitive)
- We can't afford ______ (buy) a new car.to buy
- Do you mind ______ (open) the window?opening
- I went to the shop ______ (get) some bread.to get (purpose)
- She's good at ______ (draw).drawing (preposition 'at')
- I enjoy to cook.I enjoy cooking.
- She suggested to go home.She suggested going home.
- We discussed about the plan.We discussed the plan. ('about' is superfluous)
- He wants that I help him.He wants me to help him.
- I'm used to get up early.I'm used to getting up early.
- They let me to go.They let me go.
- Erken kalkmaya alışkınım.I'm used to getting up early.
- Sana yardım etmeyi öneriyorum.I suggest helping you. (or: I suggest that I help you.)
- Kapıyı kilitlemeyi unutma.Remember to lock the door.
- Sigara içmek için durdu.He stopped to smoke (a cigarette).
- Onunla tartışmanın faydası yok.It's no use arguing with him.
- forward / seeing / to / look / I / youI look forward to seeing you.
- to / decided / not / she / goShe decided not to go.
- worth / it's / tryingIt's worth trying.
- me / to / advised / rest / the doctorThe doctor advised me to rest.
Görev: 'Yeni bir alışkanlık edinmek' hakkında 8-10 cümlelik kısa bir paragraf yazın. Amaç, bu konudaki farklı kalıpları bilinçli kullanmaktır.
- En az 3 gerund alan fiil kullanın (enjoy, avoid, keep, finish, suggest...).
- En az 3 to-infinitive alan fiil kullanın (decide, want, hope, manage, learn...).
- En az 1 'edat + gerund' kalıbı kullanın (good at, think about, instead of...).
- En az 1 anlam değiştiren fiil kullanın (stop / remember / try) ve doğru anlamı verin.
- 1 amaç cümlesi kurun ('... to ...' = '...mek için').
Task: Write a short paragraph of 8-10 sentences about 'taking up a new habit'. The aim is to use the different patterns of this topic consciously.
- Use at least 3 verbs taking the gerund (enjoy, avoid, keep, finish, suggest...).
- Use at least 3 verbs taking the to-infinitive (decide, want, hope, manage, learn...).
- Use at least 1 'preposition + gerund' pattern (good at, think about, instead of...).
- Use at least 1 meaning-changing verb (stop / remember / try) and convey the correct meaning.
- Build 1 purpose sentence ('... to ...' = 'in order to').
Kavram kontrolü (CCQ) örnekleri: 'He stopped to smoke.' → 'Did he stop smoking? (Hayır) Why did he stop? (To smoke)'. 'I remember locking the door.' → 'Did I lock it? (Yes) When? (In the past)'. Bu tür evet/hayır soruları, öğrencinin biçimi değil anlamı kavradığını doğrular.
Etkinlik önerisi: 'İki kart oyunu'. Bir yığında fiiller (stop, try, remember...), diğerinde bağlamlar. Öğrenci fiili çeker, hem gerund hem infinitive versiyonuyla iki farklı cümle üretir ve anlam farkını açıklar. Sınıfça 'yön oku'nu çizerler. Alternatif: kişiselleştirme — 'Name something you: enjoy doing / want to do / are good at doing / stopped doing / forgot to do.' Bu, kalıbı gerçek yaşamla bağlar ve akılda kalıcılığı artırır.
Concept-checking question (CCQ) examples: 'He stopped to smoke.' → 'Did he stop smoking? (No) Why did he stop? (To smoke)'. 'I remember locking the door.' → 'Did I lock it? (Yes) When? (In the past)'. Such yes/no questions confirm that the student has grasped the meaning, not the form.
Activity suggestion: 'The two-card game'. In one pile, verbs (stop, try, remember...), in the other, contexts. The student draws a verb, produces two different sentences with both the gerund and the infinitive version, and explains the difference in meaning. As a class they draw the 'direction arrow'. Alternative: personalisation — 'Name something you: enjoy doing / want to do / are good at doing / stopped doing / forgot to do.' This ties the pattern to real life and increases retention.
- İkinci fiilin biçimini birinci fiil belirler: gerund (-ing), to-infinitive ya da yalın mastar.
- Gerund alan çekirdek fiiller: enjoy, avoid, finish, mind, suggest, deny, admit, consider, keep, miss, risk.
- To-infinitive alan çekirdek fiiller: want, decide, hope, plan, promise, refuse, agree, manage, learn, afford.
- Edattan sonra DAİMA gerund: good at cooking, without saying, look forward to seeing (to = edat!).
- Fiil + nesne + to: want/ask/tell/advise + someone + to do (başkasının eylemi).
- make / let / modal / algı fiilleri (see, hear) → yalın (bare) mastar; edilgende 'make' to döner.
- Amaç ('...mek için') → to-infinitive; resmi biçimi in order to / so as to.
- Anlam değiştirenler: stop, remember, forget, try, regret, go on, mean, need. Yön oku: to = ileri (görev/niyet/amaç), -ing = geri (anı/gerçek eylem).
- Türkçe tek mastar (-mek) İngilizce biçimi belirlemez; kalıbı İngilizce fiilin huyu belirler.
- İlişkili konular: Edilgen Çatı (need + gerund = edilgen), Ettirgen Yapı (make/let), Durum Fiilleri (like/love + gerund).
- The first verb determines the form of the second verb: gerund (-ing), to-infinitive, or bare infinitive.
- Core verbs taking the gerund: enjoy, avoid, finish, mind, suggest, deny, admit, consider, keep, miss, risk.
- Core verbs taking the to-infinitive: want, decide, hope, plan, promise, refuse, agree, manage, learn, afford.
- ALWAYS a gerund after a preposition: good at cooking, without saying, look forward to seeing (to = preposition!).
- Verb + object + to: want/ask/tell/advise + someone + to do (someone else's action).
- make / let / modal / perception verbs (see, hear) → bare infinitive; in the passive 'make' takes to.
- Purpose ('in order to') → to-infinitive; the formal form is in order to / so as to.
- Meaning-changers: stop, remember, forget, try, regret, go on, mean, need. Direction arrow: to = forward (task/intention/purpose), -ing = backward (memory/real action).
- The single Turkish infinitive (-mek) does not determine the English form; the pattern is determined by the nature of the English verb.
- Related topics: Passive Voice (need + gerund = passive), Causatives (make/let), Stative Verbs (like/love + gerund).