I want (object) (infinitive) or (gerund)?

Solution 1:

In this (isolated, written) case "I want people enjoying the show" sounds awkward to me, but I doubt it would occur to many people as wrong if spoken, though perhaps a little less formal.

Embedded in a sentence, "I want people enjoying the show from the moment they arrive." conveys a sense of continuous activity that may even be preferred to the infinitive form. The -ing suffix here is not actually a gerund, it is marking the present participle. I can think of many similar cases where this form sounds more natural. Consider:

• I don't want hecklers interrupting the show.
• I want people dancing at my party.
• I hate people blaming video games for violence.
• I don't want you following me home.

In most contexts the difference will be subtle, but it really depends on what you'd like to convey. If in doubt, the infinitive form is semantically simpler and arguably a safer choice.

Solution 2:

Both sentences are correct for different reasons.

In the sentence "I want people to enjoy my show." "to enjoy" is the infinitive part of the infinitive phrase. This is a very common construction.

In the sentence "I want people enjoying my show." "enjoying my show" is a present participle phrase. "enjoying" is a present participle and not a gerund. It is what is left over when you omit "who are" from "I want people who are enjoying my show." "who are..." is a defining relative clause: it gives more information about people (necessary information.) "I want people" doesn't really say much and it doesn't tell you what kind of people.

Think of this sentence: "I want dresses made by Versace." This kind of sentence is probably familiar to you. "Made" is a past participle, and serves a similar function as a present participle. "I want dresses that are made by Versace." A verb plus "ing" can either be a gerund or a present participle in a sentence depending on what function it is serving. In the sentence "Skiing is my favorite pastime." "skiing" is a gerund, it is the subject of the sentence.

So to recap, both sentences are correct for different reasons: "to enjoy the show" is an infinitive phrase, and "enjoying the show" is a present participle phrase.