Gerund or infinitive after verbs
Some verbs are followed by -ing, some by to + verb, and a few take both with a change in meaning. Learn each verb together with its pattern.
How it works
- + -ing: enjoy, avoid, finish, mind, suggest, consider, keep, practise, can't stand: I avoid driving at rush hour.
- + to-infinitive: want, decide, hope, plan, agree, refuse, manage, afford, seem: We decided to stay.
- After a preposition, always -ing: I'm interested in learning Korean. She left without saying goodbye.
- Remember/forget + to do = a duty (before); remember + -ing = a memory (after): Remember to lock the door. I remember locking it.
- Stop + -ing = no longer do; stop + to do = stop in order to do: He stopped smoking. He stopped to buy water.
- Try + to do = make an effort; try + -ing = do it as an experiment: Try restarting the laptop.
- Like, love, hate, begin, start take both with little change: It started to rain / raining.
Examples
I don't mind waiting a few minutes.
We can't afford to buy a new car this year.
I remember meeting your sister at the wedding.
Don't forget to send me the photos.
On the way to Sa Pa, we stopped to have lunch in Lào Cai.
She's thinking about changing jobs.
Common mistakes
Wrong: I enjoy
to cookfor my friends.Right: I enjoy cooking for my friends.
Wrong: I'm looking forward to
seeyou.Right: I'm looking forward to seeing you.
Wrong: He suggested
to goto the beach.Right: He suggested going to the beach.
Wrong: I stopped
to smokelast year.Right: I stopped smoking last year.
Practice
1 of 16Fill the gap.
Level: EGP Verbs (verb + -ing / to-infinitive): common patterns such as enjoy + -ing and want + to are A2–B1; the wider set of patterns and verbs that change meaning (remember, stop, try) are controlled at B2. Written for Gloss.