When one verb is followed by another, English makes you choose between two forms: the gerund (swimming) and the infinitive (to swim). Get the choice wrong and the sentence sounds off to every native speaker, even though the meaning is usually clear. The hard part is that the rule is not really a rule. It depends on the first verb, and you mostly have to learn which verb wants which form.
What a gerund and an infinitive actually are
A gerund is the -ing form of a verb used as a noun.
- Swimming is good exercise. (subject)
- I enjoy reading. (object)
An infinitive is to plus the base verb.
- I want to leave.
- Her plan is to win.
Both turn a verb into something that can sit where a noun sits. The trouble starts when a gerund or infinitive follows another verb, because most verbs accept only one of the two.
Verbs followed by the gerund
These verbs are followed by the -ing form. I enjoy to read is wrong; it has to be I enjoy reading.
| Verb | Example |
|---|---|
| enjoy | I enjoy cooking. |
| avoid | He avoids talking about it. |
| finish | She finished eating. |
| mind | Do you mind waiting? |
| suggest | They suggested going by train. |
| can't help | I can't help laughing. |
| keep | He keeps interrupting. |
| practise | I practise speaking every day. |
| miss | She misses living by the sea. |
| give up | He gave up smoking. |
A quick test: many of these describe stopping, continuing or feeling about an activity, but the safest approach is simply to know the list.
Verbs followed by the infinitive
These verbs are followed by to plus the base verb. I want going is wrong; it has to be I want to go.
| Verb | Example |
|---|---|
| want | I want to leave. |
| decide | We decided to stay. |
| hope | She hopes to pass. |
| plan | They plan to move. |
| agree | He agreed to help. |
| offer | She offered to drive. |
| promise | I promise to call. |
| refuse | He refused to answer. |
| learn | I learned to swim. |
| manage | We managed to finish. |
| would like | I would like to know. |
Verbs that take both with no real change
A handful of verbs accept either form, and the meaning stays the same. These are mostly verbs of starting, continuing and liking.
| Verb | Both forms work |
|---|---|
| begin | It began to rain. / It began raining. |
| start | She started to cry. / She started crying. |
| continue | He continued to talk. / He continued talking. |
| like | I like to cook. / I like cooking. |
| love | They love to travel. / They love travelling. |
| hate | I hate to wait. / I hate waiting. |
| prefer | She prefers to walk. / She prefers walking. |
There is a faint difference with like: I like to cook can suggest a habit you choose (you cook because it is sensible), while I like cooking is purely about enjoyment. In everyday speech most people treat them as the same.
Verbs that take both, but the meaning changes
This is the group that matters most, because choosing the wrong form changes what you are saying. Learn these properly.
| Verb | + gerund | + infinitive |
|---|---|---|
| stop | quit the activity: He stopped smoking. | pause in order to: He stopped to smoke. |
| remember | recall a memory: I remember locking the door. | not forget a task: Remember to lock the door. |
| forget | (rare) recall: I'll never forget meeting her. | fail to do: I forgot to call him. |
| try | experiment: Try adding salt. | make an effort: I tried to lift it. |
| regret | be sorry about the past: I regret saying that. | be sorry to announce: We regret to inform you. |
| go on | continue the same thing: He went on talking. | move to a new thing: She went on to become a doctor. |
| mean | involve: This job means working late. | intend: I meant to tell you. |
Read the stop and remember rows twice. He stopped smoking means he gave it up. He stopped to smoke means he interrupted what he was doing in order to have a cigarette. I remember locking the door is a memory of the act; remember to lock the door is an instruction for later.
The gerund always follows a preposition
This rule is reliable, which is rare in this topic. After any preposition (at, in, of, about, for, before, after, on) you use the gerund, never the infinitive.
- She is good at swimming.
- I am interested in learning Spanish.
- Think before speaking.
- He left without saying goodbye.
The trap is fixed phrases that end in to, where to is a preposition rather than part of an infinitive:
- I look forward to meeting you. (not to meet)
- I am used to working nights. (not to work)
- She is committed to helping.
If you can replace the phrase with a noun (I look forward to the holiday), the to is a preposition and needs the gerund.
The bare infinitive (no 'to')
After modal verbs (can, must, should, will, might) and after make and let, you use the base verb with no to at all. This is the bare infinitive.
- You must go. (not must to go)
- I can swim.
- She made me wait. (not made me to wait)
- Let him try.
Common mistakes
Ranked by how often learners make them.
- Infinitive after a gerund verb. I enjoy to read. Enjoy takes the gerund: I enjoy reading. The same trap hits avoid, finish, mind and suggest.
- Gerund after an infinitive verb. I want going home. Want takes the infinitive: I want to go home.
- Infinitive after a preposition. I look forward to meet you. The to is a preposition, so use the gerund: I look forward to meeting you.
- Wrong form changing the meaning. Stop to smoke when you mean stop smoking tells people the opposite of what you intend.
- Keeping the to after a modal. I must to leave. Modals take the bare infinitive: I must leave.
Practice
Choose the correct form. Answers are below.
- I enjoy
___(cook) at the weekend. - She decided
___(stay) at home. - He is good at
___(draw). - Remember
___(post) the letter on your way out. - They must
___(leave) before nine.
Answers: 1. cooking (enjoy takes the gerund) 2. to stay (decide takes the infinitive) 3. drawing (after the preposition at) 4. to post (a task you must not forget, so the infinitive) 5. leave (bare infinitive after the modal must)