Verbs that change meaning
These verbs take either -ing or to-infinitive, but the meaning changes completely.
| Verb | + -ing | + to infinitive |
|---|---|---|
| stop | Stop doing = quit, no longer do it "She stopped smoking." (= she quit) |
Stop to do = pause in order to do something "She stopped to smoke." (= she paused and had a cigarette) |
| remember | Remember doing = recall a past action "I remember meeting her at the party." (= I recall it) |
Remember to do = not forget to do something "Remember to lock the door!" (= don't forget) |
| forget | Forget doing = no memory of doing it "I'll never forget meeting you." (= I'll always remember) |
Forget to do = fail to do something "He forgot to buy milk." (= he didn't do it) |
| try | Try doing = experiment, see what happens "Try turning it off and on again." (= experiment) |
Try to do = attempt (may be difficult) "I tried to open the jar." (= attempted, probably failed) |
| go on | Go on doing = continue the same activity "She went on talking for hours." (= kept talking) |
Go on to do = move to a new, different activity "He finished school and went on to study medicine." |
| regret | Regret doing = feel sorry about a past action "I regret saying that to him." (= I said it — sorry now) |
Regret to do = sorry to do something now (formal announcement) "We regret to inform you that…" |
Gerund after prepositions
After any preposition, the verb must be in the -ing form (never to-infinitive).
| Pattern | Example |
|---|---|
| interested in + -ing | She's interested in learning Japanese. |
| good at + -ing | He's good at playing chess. |
| instead of + -ing | Instead of waiting, she left. |
| without + -ing | He left without saying goodbye. |
| after / before + -ing | After finishing her work, she went out. |
| used to + -ing (= accustomed) | I'm not used to getting up so early. |
Infinitive after adjectives
Many adjectives are followed by to + infinitive, especially to express feelings or judgements about an action.
| Pattern | Example |
|---|---|
| happy / glad / pleased to | I'm happy to help you. |
| surprised / shocked / delighted to | She was surprised to see him there. |
| easy / difficult / hard / impossible to | It's hard to understand his accent. |
| likely / unlikely to | He's unlikely to agree. |
| ready / prepared to | Are you ready to start? |
Exercises
Choose the correct form — -ing or to-infinitive.
1. He stopped ___ when he heard his name called. (= he paused)
2. I'll never forget ___ my first concert. (= I'll always have that memory)
3. Remember ___ the door when you leave. (= don't forget)
4. Try ___ lemon juice — it might help with your sore throat. (= experiment)
5. After university, she went on ___ a PhD. (= then moved to a new activity)
6. He left the party without ___ goodbye to anyone.