B2 · Upper Intermediate

Gerunds & Infinitives

Some verbs take -ing, some take to — and some take both, with a meaning that shifts completely depending on which form you choose.

Level: B2 -ing vs to Play · Practise · Score

The Grammar Transformer

Choose a subject. A pattern. An activity.

Four subjects, four verb patterns, three activities — 48 combinations. Watch how the same verb (remember) changes meaning completely depending on which form follows it.

I enjoyed exercising every morning.

Structure:subject + verb + -ing (gerund)

Enjoy always takes a gerund (-ing). Other gerund verbs: avoid, finish, consider, suggest, practise, keep, mind, risk, deny, imagine, miss.

Got the pattern? Jump to the practice →

The rules — with examples

Which verbs take gerunds, which take infinitives — and the pairs where meaning shifts completely.

Gerund-only vs. infinitive-only verbs

Gerund (-ing) only

enjoy · avoid · finish · consider · suggest · keep · mind · risk · deny · imagine · miss · practise · delay · can’t help

She enjoys cooking at weekends.
I avoid checking emails after 8 pm.
Have you considered applying for the job?

Infinitive (to) only

want · decide · hope · plan · agree · manage · promise · refuse · fail · expect · afford · offer · tend · need

She decided to apply for the position.
We managed to finish on time.
He refused to sign the contract.

After prepositions, always use a gerund. I’m interested in learning more. She left without saying goodbye. I look forward to hearing from you. Watch out for to as a preposition (e.g. look forward to) — it is followed by -ing, not the base verb.

Meaning-change pairs

The key principle: does the action happen before or after the main verb?

Before the main verb → gerund (-ing) After the main verb → infinitive (to)

remember + -ing (past recall)

I remember locking the door.

= I have a memory of doing it. The locking happened first.

remember + to (don't forget)

I remembered to lock the door.

= I didn’t forget to do it. The locking comes after.

stop + -ing (give up)

She stopped smoking last year.

= She no longer smokes. The activity ended.

stop + to (pause in order to)

She stopped to check her phone.

= She paused what she was doing in order to check.

try + -ing (experiment with)

I tried taking the back road.

= I experimented with a different method.

try + to (attempt, possibly fail)

I tried to open the window.

= I made an effort, but it may not have worked.

regret + -ing (sorry about past)

I regret saying that.

= I am sorry I said it. The action already happened.

regret + to (sorry to inform)

I regret to inform you of this.

= Formal announcement of bad news. Fixed phrase.

Verbs that take both forms with no meaning change

begin, start, continue, intend, prefer, like, love, hate — these can take either a gerund or an infinitive with almost no difference in meaning. She began singing / She began to sing. However, after would like / would love / would hate / would prefer, always use the infinitive.

Practise & score yourself

Ten questions — five multiple choice, five gap-fill.

Your score

0 / 10

Answer a question to begin.

The one rule to remember

When the verb expresses an attitude, habit or general activity, use -ing (gerund). When the verb points toward a specific action or intention, use to + infinitive. For meaning-change pairs — remember, stop, try, regret, go on — ask: does the -ing action happen before the main verb, or after? Before = gerund. After = infinitive.

← Back to the Grammar Hub