VERB LIST: INFINITIVES AND GERUNDS

Verbs Followed by an InfinitiveShe agreed to speak before the game.

agreeaim

appeararrange

ask attemptbe able

begbegincare

choosecondescend

consentcontinue

daredecide

deservedetestdislikeexpect

failforget

gethappen

havehesitate

hopehurryintend

leapleavelikelonglove

meanneglect

offeroughtplan

preferprepareproceedpromiseproposerefuse

remembersay

shootstartstop

striveswear

threatentryusewaitwantwish

Verbs Followed by an Object and an InfinitiveEveryone expected her to win.

adviseallowaskbeg

bringbuildbuy

challenge

choosecommand

daredirect

encourageexpectforbidforce

havehire

instructinviteleadleave

letlike

lovemotivate

orderpay

permitpersuadepreparepromise

remindrequire

sendteach

tellurgewantwarn

Note: Some of these verbs are included in the list aboveand may be used without an object.

Verbs Followed by a GerundThey enjoyed working on the boat.

admitadvise

appreciateavoid

can't help

delaydeny

detestdislikeenjoy

finishforbid

get throughhave

imagine

permitpostponepractice

quitrecall

resistresume

riskspend (time)

suggest

completeconsider

escapeexcuse

mindmiss

reportresent

toleratewaste (time)

Verbs Followed by a Preposition and a GerundWe concentrated on doing well.

admit toapprove of

argue aboutbelieve in

care aboutcomplain aboutconcentrate on

confess to

depend ondisapprove of

discourage fromdream about

feel likeforget about

insist onobject to

plan onprevent (someone) from

refrain fromsucceed intalk about

think aboutworry about

Verbs + Gerund  &  Verbs + Infinitive

 

Many of you have asked me about this forever-confusing topic: "what is the rule for using a verb in gerund form, or infinitive form, after another verb?"

Examples: 

It started raining.     OR        It started to rain.

I avoid getting in trouble.    OR    I avoid to get in trouble.

 

Rule # 1: there is no rule!

This is one of those cases that we just have to know it! We just have to be used to the way it is. How?? By practicing the language! The more you read and observe and pay attention to what you are reading, the more you will get it!

Here are some examples of usage:

I recommend studying English every day to become fluent.

Do you recall inviting her to the party?

I don't mind going to the beach when is raining.

They enjoy reading my books!

I resent talking to you.

I failed to arrive in time for the meeting.

Susan cannot afford to go to Italy this year.

You deserve to have a better job!  You know English so well!

I am not expecting to arrive there before noon.

Shoul I choose to drive the car or the truck?

 

When in doubt, check out the list below:

 

 Verbs Followed by Gerund   Verbs Followed by Infinitive

acknowledge afford 

admit agree

adore appear

anticipate arrange

appreciate ask

avoid attempt

celebrate care

confess choose

contemplate claim

delay come

deny consent

describe dare

detest decide

discuss demand

dislike deserve

dread determine

endure elect

enjoy endeavour

fancy expect

finish fail

imagine get

involve guarentee

keep hesitate

justify hope

mention hurry

mind incline

miss intend

omit learn   

postpone long

practice manage

quit mean

recall need

recommend  offer

regret plan

report prepare

resent pretend

resume promise

risk refuse

suggest resolve

tolerate say

understand seem

tend

threaten

want

wish

 

Verbs that can be used in both forms:

without change of meaning:

prefer /  start / beging / continue / hate / neglect / like / love / help

In this case, we often use the gerund form in general situations; and the infinitive in specific situations.

 

Examples:

a) I prefer to call you tomorrow, because I'll be free. (specific situation)

b) I prefer calling people than emailing them. (general situation) 

 

With a change in meaning:

stop / try / forget / remember

 

Examples:

STOP:

a) I will stop to buy lottery tickets.

b) I will stop buying lottery tickets.

 

Is there a difference between those two sentences?

Yes, there is!!! In fact, they mean opposite things!

 

In example (a) I am saying that I will stop at a place and I will buy lottery tickets.  I will stop in order to buy them.

In example (b) I am saying that I will stop/cease doing something. "Buying" is a noun here - not a verb. "Buying" here is  "the act of buying" - it's a thing, an event.  I will interrupt my habit of buy ing lottery tickets => I will stop buying lottery tickets.

 

You do this one now:

a) I will stop to eat snacks on my way home.

b) I will stop eating snacks on my way home.

Which one says that I won't eat snacks on my way home anymore;  and 

which one says that I will stop the car when I am on my way home and I will eat some snacks?

As you see, "parar para comer" and "parar de comer" têm sentidos bem opostos! 

 

TIP: you must recognize if the verb after "stop" is a verb in  action or a verb with noun function.  If it's action, must be infinitive; if it's noun it takes the gerund form.

Same principle applies to the other verbs:  try, forget, remember

TRY: 

a) Please try to do your homework this evening.

"Try to do something"  implies making an effort to start something. In other words: Please, make an effort to do your homework this evening.

 

b) I have an idea! Try do ing your homework in the evenings.

"Try doing something" implies suggestion: experiment the option of do ing your homework in the evenings instead of in the mornings.

Again, as you see in example (a), "to do" is a verb; and in example (b) "doing" is a noun (an option of doing something).

 

REMEMBER:

a) I didn't remember to turn the lights off when I left.

It means: At that specific moment in past  I didn't remember to perform an action:  to turn the lights off....   (to turn = verb / infinitive form)

b) I don't remember turn ing the lights off when I left.

It means: At this present moment I don't recall the moment or the event in the past of turn ing off the lights.  (turning = noun / gerund form)

 

Do you REMEMBER learnING how to ride a bike or how to drive a car? All learnings are like this, slow at first, then we improve naturally - if we persist and practice the skill!

So, STOP procrastinatING and TRY puttING more attention when you read!

STOP TO think about this and TRY TO REMEMBER TO read these tips when you are in doubt about what to use (infinitive or gerund).

And,  if you haven't got these differences yet, ask me and I'll explain it all again.

II. In English, if you want to follow a verb with another action, you must use a gerund or infinitive. For example:

We resumed talking. (gerund – verb + ing)

I want to see a movie. (infinitive – to + base verb)

There are certain verbs that can only be followed by one or the other, and these verbs must be memorized. Many of these verbs are listed below.

Common verbs followed by a gerund:

Example: He misses playing with his friends.

abhor acknowledge admit advise allow anticipate appreciate avoid be worth can’t help celebrate confess consider defend delay detest discontinue discuss dislike dispute dread

endure enjoy escape evade explain fancy fear feel like feign finish forgive give up (stop) keep (continue) keep on mention mind (object to) miss necessitate omit

permit picture

postpone practice prevent put off recall recollect recommend report resent resist resume risk shirk shun suggest support tolerate understand urge warrant

Common verbs followed by an infinitive:

Example: She threatened to quit if she didn't get a raise.

agree appear arrange ask attempt beg can/can’t afford can/can’t wait care chance choose claim come consent dare decide demand deserve determine

elect endeavor expect

fail get grow (up) guarantee hesitate hope hurry incline learn manage mean need neglect offer pay plan prepare pretend profess promise prove refuse

remain request resolve say seek seem shudder strive struggle swear tend threaten turn out venture volunteer wait want wish would like yearn

Verbs followed by a gerund or infinitive with little to no change in meaning:

Example: It started to rain. / It started raining.

begin can’t bear can’t stand continue hate like love prefer propose start

Verbs followed by a gerund or infinitive with a change in meaning:

forget

I forgot to meet him.

(I didn’t meet him because I forgot to do it.) I forgot meeting him.

(I don’t have the memory of meeting him before.)

go on

He went on to learn English and French.

(He ended one period of time before this.) He went on learning English and French.

(He continued learning the languages.)

quit

She quit to work here.

(She quit another job in order to work here.) She quit working here.

(She quit her job here. She doesn’t work here anymore.)

regret

I regret promising to help you.

(I’m sorry that I made the promise.) I regret to tell you that we can't hire you.

(I’m telling you now, and I’m sorry.)

remember

She remembered to visit her grandmother.

(She didn’t forget to visit.) She remembered visiting her grandmother.

(She had memories of this time.)

stop

I stopped to call you.

(I interrupted another action in order to call you.) I stopped calling you.

(I stopped this activity. Maybe we had a fight.)

try

I tried to open the window.

(I attempted this action but didn’t succeed.) I tried opening the window.

(This was one option I sampled. Maybe the room was hot.)