Gerund or infinitive: Do, to do, doing

Grammar / B1 Grammar lessons and exercises / Gerund or infinitive: Do, to do, doing

✏️ Exercises

Gerund vs. Infinitive: Verb Patterns in English

Grammar chart showing when to use gerund (-ing) or infinitive (to + verb) after verbs like remember, forget, stop, try. Includes examples: 'I remember locking the door' vs 'Don’t forget to lock the door'. Designed for A2/B1 English learners.

After certain verbs, adjectives, or prepositions, we use either a gerund (-ing form) or an infinitive (to + verb). Sometimes both are possible — but the meaning changes!

🟦Verbs Followed by Gerund (-ing)

These verbs are usually followed by a gerund:

enjoy → I enjoy **reading**.
avoid → She avoids **eating** sugar.
consider → They’re considering **moving**.
mind → Do you mind **waiting**?
suggest → He suggested **going** out.
finish → Have you finished **writing**?

🟩Verbs Followed by Infinitive (to + verb)

These verbs are usually followed by an infinitive:

want → I want **to travel**.
decide → She decided **to quit**.
hope → We hope **to see** you.
promise → He promised **to help**.
plan → I plan **to study** tonight.
need → You need **to rest**.

🟪Verbs That Change Meaning: Gerund vs. Infinitive

With these verbs, the choice between gerund and infinitive changes the meaning completely.

🔹 Forget

  • Forget + to do → You didn’t do it (and needed to).
    I think we forgot **to lock** the door.
    Don’t forget **to call** me.
  • Forget + doing → You did it, and won’t forget the memory.
    I’ll never forget **walking** on that amazing beach.

🔹 Remember

  • Remember + to do → Don’t forget a future/task.
    He didn’t remember **to turn off** the heating.
    Please remember **to close** the windows.
  • Remember + doing → Recall a past experience.
    I remember **eating** on this same chair the day I graduated.
    I remember **mentioning** the issue to Elisabeth.

🔹 Try

  • Try + to do → Make an effort (may fail).
    Could you please try **to be** less rude?
    I’ll try **to convince** him.
  • Try + doing → Experiment with a solution.
    Why don’t you try **drinking** a glass of hot milk?
    I’ve tried **calling** her home number and mobile.

🔹 Stop

  • Stop + to do → Pause one action to start another.
    We stopped **to eat**. (= We stopped driving in order to eat.)
  • Stop + doing → Quit an activity.
    Could you stop **biting** your nails?
    I need to stop **smoking** once and for all.

🟨After Prepositions → Always Gerund!

After any preposition (in, at, on, about, for, of, etc.), use a gerund:

  • She’s good at **painting**.
  • He’s afraid of **flying**.
  • We’re excited about **going** to Japan.
  • There’s no point in **arguing**.

❌ Never: "afraid of to fly" → Incorrect!

🟦Common Expressions with Gerund

  • It’s no use **crying**.
  • It’s worth **trying**.
  • I can’t help **laughing**.
  • She’s interested in **learning** Spanish.
  • He’s tired of **waiting**.
  • They’re used to **working** late.

📌 Quick Summary:
🔵 Gerund (-ing): after enjoy, avoid, prepositions, expressions
🟢 Infinitive (to + verb): after want, decide, hope, promise
🟠 Meaning changes with: remember, forget, stop, try
⚠️ After prepositions → always gerund!