Infinitives and gerunds
Learn the verb together with the form that follows it.
The two forms
| Form | Pattern | Example |
|---|---|---|
| To-infinitive | to + base verb | I want to travel. |
| Gerund | verb + -ing | I enjoy travelling. |
There is no single rule for every verb. Use the lists below to learn common combinations.
Verbs followed by a to-infinitive
These verbs usually take to + base verb when another verb follows.
| Verb | Example |
|---|---|
| agree | She agreed to help. |
| choose | We chose to stay. |
| decide | They decided to leave. |
| expect | I expect to arrive early. |
| hope | He hopes to win. |
| learn | She is learning to drive. |
| manage | We managed to finish. |
| need | I need to study. |
| offer | He offered to carry the bag. |
| plan | They plan to travel. |
| promise | She promised to call. |
| refuse | He refused to answer. |
| want | I want to go. |
| would like | I'd like to visit Japan. |
Would like takes a to-infinitive: I'd like to go, not I'd like going.
Verbs followed by a gerund
These verbs usually take the -ing form when another verb follows.
| Verb | Example |
|---|---|
| admit | He admitted making a mistake. |
| avoid | She avoids driving at night. |
| consider | We considered moving. |
| enjoy | I enjoy reading. |
| finish | They finished packing. |
| give up | He gave up smoking. |
| imagine | Can you imagine living there? |
| keep | Please keep trying. |
| mind | Do you mind waiting? |
| miss | I miss swimming in the sea. |
| practise | She practises speaking English. |
| risk | You risk losing your ticket. |
| suggest | They suggested taking a taxi. |
Say enjoy travelling and finish reading, not enjoy to travel or finish to read.
Verbs that take either form
With these common verbs, both forms are often possible with a similar meaning. Context can add small differences.
| Verb | Gerund | To-infinitive |
|---|---|---|
| like | I like swimming. | I like to swim. |
| love | She loves dancing. | She loves to dance. |
| hate | He hates waiting. | He hates to wait. |
| prefer | We prefer walking. | We prefer to walk. |
| begin | It began raining. | It began to rain. |
| start | She started working. | She started to work. |
| continue | They continued talking. | They continued to talk. |
Both forms, different meanings
With these verbs, changing the form can change the meaning. Learn each expression with its example.
| Verb | Gerund | To-infinitive |
|---|---|---|
| stop | He stopped smoking. (He no longer smokes.) | He stopped to smoke. (He paused another activity.) |
| remember | I remember locking the door. (I recall doing it.) | I remembered to lock the door. (I did not forget to do it.) |
| forget | I'll never forget meeting her. (I will always remember it.) | I forgot to call her. (I did not make the call.) |
| try | Try restarting the computer. (Test this method.) | Try to restart the computer. (Make an effort.) |
Verb + person + to-infinitive
| Pattern | Example |
|---|---|
| ask someone to | She asked me to help. |
| tell someone to | He told us to wait. |
| want someone to | I want you to listen. |
| need someone to | We need someone to drive. |
| invite someone to | They invited me to stay. |
| remind someone to | Please remind me to call. |
Compare I want to leave with I want you to leave: the person doing the action changes.
After a preposition: use -ing
When a verb follows a preposition, it normally takes the gerund: interested in learning, good at cooking, afraid of flying, without saying goodbye.
In look forward to seeing you, to is a preposition, not the start of an infinitive.
For fuller explanations and exercises, explore the Infinitives and Gerunds unit.