Casa ESL · grammar guides · level B1–B2
Gerunds and Infinitives — Which Verb Takes Which?
Enjoy swimming but decide to swim; stop smoking versus stop to smoke. After one verb comes -ing, after another comes to — and sometimes the choice changes the meaning entirely.
Verbs followed by the gerund (-ing)
enjoy, finish, avoid, suggest, mind, keep, practise, consider, imagine, miss, admit, deny, risk: "She enjoys cooking." / "He avoided answering."
Also after prepositions, always: "good at drawing," "interested in learning," "before leaving."
Verbs followed by the infinitive (to + verb)
want, need, decide, hope, plan, promise, agree, refuse, learn, offer, manage, afford, choose: "They decided to move." / "I can't afford to fly."
Also after adjectives ("happy to help," "difficult to say") and to express purpose: "I went out to buy milk."
The meaning-changers
stop: "He stopped smoking" (quit) vs "He stopped to smoke" (paused in order to smoke). remember: "I remember locking the door" (memory of doing it) vs "Remember to lock the door" (don't forget). try: "Try restarting it" (experiment) vs "I tried to lift it" (attempted with effort). forget and regret follow the remember pattern.
| Pattern | Verbs | Example |
|---|---|---|
| + gerund | enjoy, finish, avoid, mind, keep | I keep forgetting her name. |
| + infinitive | want, decide, hope, promise, learn | We hope to see you soon. |
| either, same meaning | like, love, hate, start, begin, continue | It started raining / to rain. |
| either, different meaning | stop, remember, forget, try, regret | She stopped talking / stopped to talk. |
Common mistakes
✓ I enjoy swimming.
Enjoy takes the gerund.
✓ She suggested going home.
Suggest takes the gerund (or a that-clause).
✓ I'm looking forward to seeing you.
Here to is a preposition — gerund follows.
Practice
- He admitted ___ (break) the window.
show answer
breaking - We can't afford ___ (eat) out every night.
show answer
to eat - Don't forget ___ (send) the invoice tomorrow.
show answer
to send
FAQ
How do I know if a verb takes a gerund or an infinitive?
It must be learned by verb: enjoy, finish, avoid and all prepositions take -ing; want, decide, hope, promise take to + verb. A small group (stop, remember, try, forget) takes both with different meanings.
What is the difference between "stop doing" and "stop to do"?
Stop doing ends the activity (he stopped smoking = he quit). Stop to do pauses one activity in order to do another (he stopped to smoke = he paused for a cigarette).
Why is it "looking forward to seeing you"?
In that phrase, to is a preposition, not part of an infinitive — and prepositions are always followed by the -ing form.
Want this to actually stick?
One-on-one lessons with a real teacher, or free worksheets for this level — your pace, your goals.
More guides: Present Simple · Past Simple · Present Continuous · Present Perfect