Infinitive and Gerund(change in meaning)

Verbs taking both, the Infinitive and the Gerund with a change in meaning

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STOP

• I stopped smoking years ago.

• We stopped to drink a cup of coffee. 

  
  

STOP + Gerund

‘Stop' with a gerund means to quit an action.

Stop buying bread from the supermarket.

It's an order to never buy bread again from the supermarket. (Maybe the bread is too expensive or it's not good quality but whatever the reason, ‘stop buying bread from the supermarket‘ means don't buy bread there anymore.)

STOP + Gerund

Since we're talking about completely quitting an action, this is also the form that you should use when you're talking about addictions or bad habits.

STOP + Gerund

• Stop smoking cigarettes, it's bad for your health!

• I wish you'd stop biting your nails, it's gross!

• Do you have a bad habit that you know you should stop doing?

STOP + Infinitive

'Stop' with the to-infinitive means to pause or leave one action to do another.

_{Stop to buy bread from the supermarket}

_{Make sure you stop to talk to Sara before you leave work today, she's got something important to tell you.}

_{I worked all day, I didn't even stop to eat lunch.}

STOP

• I stopped smoking years ago. 

  (I gave up smoking years ago.) -  forms part of a compound verbal aspect predicate

• We stopped to drink a cup of coffee. 

  (We stopped in order to drink a cup of coffee.) - has the function of an adverbial modifier of pur­pose

START

• Why do not you start to drive, I am tired of waiting.

• She started cleaning the kitchen with tears in her eyes.

Start + Infinitive

Start to do focuses more on a single activity, starting point of an activity, denotes more spontaneous actions, unprepared actions, indicating the very beginning of the action rather than its process or continuation.

Start to with stative verbs is more preferable: start to feel, start to seem, start to appear, start to sound, etc.

Start + Infinitive

• Will you ever start to breakfast in the mornings?

• I started to follow him up the stairs…

• I started to feel neglected.

• Our work starts to make sense.

Start + Gerund

Start doing focuses more on continuing activity in the process, denotes prepared actions, not the actual start of the action.

- Do not start acting like a child.

- He was so angry, that started throwing things at her.

- Do not pretend you will start crying.

- Start learning what it means to be in charge of something

Start

- the same rules are applied to the words begin, continue, intend.

-  We do not usually have two - ing forms together.

It was starting to get dark. (NOT starting getting)

REMEMBER

• Did you remember to buy tea? 
  
  

• I don't remember ever visiting this museum.

REMEMBER + Gerund

‘Remember' with a gerund is used to talk about a memory.

Do you remember dancing with me on our first date?

What do you remember about your first date?

REMEMBER + Infinitive

Remember with the to-infinitive is used to talk about something that someone needs to do to remind them to do something.

- Remember to take lots of pictures on your trip.

- Remember to whisk the eggs before adding the sugar.

- Remember to turn at the intersection, otherwise, you'll get stuck on a one-way road.

Remember

• Did you remember to buy tea? 

  (Did you remember that you should buy tea?) - refers to the future

• I don't remember ever visiting this museum. 

  (I don't remember that I have ever visited this museum.) - refers to the past

Multiple Choice

I remember (go) to the beach when I was a child.

• to go

• going

Multiple Choice

I remembered (buy) milk.

(= I was walking home and the idea that I needed milk came into my head, so I bought some).

• to buy

• buying

• bying

Multiple Choice

I remember (go) to the beach when I was a child.

• to go

• going

Forget

• Don't forget to meet Mr Moriarty at 10 o'clock this morning. 

• I'll never forget meeting her for the first time. 

Forget + Gerund

‘Forget' with a gerund means to look back at past memories.

- I'll never forget watching my first horror movie… I was so scared that I couldn't sleep for weeks!

- I wish I could forget falling down the stairs in front of the whole school

Do you have an embarrassing memory that you wish you could forget?

Forget + Infinitive

‘Forget' with the to-infinitive is used to give a reminder to someone, to make sure that they do something, that they don't forget.

- Don't forget to watch the news tonight! I was interviewed on the main street today, so I don't want you to miss it!

- Don't forget to bring your tickets, otherwise, they won't let you in to the show!

Multiple Choice

Have we really studied this topic before?

I forget (read) about it.

• to read

• reading

Multiple Choice

She keeps forgetting (bring) his book back.

• bringing

• to bring

Forget

•  Don't forget to meet Mr Moriarty at 10 o'clock this morning. 

   (You should meet Mr Moriarty at 10 o'clock this morning.) - refers to the future

  
  

  
  

• I'll never forget meeting her for the first time. 

  (I'll never forget when I met her for the first time.) - refers to the past

Regret

• I regret spending so much money last night.

• We regret to inform you that your application has been rejected. 

  
  

  
  

Regret + Gerund

Regret + a gerund is used to talk about something that you did in the past, that you aren't happy about anymore.

For example, decisions that you made in the past that you wish you didn't make, when you wish you could go back in time and change those actions.

- He regretted yelling at her as soon as she walked away.

- He woke up with a pounding headache and immediately regretted drinking so much the night before.

What do you wish you could go back in time and change?

Regret + Infinitive

'Regret' with the to-infinitive is used to tell someone bad news or something that they don't want to hear.

This verb pattern is really formal language and it's always followed by bad news.

For example, these are the words that you don't want to hear after a job interview:

- I regret to say that I wasn't impressed by the performance.

- We regret to inform you that you have ten days left to pay the account, otherwise, we'll close it.

Regret

• We regret to inform you that your application has been rejected. 

  (We are sorry we have to inform you that your application has been rejected.) - bad news

• I regret spending so much money last night. 

  (I am sorry that I spent so much money last night.) - refers to the past

Go on

• Whichever page you're on, go on to read the next chapter.

  
  

• Go on reading the article.

Go on + Gerund

Go on + gerund means to continue with the action in the gerund.

- He went on speaking for two hours.

- I can’t go on working like this – I’m exhausted.

Go on + Infinitive

Go on + to-infinitive means to do the next action, which is often the next stage in a process:

- After introducing her proposal, she went on to explain the benefits for the company.

- John Smith worked in local government for five years, then went on to become a Member of Parliament.

Multiple Choice

The teacher paused for a moment and then went on (talk) about London.

(=continued)

• talking

• to talk

Multiple Choice

After talking about London, the teacher went on (talk) about Paris.

• to talk

• talking

Go on

• Whichever page you're on, go on to read the next chapter.

   (Continue with the next chapter.)

• Go on reading the article. 

  (Continue reading the article.)

Try

• I tried to reach her at work, but the line was busy. 

  
  

• Why didn't you try calling her on her mobile?

Try + Gerund

Try + gerund means to experiment with an action.

- If you have problems sleeping, you could try doing some yoga before you go to bed.

- Why don't you try drinking some warm milk?

- I would like to try driving a tank.

- Have you ever tried eating snake?

Try + Infinitive 

Try + infinitive means to make an effort to do something. It may be something very difficult or even impossible.

- The surgeons tried to save his life but he died on the operating table.

- We'll try to phone at 6 o'clock, but it might be hard to find a public telephone.

- Could you try to fix my shoes by tomorrow?

- He tries to be quiet but he's always been a noisy child.

Try

• Why didn't you try calling her on her mobile? 

  (Why didn't you call her on her mobile to see if you could reach her?)

• I tried to reach her at work, but the line was busy. 

  (I made an attempt to reach her at work.)

Mean

• I didn't mean to hurt your feelings.

• In those days, being a student meant spending long hours in the library. 

  
  

Mean + Gerund

When ‘mean' is followed by a gerund, it's used to talk about what the response or the result of something is.

- Make sure you bring your jacket or it will mean getting really wet and cold.

- Visiting my sister in London means spending eight hours on a plane.

Mean + Infinitive

‘Mean' with the to-infinitive is used when you intend or you plan to do something. When it's used in the past tense, this verb is especially useful for excuses.

- I meant to call you last night, but I totally forgot!

- She meant to put sugar in your coffee, but she accidentally added salt.

Multiple Choice

I meant (call) you before I left. I forgot.

(=intention)

• calling

• to call

Multiple Choice

You've forgotten your homework again. That means (phone) your mom.

• phoning

• to phone

Mean

• In those days, being a student meant spending long hours in the library.

   (In those days if you were a student, it meant that you spent long hours in the library.) - result

• I didn't mean to hurt your feelings. 

  (I didn't intend to hurt your feelings.) - excuse

Like, love, prefer, hate

• The verbs like, love, prefer, hate can be followed by either form.

• To + infinitive suggests something is a good/bad idea.

• The -ing form shows your feelings.

• I like to do my tax returns early but I don't like doing them.

• Like followed by to + infinitive can mean that we do something because we think this a good idea, even though we don't enjoy it.

• I like to write seveal drafts before l write the final report.