Some verbs in English can be followed by either an infinitive or a gerund. This means that after these verbs, you can use either a “to” and a base form of the verb (infinitive), or the “-ing” form of the verb (gerund). Let’s look at some examples:
- Stop:
- Infinitive: “I stopped to listen to the music.” (I paused what I was doing in order to listen to the music.)
- Gerund: “I stopped listening to the music.” (I no longer listened to the music.)
- Regret:
- Infinitive: “I regret to inform you that the event has been canceled.” (I’m sorry to tell you that the event is canceled.)
- Gerund: “I regret canceling my plans.” (I feel sorry for canceling my plans.)
- Forget:
- Infinitive: “I forgot to buy milk at the store.” (I didn’t remember to buy milk.)
- Gerund: “I forgot buying milk yesterday.” (I don’t remember buying milk yesterday.)
- Remember:
- Infinitive: “I remembered to bring my umbrella.” (I didn’t forget to bring my umbrella.)
- Gerund: “I remembered seeing her at the party.” (I recalled seeing her at the party.)
- Try:
- Infinitive: “I will try to finish the assignment.” (I will attempt to finish the assignment.)
- Gerund: “I tried studying for the exam, but it was difficult.” (I made an effort to study for the exam.)
- Like/Love/Hate:
- Infinitive: “I like to swim in the ocean.” (I enjoy swimming in the ocean.)
- Gerund: “I like swimming in the ocean.” (I enjoy the activity of swimming in the ocean.)
- Begin/Start/Continue:
- Infinitive: “Let’s begin to pack our bags.” (Let’s start packing our bags.)
- Gerund: “Let’s begin packing our bags.” (Let’s start the activity of packing our bags.)
Remember that the choice between an infinitive and a gerund depends on the meaning you want to convey and the context of the sentence. By using these verbs with both forms, you can express different actions or emphasize different aspects of the action.
