GERUNDS AND INFINITIVES

● WE USE GERUND (VERB + -ING):

o As the subject of a sentence.
EX: Smoking is bad for your health.
o After prepositions.
EX: I had lunch before leaving home.
o After certain verbs: imagine, feel, like, suggest, miss, practise, enjoy, detest, can´t
stand, don’t mind, keep, discuss, avoid, fancy…
EX: She really enjoys walking in the park.

● WE USE “TO” + INFINITIVE:

o After adjectives.
EX: It was really difficult to reach the shore.
o To express purpose.
EX: They went to the shop to buy some bread.
o After certain verbs: manage, hope, refuse, offer, expect, agree, ask, invite,
promise, learn, want, help…
EX: His parents refused to lend him money.

REMEMBER
● -ING: means thinking about a past experience you have had.
EX: I remember leaving my keys in this drawer but I can’t find them now.
● TO + INFINITIVE: means don’t forget to do something.
EX: Please, remember to buy some bread when you come home from school.

FORGET
● -ING: not to remember something that you did.
EX: I’ll never forget going to the cinema for the first time.
● TO + INFINITIVE: to forget something you should do or you should have done.
EX: Don’t forget to phone Mrs Sullivan before 11 am.

STOP
● -ING: not continue doing a certain activity or action
EX: I stopped going to the gym because I broke my leg.
● TO + INFINITIVE: make a pause in one activity in order to start a different one.
EX: After three hours driving she stopped to take a rest.
REGRET
● -ING: feeling sorry about something you said or did in the past.
EX: I really regret not telling you the truth.
● TO + INFINITIVE: it’s used to give bad news in a formal way (it’s often used with the
verbs: to inform, to say, to announce…).
EX: We regret to tell you that your flight has been cancelled.

TRY
● -ING: to do it and see what the results are (experiment).
EX: I tried washing it with a special soap but the stain is still there.
● TO + INFINITIVE: try hard to see if you can do something that is not easy.
EX: Could you please try to open this jar for me?.