Gerund or Infinitive?

· Verbs followed by a Gerund: · Verbs followed by an Infinitive:

Acknowledge, admit, adore, advise, anticipate,
appreciate, avoid, celebrate, confess, contemplate,
defend, delay, deny, describe, detest, discuss, dislike,
dispute, enjoy, escape, explain, fancy, fear, feel like,
finish, forgive, give up, imagine, involve, keep, justify,
mention, mind, miss, omit, postpone, practise, quit,
recall, recommend, regret, report, resume, risk,
suggest, tolerate, understand.
· Use Gerund after:
Prepositions: I’m good at baking pastries.
Certain verbs: Mike suggested going to the concert.
Certain phrases: It’s no use asking her. She won’t listen.
Afford, agree, appear, arrange, ask, attempt, care,
can/can’t afford, can/can’t wait, choose, claim, come,
consent, dare, decide, demand, deserve, determine,
elect, expect, fail, get, grow (up), help, hesitate, hope,
hurry, intend, learn, manage, mean, need, offer, pay,
plan, prepare, pretend, promise, refuse, resolve, say,
seek, seem, tend, threaten, wait, want, wish.
· Use Infinitive after:
Adjectives: He’s too tired to play tennis.
Certain verbs: Don’t forget to buy some milk.
Question words: They don’t know what to do.

*Some verbs can be followed by an infinitive or gerund:

Like

Love

Hate

* Some verbs can be followed either infinitive or gerund but with changes of meaning:

Forget + infinitive: to fail to do something.

Forget + gerund: to do something and not recall it.

Regret + infinitive: be sorry to (something unpleasant).

Regret + gerund: to talk about a mistake in the past.

Remember + infinitive: not to forget to do something.

Remember + gerund: to recall a memory.

Stop + infinitive: interrupt an action to do another.

Stop + gerund: no to do something anymore.

Try + infinitive: make an effort to.

Try + gerund: experiment with doing something.