Gerunds (doing, seeing, going, etc.) and infinitives (to do, to see, to go, etc.) are words that are derived from verbs but function as other parts of speech (mostly nouns). Using them correctly can be troublesome because some verbs are followed by infinitives, some by gerunds, and some by either. The following lists should prove helpful.
Verbs Followed by Infinitives
- Attempt
- Choose
- Decide
- Expect
- Fail
- Hope
- Intend
- Learn
- Mean
- Need
- Plan
- Pretend
- Promise
- Want
- Wish
e.g., I expected (1) to finish (2) the exam in two hours, but I failed (1) to keep track (2) of the time.
- Verb
- Infinitive
Verbs Followed by Gerunds
- Appreciate
- Avoid
- Consider
- Deny
- Dislike
- Enjoy
- Finish
- Involve
- Keep
- Mind
- Quit
- Recall
- Recommend
- Resent
- Risk
e.g., I don’t recommend (1) going (2) to a movie that you're not interested in. After you finish (1) watching (2), it feels like a waste.
- Verb
- Gerund
Verbs Followed by Infinitives or Gerunds
Where Choice Does not Affect Meaning
- Begin
- Hate
- Prefer
- Love
- Start
- Try
- Like
- Purpose
e.g., Let’s begin (1) to think (2) about the assignment.
e.g., Let’s begin (1) thinking (3) about the assignment.
- Verb
- Infinitive
- Gerund
Where Choice Does Affect Meaning
For the following verbs, the infinitive looks to the future, while the gerund looks to the past.
- Mean
- Intend
- Go on
- Remember
- Forget
- Regret
- Stop
- Try
e.g., I have to remember (1) to buy (2) bread.
e.g., I remember (1) buying (3) bread.
- Verb
- Infinitive
- Gerund
Notice how the "to buy" looks to the future, while "buying" happened in the past.