In short
- General rule: the infinitive (to + verb) covers most cases when two verbs follow each other.
- Gerund required: after enjoy, avoid, consider, suggest, finish, mind, and after any preposition.
- Infinitive required: after want, decide, hope, promise, refuse, and after a noun or pronoun.
- Trap: certain verbs (stop, remember, forget, try, regret) change meaning depending on the form chosen.
- Unique exception: look forward to is the only case where “to” is followed by a gerund.
When two verbs follow each other in English, the second takes either the infinitive form (to + verb) or the -ing form (the gerund). The choice depends on the first verb, with no universal rule, which makes it one of the most poorly mastered grammar points, even at an advanced level. This sheet details the lists of verbs concerned, the cases where the meaning changes depending on the form chosen, and the exceptions to know.
Infinitive or gerund: the basic difference
The infinitive is the base form of the verb preceded by to: to sing, to eat, to study. It is never conjugated and can play the role of a noun, an adjective, or an adverb in the sentence. The gerund is the -ing form of the verb, identical to the present participle, but which functions as a noun: subject, object, or object of a preposition.
In the vast majority of cases where two verbs follow each other, the infinitive is what is used. The gerund remains reserved for a more restricted, but very common, list of verbs and structures.
Verbs always followed by the gerund
| Verb | Translation | Example |
|---|---|---|
| enjoy | to appreciate | She enjoys singing. |
| avoid | to avoid | He avoids eating too much sugar. |
| consider | to consider | They are considering moving to Canada. |
| suggest | to suggest | He suggested waiting at the hotel. |
| finish | to finish | I’ve finished preparing my bag. |
| mind | to mind (doing) | I don’t mind getting up early. |
| practice | to practice | He practices playing the piano. |
| keep | to keep (doing) | She keeps complaining about the weather. |
| quit | to quit | She quit smoking a few years ago. |
| admit | to admit | She admitted cheating during the exam. |
| deny | to deny | They denied organising the fraud. |
| risk | to risk | You risk falling if you keep running. |
| delay / postpone | to put off | He delayed going on holiday. |
| can’t stand / can’t help | to not stand / to not help | He can’t help talking so loudly. |
Verbs always followed by the infinitive
| Verb | Translation | Example |
|---|---|---|
| want | to want | She wanted to go shopping. |
| decide | to decide | They decided to wait a bit longer. |
| hope | to hope | She hopes to go to London next year. |
| promise | to promise | He promised to write to me. |
| refuse | to refuse | She refused to tell him the truth. |
| manage | to manage | I managed to catch the train. |
| seem | to seem | This seems to be a waste of time. |
| agree | to agree | We agreed to go to class early. |
| learn | to learn | He is learning to play the piano. |
| offer | to offer | John offered to drive us to the station. |
| expect | to expect | I expect you to help me. |
| tend | to tend | He tends to be a little shy. |
Verbs followed by both forms, without a change in meaning
A list of verbs accepts either the infinitive or the gerund, without the meaning of the sentence changing.
- begin, continue, start → She began to read / reading.
- hate, love, like, prefer, dislike → They dislike going out / to go out.
- attempt, bother, cease, intend → I started to read / reading.
With preference verbs (love, like, hate, prefer), a nuance exists however: the infinitive is suitable for a one-off, specific action, the gerund for a general or permanent taste. I hate to end this conversation, but I have to go (specific action) differs from I hate ending conversations prematurely (general taste).
Verbs that change meaning depending on the form
Certain verbs accept both forms, but with a radically different meaning depending on the choice. These are the most common traps.
| Verb | + gerund | + infinitive |
|---|---|---|
| stop | to stop doing (I stopped smoking = I quit smoking) | to stop in order to do (I stopped to smoke = I stopped in order to smoke) |
| remember | to remember a past action (I remember locking the door) | to remember to do, a future action (Remember to lock the door) |
| forget | to forget a past action | to forget to do something |
| regret | to regret a past action (I regret saying that) | to regret to announce something (I regret to say that) |
| try | to try to see the result (We tried baking without flour) | to attempt, to make an effort (I tried to solve this riddle) |
| go on | to continue the same action (He went on reading) | to move on to something new (He went on to become a teacher) |
| need | passive sense, a task to be done (The car needs cleaning) | active sense, one must do (I need to finish my homework) |
The gerund after a preposition
A verb that directly follows a preposition is systematically put in the gerund: at, in, on, about, after, before, without, by, for.
- She is good at painting. → She is skilled at painting.
- They talked about going on vacation. → They talked about going on vacation.
- I am interested in learning Spanish. → I am interested in learning Spanish.
Three prepositions are exceptions to this rule and introduce an infinitive rather than a gerund: except, but, than. Everyone came except to help. (Everyone came except to help.) She would rather read than watch TV.
The special case of “to look forward to”
The expression to look forward to (to look forward to) constitutes a notable exception: the final to functions here as a preposition, and not as the marker of the infinitive. It therefore requires the gerund, even though the presence of to would lead one to expect an infinitive.
- I’m really looking forward to seeing you! → I’m really looking forward to seeing you!
To check if to functions as a preposition in a given expression, one can follow it with the pronoun it: if the sentence still makes sense (I look forward to it), to is indeed a preposition and the gerund is required.
After a noun or pronoun: always the infinitive
When a noun or pronoun precedes the second verb, the infinitive is systematically used, regardless of the main verb.
- The teacher told her student to pay attention.
- We asked William to come with us.
- I want him to pay me back.
Modals: neither infinitive nor gerund
After a modal verb (can, could, may, might, must, shall, should, will, would, ought to), the second verb remains in the base form, without to and without -ing. I can do it. (I can do it.) This construction is neither a full infinitive nor a gerund.
The gerund as the subject of the sentence
Where French uses an infinitive in the subject position, English clearly prefers the gerund.
- Cycling is good for your health. → Cycling is good for your health.
- Reading helps improve vocabulary. → Reading helps improve vocabulary.
- Hiking is my passion. → Hiking is my passion.
The infinitive can technically occupy this position (To hike is my passion), but this usage remains rarer and slightly more formal than the gerund.
The infinitive after an adjective, noun, or verbal expression
Beyond verbs, the infinitive is systematically required after certain adjectives, certain nouns, and certain fixed verbal expressions.
| Context | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| After an adjective | It was impossible to go back. | It was impossible to go back. |
| After an adjective | I was thrilled to see my friends again. | I was thrilled to see my friends again. |
| After a noun | There was no need to get angry. | There was no need to get angry. |
| After a verbal expression | I would rather stay at home. | I would rather stay at home. |
| After a verb + question word | We didn’t remember where to meet. | We didn’t remember where to meet. |
The infinitive is also used to express the reason or purpose of an action, in response to the question why…?: She went to the shop to buy some milk. (She went to the shop to buy some milk.)
Translating “pour” before an infinitive: to or for?
The infinitive with to often translates “pour + infinitive” in French, but this rule does not extend to “pour + noun or pronoun”, which uses for.
- She went to the supermarket to buy some milk. → She went to the supermarket to buy some milk. (pour + infinitive → to)
- I’ve bought some flowers for my grandma. → I bought some flowers for my grandma. (pour + noun → for)
Fixed expressions followed by the gerund
A certain number of common expressions systematically require the gerund for the verb that follows, regardless of the general rules on prepositions.
| Expression | Translation | Example |
|---|---|---|
| to be used to | to be accustomed to | I am used to waiting for buses. |
| to be interested in | to be interested in | I am interested in working for you. |
| to be worth | to be worth | It might be worth phoning to check. |
| it’s no use | it’s no use | It’s no use trying to escape. |
| there’s no point in | there’s no point in | There’s no point in waiting any longer. |
| to be fed up with | to be fed up with | I’m fed up with waiting. |
| can’t stand | to not stand | I can’t stand being stuck in traffic. |
Practical exercise
Check your understanding of the choice between gerund and infinitive:
1. After work, Horatio enjoys ___ several glasses of whiskey.
2. She refused ___ him the truth.
3. I stopped ___ when I saw my old friend across the street (I stopped to talk).
4. She is good at ___ (paint).
5. I’m looking forward to ___ you soon!
6. The teacher told her student ___ attention.
7. Remember ___ the door before you leave! (remember to close the door)
8. Everyone came except ___ help.
9. It was impossible ___ back after the decision was made.
10. She bought some flowers ___ her grandmother.
Your score
