INFINITIVE AND VERB+ ING FORMS

1. INFINITIVE – we use the infinitive

 to say why we do something
 I have just gone running to get some exercise.
 He has taken up tennis to make friends.
 to say why something exists
 There is an example to help you.
 after too and enough
 It's too cold to go swimming today.
 He isn't good enoughto be part of the national team.
 in the following patterns
 verbs+ to infinitive

 agree  manage
 appear  neglect
 aim  offer
 attempt  omit
 bother  plan
 decide  prepare
 demand  pretend
 deserve  refuse
 fall  seem
 face  be supposed
 hope  tend
 learn  threaten

 verb + (somebody/ something) + to infinitive

 Ask  help
 beg  intend
 choose  promise
 expect  want

 She expected to win the race.

 I expected you to win the race.
 verb + somebody/ something + to infinitive

 advise  permit
 allow  persuade
 enable  recommend
 encourage  remind
 forbid  teach
 force  tell
 invite  warn
 order
  My parents encouraged me to finish the race.

 With love, hate, prefer and like when they are used with would.
 I would like to do an adventure race.
 I’d prefer to watch it on TV.
 With some adjectives

 afraid  impossible
 cheap  interesting
 *dangerous  *nice
 delighted  pleased
 *difficult  possible
 *easy  safe
 expensive  sorry
 happy  surprised
 *hard

 I'm surprised to see you here.

 The book was hard to understand.
 The adjectives marked * can sometimes also be followed by –ing
with the same meaning
 It’snice meeting friends after school.
 It's nice to meet friends after school.

2. VERB + INFINITIVE WITHOUT TO

 with modal verbs ( can, could, may, might, must, needn’t , shall, should, will,
would, had better, would rather)
 You should add the eggs slowly.
 You needn’t include the nuts.
 with make and let ( always with an object)
 Letthe cake cool for half an hour.
 I mademy sister help with the cooking.

3. VERB + ING - we use verb+ing

 after prepositions
 He made a lot of friends by joining the tennis club.
 We watched a film about climbing.
 after to, when to is a preposition
 I'm looking forward to going on holiday.
 She's used to studying everything in English.
 as subject or object of a sentence
 Climbing is safer than it looks.
 He decided to take up running.
 after the following verbs
  (not) mind  give up
 admit  imagine
 appreciate  involve
 avoid  keep(on)
 carry on  mention
 celebrate  miss
 consider  postpone
 delay  practise
 deny  put off
 detest  recommend
 dislike  regret
 enjoy  resist
 fancy  risk
 feel like  shop
 finish  suggest

 after the following expressions

 It’s not good  can't stand

 It’s not worth  can't bear
 It’s no use  can't face
 It’s a waste of time  can't help

4. VERBS FOLLOWED BY EITHER AN INFINITIVE OR A VERB

+ING WITH ALMOST THE SAME MEANING

 begin  like
 can't bear  love
 continue  prefer
 dislike  propose
 hate  start

 I love playing tennis.

 I love to play tennis.

5. VERBS FOLLOWED BY EITHER AN INFINITIVE OR A

VERB+ING WITH A DIFFERENCE IN MEANING
 remember
 Did you remember to bring your running shoes? – an action you have
to do
 I remember feeling very tired at the end of the race. – a memory from
the past
  forget
 Don’t forget to bring your tennis racket. – an action you have to do
 I'll never forget winning my first tennis match. – a memory from the
past
 regret
 I regret to tell you the race has been cancelled. – I’m sorry to give you
this information
 I regret not training harder before the race. - I'm sorry I didn't do that
 try
 I’m running every day because I'm trying to get fit – It is my objective
 If you want to get fit, why don't you try swimming ? – A method to
reach an objective
 mean
 Mario means to win the championship. – it is his intention
 I wanted to be a swimming champion but it meant going to the pool
every day. - it involved
 stop
 Halfway through the race, he stopped to drink some water. – in order
to drink some water
 When he realised he couldn’t win, he stopped running. – he didn't
continue

6. VERB+ING OR INFINITIVE WITHOUT TO WITH A

DIFFERENCE IN MEANING
 feel  see
 hear  watch
 notice

 I watched the boys playing football. – an activity continuing over a

period of time
 I watched the boy kick the football into the road. – a short completed
action

 She heard her mother singing as she came downstairs. – a continuing

action
 She heard the doorbell ring. – a short completed action

7. VERB + THAT CLAUSE

 The verbs bellow can also be followed by a that clause with the same
meaning

 agree  decide
 arrange  demand
  hope  consider
 pretend  deny
 advise  imagine
 teach  mention
 tell  recommend
 warn  suggest
 persuade
 remind
 expect
 intend
 promise
 admit

 She admitted taking the money = She admitted (that) she had taken the money.
 Imagine sitting on a tropical beach with a cool drink. – Imagine (that) you're
sitting on a tropical beach with a cool drink.
 They agreed to leave early. = They agreed (that) they would leave early.