Verb Lists: Infinitives and Gerunds

Verbs Followed by an Infinitive

She agreed to speak before the game.
agree consent have offer shoot
aim continue hesitate ought start
appear dare hope plan stop
arrange decide hurry prefer strive
ask deserve intend prepare swear
attempt detest leap proceed threaten
be able dislike leave promise try
beg expect like propose use
begin fail long refuse wait
care forget love remember want
choose get mean say wish
condescend happen neglect

Verbs Followed by an Object and an Infinitive

Everyone expected her to win.

advise choose have love remind

allow command hire motivate require
ask dare instruct order send
beg direct invite pay teach
bring encourage lead permit tell
build expect leave persuade urge
buy forbid let prepare want
challenge force like promise warn

Note: Some of these verbs are included in the list above

and may be used without an object.

Verbs Followed by a Gerund

They enjoyed working on the boat.

admit delay finish permit resist

advise deny forbid postpone resume
appreciate detest get through practice risk
avoid dislike have quit spend (time)
can't help enjoy imagine recall suggest
complete escape mind report tolerate
consider excuse miss resent waste (time)

Verbs Followed by a Preposition and a Gerund

We concentrated on doing well.

admit to depend on plan on

approve of disapprove of prevent (someone) from
argue about discourage from refrain from
believe in dream about succeed in
care about feel like talk about
complain about forget about think about
concentrate on insist on worry about
confess to object to

In English, if you want to follow a verb with another action, you must use a gerund or infinitive. For
example:
 We resumed talking. (gerund – verb + ing)
 I want to see a movie. (infinitive – to + base verb)

There are certain verbs that can only be followed by one or the other, and these verbs must be
memorized. Many of these verbs are listed below.

Common verbs followed by a gerund:

Example: He misses playing with his friends.

abhor  endure necessitate

acknowledge  enjoy omit
admit  escape permit
advise  evade picture
allow  explain
anticipate  fancy postpone
appreciate  fear practice
avoid  feel like prevent
be worth  feign put off
can’t help  finish recall
celebrate  forgive recollect
confess  give up recommend
consider (stop) report
defend  keep resent
delay (continue) resist
detest  keep on resume
discontinue  mention risk
discuss  mind (object shirk
dislike to) shun
dispute  miss suggest
dread support
tolerate
understand
urge
warrant

Common verbs followed by an infinitive:

Example: She threatened to quit if she didn't get a raise.

mean
agree demand say
need
appear deserve neglect seek
arrange determine offer seem
ask elect pay shudder
attempt endeavor plan strive
beg expect prepare struggle
can/can’t afford fail pretend swear
can/can’t wait get tend
care grow (up) threaten
chance guarantee profess turn out
choose claim hesitate promise venture
come hope prove volunteer
consent hurry refuse wait
dare incline remain want
learn request wish
 decide manage resolve would like
yearn

Verbs followed by a gerund or infinitive with little to no change in

meaning:
Example: It started to rain. / It started raining.

 begin
 can’t bear
 can’t stand
 continue
 hate
 like
 love
 prefer
 propose
 start

Verbs followed by a gerund or infinitive with a change in meaning:

forget I forgot to meet him.
(I didn’t meet him because I forgot to do it.)
I forgot meeting him.
(I don’t have the memory of meeting him before.)
go on He went on to learn English and French.
(He ended one period of time before this.)
He went on learning English and French.
(He continued learning the languages.)
quit She quit to work here.
(She quit another job in order to work here.)
She quit working here.
(She quit her job here. She doesn’t work here anymore.)
regret I regret promising to help you.
(I’m sorry that I made the promise.)
I regret to tell you that we can't hire you.
(I’m telling you now, and I’m sorry.)
remember She remembered to visit her grandmother.
(She didn’t forget to visit.)
She remembered visiting her grandmother.
(She had memories of this time.)
stop I stopped to call you.
(I interrupted another action in order to call you.)
I stopped calling you.
(I stopped this activity. Maybe we had a fight.)
try I tried to open the window.
(I attempted this action but didn’t succeed.)
I tried opening the window.
(This was one option I sampled. Maybe the room was hot.)