VERBS FOLLOWED BY GERUND OR INFINITIVE WITH CHANGE OF MEANING

REMEMBER FORGET
+ gerund means ‘remember something that + gerund means ‘an action in the past you
happened in the past’. still remember.
*I clearly remember phoning her the * I’ve never forgetten meeting her
other day. for the first time ten years ago
+ to-infinitive means ‘not to forget to do + to-infinitive means ‘something you forgot
something’ to do’
*Did you remember to post the letter I * I musn’t forget to phone to phone her.
gave you yesterday

REGRET TRY
+ gerund means ‘be sorry that one has done something in + gerund means ‘make an attempt’
the past’ or ‘do something to see if it has an effect
* I regret giving up my last job. *Why don’t you try sleeping without a
+ to-infinitive means ‘ be sorry to communicate bad pillow?
news.’ + to-infinitive means ‘make an effort to’
* I regret to inform you that your application * She is trying to get brown in the sun
for the post has been rejected

ALLOW
+ gerund. When allow refers to an activity, STOP
it is followed by a gerund. + gerund means ‘not to continue’
* The manager doesn’t allow smoking * Will you please stop making that noise.
during working hours. + to-infinitive means ‘pause in the order to
+ to-infinitive . When allow refers to a person do something else’
or an object, it is followed by an infinitive. *I stopped to get a newspaper
* My mother didn’t allow me to go out last as I was driving to school.
night

MEAN UNDERSTAND
+ gerund means ‘involve’ (used only + gerund means ‘understand why’
impersonally) *I can’t understand anyone not liking him.
* If he takes the job, it will mean + to-infinitive means ‘have the impression’.
moving to İstanbul. *I understood her to say she didn’t like leeks.
. + to-infinitive means ‘intend’
* I meant to phone you yesterday
but I didn’t time.

GO ON
+ gerund means ´continue doing¨
* Go on Reading the article.
+ to-infinitive means ´continue with´
* Whichever page you are on, go on to read
the next chapter.
 SENSE VERBS/VERBS OF PERCEPTION: gerund and infinitive

look at - see - watch - notice - observe bare infinitive

+ object +
hear - listen to - feel - smell – taste gerund

+ gerund for an event in progress

* I saw the man crossing the street. (= I saw the action in progress: not the beginning or the end)

+ infinitive without to  for a complete action

* I saw the man cross the street (= I saw the complete action)

NOTE: * The gerund can also emphasise that an action or event is repeated:
We watched them running back and forth, loading and unloading the trucks
and taking boxes in and out of the building.
* In the passive voice , we use a to-infinitive
The burglar was seen to climb over the fence

EXERCISES

Put in the to-infinitive or the -ing form of the verbs.

I used to like going to our local cinema. It was old and rather uncomfortable, but it had character. Now they’ve
stopped . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (show) films there. The owner would like to go on . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
(run) the cinema, but he would need . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (make) a lot of improvements, which
would mean . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (spend) tens of thousands of pounds. I remember . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
(watch) the last film at the cinema. It was a murder mystery. It was five minutes from the end, and we were
trying . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (work) out who the murderer was when suddenly all the lights went out and the film
stopped. We sat in the dark for a few minutes, and then the owner appeared with a torch. ‘I regret . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
(tell) you,’ he said, ‘that our electricity has failed. I don’t mean . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (disappoint)
you, but I’m afraid we can’t show you the end of the film. We’ve tried . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (phone)
the electricity company, but they say they can’t help.’ He went on . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (explain) to
the audience how the film ended. I didn’t understand the story. But I don’t regret . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
(go) to the cinema on that last evening.

Write each pair of sentences as one. Use a to-infinitive or a gerund

1. Trevor didn’t ring Laura. He forgot. Trevor forgot to phone Laura
2. Harriet didn’t think she could move the piano. She didn’t even tr
3. Mike once saw a spaceship. He’ll never forget it.
4. Natasha was unkind to Jessica. But she didn’t mean it.
5. Andrew was studying. He went on through the night.
6. When Mark was driving, he needed to make a phone call. So he stopped.

Write in English
1. Prueba poniendo más azúcar al te. Puede que sepa más agradable.
2. Deberías dejar de fumar.
3. Dejé de hacer los deberes durante un rato para hablar con María por teléfono.
4. ¿Te gustaría ir al cine? Si. Me encanta ver películas aunque odio hacer cola.
5. Termin+o de hablar y pasó a hacer preguntas.
6. Me arrepiento de no haber estudiado más en la escuela.
7. Esa chica no deja de mirarme.
8. Su madre les ordenó que parasen de hacer tanto ruido.
.