Infinitives

 A preposition comes in its normal place, usually after a verb or adjective.

Your meals are all you have to pay for.
There's nothing to get excited about.
I need a vase to put these flowers in.
NOTE
In more formal English we can begin the clause with a preposition and relative
pronoun.
Less formal: I need some information to base the article on.
More formal: I need some information on which to base the article.

 The to-infinitive can express the idea of 'bad news' following 'good
news'. We often use only before the infinitive.
I found my keys only to lose them again.
Charles arrived for the concert (only) to find it had been cancelled.

+ to-infinitive
afford, agree,aim,get, appear, arrange,guarantee, promise,ask,happen
attempt hasten refuse,be, be dying beg hesitate swear,can't wait hope tend care
(= want) claim manage turn out come neglect undertake dare decide omit wish
demand

+ gerund
admit escape permit
advise
allow
anticipate fancy (= want) put off
appreciate finish quit
avoid give up recommend
can't help imagine resent
confess involve resist
consider justify resume
delay keep (on) risk
deny leave off save
detest mention stand
dislike mind
enjoy miss tolerate

NOTE
a Afford (= have enough money/time) and stand (= tolerate) go after can/could
or be able to.
They are often in a negative sentence or a question.
Do you think we'll be able to afford to go to India?
I can't stand sitting around doing nothing.
b We can use agree with a to-infinitive but not accept.
Brian agreed to pay half the cost. NOT Brian accepted to pay half.
c We use be dying (= want very much) only in the continuous.
I'm dying to have a swim./I'm dying for a swim.
d Care and mind are normally in a negative sentence or a question.
Would you care to come along with us? Do you mind carrying this bag for me?
e After help we can leave out to.
We all helped (to) put up the tent.
f When advise, recommend, allow or permit has another object, it takes a to-
infinitive.
I advised taking a taxi. They don't allow sunbathing here.
I advised the girls to take a taxi. They don't allow people to sunbathe here.

 Verbs taking either form

Some verbs can take either a to-infinitive or a gerund with almost no difference
in meaning.
I hate to leave/hate leaving everything to the last minute.
When the President appeared, the crowd began to cheer/began cheering.
We intend to take/intend taking immediate action.
These verbs are begin, bother, can't bear, cease, commence, continue, hate,
intend,like, love, prefer, propose, start.
NOTE
a With verbs of liking and hating, sometimes the gerund gives a sense of the
action really happening, while the infinitive often points to a possible action.
I hate doing the same thing all the time. It gets really boring sometimes.
I'd hate to do the same thing all the time. I'm lucky my job is so interesting.
Like, love and hate usually take a gerund, but would like, would love and would
hate normally take a to-infinitive.
I love swimming. I swim nearly every day.
I'd love to go for a swim. It's such a lovely day.
b Like takes a to-infinitive when it means that something is a good idea, rather
than a pleasure.
I like to keep all these papers in order.
Compare these two sentences.
I didn't like to complain. (= I didn't complain because it wasn't a good idea.)
I didn't like complaining. (= I complained, but I didn't enjoy it.)
c When the main verb has a continuous form, we normally avoid using another
ing-form after it.
The spectators were already beginning to arrive. NOT beginning arriving
d After start, begin and continue, a state verb usually has the to-infinitive form.
I soon began to understand what the problems were.
e Commence and cease are formal.
f Bother is normally in a negative sentence or question.
Don't bother to wash/bother washing up.

 Either form but different meanings

The to-infinitive and gerund have different meanings after remember,
forget;regret; dread; try; stop; mean; go on; need, want, require and deserve.
a We use remember and forget with a to-infinitive to talk about necessary
actions and whether we do them or not
Did you remember to turn off the electricity?
You forgot to sign the cheque. ~ Oh, sorry.
We use a gerund to talk about memories of the past.
I'll never forget breaking down in the middle of Glasgow. It was awful.
I don't know. I can't remember turning it off.
NOTE
We can use a finite clause instead of a gerund clause.
I'll never forget (the time) when we broke down.
I can't remember if/whether I turned it off.
b We use regret + to-infinitive for a present action, especially when giving bad
news.
We use a gerund to express regret about the past.
We regret to inform you that your application has been unsuccessful.
I regret wasting/regret having wasted so much time last year.
Compare patterns with sorry. • 132(5b) Note h
Verb + object + to-infinitive
c We use dread + to-infinitive mainly in the expression I dread to
think/imagine...
We use a gerund for something that causes fear.
I dread to think what might happen to you all alone in a big city.
I always dreaded being kissed by my aunts.
d Try + to-infinitive means 'attempt to do' and try + gerund means 'do
something
which might solve the problem'.
I'm trying to light a fire, but this wood won't burn. ~
Why don't you try pouring some petrol on it?
NOTE
In informal English we can use try and instead of try to.
Let's try and move the cupboard away from the wall.
e After stop we often use the to-infinitive of purpose. But stop + gerund means
to end an action.
At the next services he stopped to buy a newspaper.
You'd better stop dreaming and get on with some work.
f Mean + to-infinitive has the sense of 'intend'. But mean + gerund expresses
result, what is involved in something.
I'm sorry. I didn't mean to step on your foot.
I have to be at the airport by nine. It means getting up early.
g Go on + to-infinitive means to do something different, to do the next thing. Go
on +ing-form means to continue doing something.
After receiving the award, the actor went on to thank all the people who had
helped him in his career.
The band went on playing even after everyone had left.
h We usually use need, want and deserve with a to-infinitive.
We need to leave at eight. Tony wants to borrow your typewriter.
A gerund after these verbs has a passive meaning.

The typewriter needs/wants cleaning.