Verb patterns: verbs + either gerund / infinitive

Little or no change in meaning

Some verbs can be followed by either an "-ing" form or "to" + infinitive. With the following
verbs, the use of one structure or another has little or no change in meaning:

To start:

He started to cry.

He started crying.

To begin:

They began to argue.

They began arguing.

To continue:

She continued to talk.

She continued talking.

Note: When these verbs are used in a continuous tense, they are followed by "to" +
infinitive:

He is beginning to understand.

She was starting to cry.

Change in meaning

The following verbs have a change in meaning when each structure is used:

To try:

I tried calling you, but there was no answer. (experiment)

I tried to open the jar, but I couldn't. (effort)

To regret:

We regret to inform you that you have not been successful in your application. (speaker
feels regret before the action)
I regret making fun of him. (speaker feels regret after the action)

To remember:

I must remember to lock the door when I leave. (speaker remembers first, then does the
action)

I’m sure I locked the door. I remember locking it. (speaker does the action first, then
remembers it)