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 enough to 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 ✓ recommend
✓ allow ✓ remind
✓ enable ✓ teach
✓ encourage ✓ tell
✓ forbid ✓ warn
✓ force
✓ invite
✓ order
✓ permit
✓ persuade
 ✓ 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’s nice 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)
➢ Let the cake cool for half an hour.
➢ I made my 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
• need
➢ He needs to work harder if he wants to make progress. (it is necessary for him to do it)
➢ My phone needs charging. (it needs to be done)

• help and can’t help

➢ You can say help to do or help do (with or without to):
➢ Everybody helped to clean up after the party.
➢ Everybody helped clean up.

➢ I can't help doing something = I can't stop myself doing it

➢ I’m sorry I'm so nervous. I can't help it. (= I can’t help being nervous)

• go on
Go on doing something = continue with the same thing
The president paused for a moment and then went on talking.

Go on to do something = do or say something new

After discussing the economy, the president then went on to talk about foreign policy.

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

• 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.