When to use gerund or infinitive

In the table below, you can see when to use gerund or infinitive.
 Verbs that take gerund or infinitive with a change of meaning

Forget:
Forget to do something: Used to talk about things that we need to do, and we forget to do them.
 I think I forgot to lock the door when we left.
 Don’t forget to call me when you finish.
Forget doing something: It’s normally used in negative sentences. Used to talk about memories, normally about
things that we did in the past and that we will not forget.
 I’ll never forget walking on that amazing beach for the first time.

Remember
Remember to do something: You remember first and then you do something. Used to talk about things we need to
do.
 He didn’t remember to turn off the heating after class.
 Please, will you remember to close the windows if you leave?
Remember doing something: Used to talk about memories. We remember things from the past.
 I remember eating on this same chair the day I graduated.
 I remember mentioning the issue to Elisabeth last week.

Try
Try to do something: When we try to do something, we make an effort to achieve something that maybe we will or
will not accomplish.
 Could you please try to be a bit less rude?
 I’ll try to convince him, but I’m not sure that’s going to change anything.
Try doing something: Used when we want to achieve something and try something as an experiment to see if it
help us achieve what we want. We try a method (one of the many we could try) in order to achieve something.
 A: “I need to sleep but I can’t.” B: “Why don’t you try drinking a glass of hot milk?”
 I can’t contact Jane. I‘ve tried calling her home number and also on her mobile, but nothing.

Stop
Stop to do something: Used when we stop doing an activity so as to start doing a different one.

 We had been driving for hours, so we had to stop to eat something and go to the toilet.
Stop doing something: It means to finish doing something that we are doing.
 Could you stop biting your nails?
 I need to stop smoking once and for all.

Need
Need to do something: It’s necessary to do something
 I need to see you immediately.
Something needs doing: It has a passive meaning. It means that something needs to be done.
 Your car needs cleaning. (=Your car needs to be cleaned.)

A) Gerund or infinitive – verb patterns

1) ___________ used to be my favourite hobby at your age.
a) Fish
b) To fish
c) Fishing
2) We talked about ____________ together next summer.
a) Travel
b) Travelling
c) To travel
3) I remember ___________ here when I was a child
a) Be
b) To be
c) Being
4) I think I didn't remember _______ the door when we left.
a) Locking
b) Lock
c) To lock
5) If she doesn't answer, try __________ her mobile.
a) To call
b) Calling
c) Call
6) I tried ____________ my eyes open, but I eventually fell asleep.
a) Keep
b) To keep
c) Keeping
7) My mum doesn't let me ______________ with you.
a) Come
b) To come
c) Coming
8) Your hair needs _________. It's too long.
a) To cut
b) Cutting
c) Cut
9) I'd prefer __________ my own car if you don't mind.
a) Take
b) To take
c) Taking
10) They had trouble ____________ our house.
a) Finding
b) Find
c) To find
B) Choose the correct gerund or infinitive form to complete the sentences below.

1) You'd better _______ We are late! 6) I forgot _______ you yesterday. I'm sorry.
a) hurry up
a) call
b) to hurry up
b) to call
c) hurrying up
c) calling

2) Sorry, but I can't help _______. 7) Sam didn't want to eat, but she made him _______
a) laugh the sandwich.
b) to laugh
a) finish
c) laughing
b) to finish
c) finishing

3) Would you mind _______ the window? 8) We are looking forward to _______ you.
a) open
a) see
b) to open
b) to see
c) opening
c) seeing

4) I'd like you to stop _______ that. 9) I'd rather _______ here if you don't mind.
a) do
a) stay
b) to do
b) to stay
c) doing
c) staying

5) He recommends _______ some money before we 10) She pretended _______ interested.
arrive.
a) be
a) change
b) to be
b) to change
c) being
c) changing
C) Choose the correct form of gerund or infinitive for each gap below.

1) I'll never forget _________ to your mother for 6) He refused ___________ his car.
the first time. a) Move
a) Talking b) To move
b) To talk c) Moving
c) Talk
2) They seem ____________ in a good mood. 7) It is important ___________ vocabulary
a) Be everyday.
b) To be a) Review
c) being b) Reviewing
c) To review
3) We managed __________ up the hill. 8) He spent three hours _________TV.
a) Climbing a) Watching
b) To climb b) Watch
c) Climb c) To watch
4) She reminded him ___________ his homework. 9) He denied ___________the window.
a) To do a) To break
b) Do b) Break
c) Doing c) Breaking
5) He's planning ____________ to New York. 10) She offered _____________ me to the
a) Travel airport.
b) To travel a) To take
c) Travelling b) Taking
c) Take

D) Complete the sentences using the verb in brackets in the correct gerund or infinitive form.

Dear Ms Collins,

I am writing 1) __________ (express) my interest in the position of Personal Assistant advertised in the
newspaper last week. I am proficient at 2) __________ (type), and I know how 3) __________ (use) most
word-processing software. I also have excellent organizational abilities as I used 4) ___________ (work) for a
very big company as an event planner. I always tend 5) ________ (look) forward to new challenges that can
make me 6) _________ (grow) in my position. I enjoy 7) __________ (work) with people, I am flexible, and I
don't mind 8) _________ (work) overtime. As you can see from the attached letters of reference, my
previous employers considered me to be a skilled secretary. I would be pleased 9) __________ (extend) my
career by working for a prestigious company like HTM.

I look forward to 10) ___________ (hear) from you.

Yours sincerely,

Jessica Jones.
Answer key A

1) Fishing used to be my favourite hobby at your age.

Correct answer: Fishing

➪ We use the gerund when the verb is the subject of a sentence.

2) We talked about travelling together next summer.

Correct answer: travelling

➪ We use the gerund when the verb is placed after a preposition or a phrasal verb.

3I remember being here when I was a child

Correct answer: being

➪ After remember, use the gerund if you remember something from the past (memory), and use to
infinitive when there's something you must remember to do.

4I think I didn't remember to lock the door when we left.

Correct answer: to lock

➪ After remember, use the gerund if you remember something from the past (memory), and use to
infinitive when there's something you must remember to do.

5If she doesn't answer, try calling her mobile.

Correct answer: calling

➪ We say try doing something (gerund) when we do something as an experiment to see if it helps to solve a
problem that we want to solve.
➪ In this sentence, someone wants to contact a person and in order to achieve that, they can do something
(call) to see if it works.

6I tried to keep my eyes open, but I eventually fell asleep.

Correct answer: to keep

➪ We say try to do something when we make an effort to achieve something that we maybe we will or will
not accomplish.

7My mum doesn't let me come with you.

Correct answer: come

➪ We say make/let + someone + do something (infinitive without to).
8Your hair needs need doing . It's too long.

➪ We use the form need doing when the meaning is passive. Something needs doing.= 'Something needs to
be done.'
➪ Your hair needs cutting.= 'Your hair needs to be cut. '

9I'd prefer to take my own car if you don't mind.

Correct answer: to take

➪ After like, love, hate, or prefer, we can use both the gerund or to + infinitive (the gerund is more
common in British English).
➪ But after would like, would love, would hate or would prefer, we should use to infinitive.

10They had trouble [finding] our house.

Correct answer: finding

➪ We use the gerund after certain expressions such as have trouble, have difficulty (in), have a
hard/difficult time, etc.

Answer key B
 1. You'd better _______ We are late!

a. hurry up
b. to hurry up
c. hurrying up
➪ Use the infinitive without to after would rather or had better.

2. Sorry, but I can't help _______.

a. laugh
b. to laugh
c. laughing

➪ Use -ing after certain expressions such as can't help.

➪ If you can't help doing something, you can't stop doing it.

3. Would you mind _______ the window?

a. open
b. to open
c. opening

➪ Use -ing after mind or would mind.

4. I'd like you to stop _______ that.

a. do
b. to do
c. doing

➪ We say stop to do something when we cease doing an activity in order to start doing another activity.
➪ We say stop doing something when we cease doing something (on that occasion of forever). Compare:

 I was driving and I stopped to call my mum. (=I stopped driving so that I could call.)
 She stopped calling me after the incident. (=She didn't call me again.)

5. He recommends _______ some money before we arrive.

a. change
b. to change
c. changing

➪ Use recommend/suggest + -ing.

6. I forgot _______ you yesterday. I'm sorry.

a. call
b. to call
c. calling

➪ Use forget to do when there is something that you must remember to do. This is the most common use.
➪ Use forget doing when you don't remember an event or situation in the past (it's related to memories).

 Don't forget to call the doctor.

 They would never forget seeing the sea for the first time.

7. Sam didn't want to eat, but she made him _______ the sandwich.

a. finish
b. to finish
c. finishing

➪ We use the infinitive without to after make or let + object.

8. We are looking forward to _______ you.

a. see
b. to see
c. seeing

➪ The word to in the expression look forward to is a preposition, and after a preposition, we use -ing.

9. I'd rather _______ here if you don't mind.

a. stay
b. to stay
c. staying

➪ Use infinitive without to after would rather and had better.

10. She pretended _______ interested.

a. be
b. to be
c. being

➪ Use to + infinitive after pretend.

Answer key C
Choose the correct form of gerund or infinitive for each gap below.

1. I'll never forget [talking] to your mother for the first time.

Correct answer: talking

➪ Use forget to do when there is something that you must remember to do. This
is the most common use.
➪ Use forget doing when you don’t remember an event or situation in the past
(it’s related to memories).

 Don’t forget to call the doctor.

 They would never forget seeing the sea for the first time.

2. They seem [to be] in a good mood.

Correct answer: to be
➪ Use to + infinitive after seem.

3. We managed [to climb] up the hill.

Correct answer: to climb

➪ Use to + infinitive after manage and be able.

4. She reminded him [to do] his homework.

Correct answer: to do
➪ We say remind someone to do something.

5. He's planning [to travel] to New York.

Correct answer: to travel

➪ The verbs plan, decide, intend, want, need are followed by to + infinitive.

6. He refused [to move] his car.

Correct answer: to move

➪ Use to + infinitive after refuse.
 7. It is important [to review] vocabulary everyday.

Correct answer: to review

➪ Use to + infinitive after certain adjectives.

8. He spent three hours [watching] TV.

Correct answer: watching

➪ We say spend time doing something.

9. He denied [breaking] the window.

Correct answer: breaking

➪ Use -ing after deny and admit.

10. She offered [to take] me to the airport.

Correct answer: to take

➪ Use to + infinitive after offer.
Answer key D
1. 1 Correct answer: to express
➪ Use to + infinitive to express purpose, i.e. to say the reason why we are doing
something.
2. 2 Correct answer: typing
➪ Use -ing after a preposition or a phrasal verb.
3. 3 Correct answer: to use
➪ Use to + infinitive after question words, e.g. what, how, where, when, etc.
4. 4 Correct answer: to work
➪ We say used to + infinitive to talk about past states or past repeated actions.
5. 5 Correct answer: to look
➪ Use to + infinitive after tend.
6. Correct answer: grow
➪ We say make/let + someone + do something (infinitive without to).
7. 7 Correct answer: working
➪ Use -ing after enjoy.
8. 8 Correct answer: working
➪ Use -ing after mind.
9. 9 Correct answer: to extend
➪ Use to + infinitive after certain adjectives such as pleased.
10. 10 Correct answer: hearing
➪ Use -ing after a preposition or a phrasal verb.
➪ The word to in the expression I look forward to is a preposition.