Choosing between a gerund and an infinitive is one of the trickiest areas of English grammar for learners at B1 and B2 level. Unlike many grammar rules that follow a clear logical pattern, verb complementation — the question of what form follows a verb — often comes down to meaning, convention or historical usage. However, there are reliable patterns that, once learnt, dramatically reduce the number of errors you make.
What Is a Gerund?
A gerund is the -ing form of a verb used as a noun. It can be the subject of a sentence, the object of a verb, or the object of a preposition. Because it functions as a noun, it can appear in any position where you would normally place a noun.
- As subject: Swimming is excellent exercise.
- As object of a verb: She enjoys reading.
- After a preposition: He is good at solving problems.
- After certain expressions: It is no use worrying about it.
What Is an Infinitive?
The infinitive is the base form of the verb, usually preceded by to. It can follow certain verbs directly, appear after adjectives, or express purpose. The bare infinitive (without to) is used after modal verbs and a small group of other verbs.
- After certain verbs: She decided to leave early.
- After adjectives: It was difficult to concentrate.
- To express purpose: He went to the library to study.
- After object + verb: They asked us to wait outside.
Verbs Followed by a Gerund
A core group of common verbs is always followed by the gerund, never the infinitive. Learning these as a set makes them much easier to remember.
- enjoy, mind, avoid, finish, consider, suggest, recommend, practise, keep, miss, deny, admit, postpone, risk, fancy
- I enjoy walking in the rain. (NOT I enjoy to walk)
- She avoided making eye contact.
- Have you considered applying for the job?
Verbs Followed by an Infinitive
Another group of verbs is always followed by the to-infinitive. Many of these relate to decisions, intentions or attitudes towards a future action.
- want, need, hope, decide, plan, agree, refuse, manage, afford, offer, promise, expect, learn, tend, fail, seem, appear, claim
- We decided to stay another night.
- She managed to finish the report on time.
- He refused to answer any questions.
Verbs That Take Both — With a Change of Meaning
A small but important group of verbs can be followed by either form, but the meaning changes significantly. These are the most challenging cases and the source of many errors at B2 level.
- remember: I remember locking the door (memory of a past action) vs Remember to lock the door (a future obligation).
- forget: I'll never forget meeting her (a past experience) vs Don't forget to call me (a future task).
- stop: She stopped smoking (she no longer smokes) vs She stopped to smoke (she paused in order to smoke).
- try: Try adding more salt (experiment with it) vs Try to add less salt (make an effort).
- regret: I regret telling him (I wish I hadn't) vs We regret to inform you (formal apology for bad news).
What You'll Learn
- Which high-frequency verbs are always followed by a gerund and how to use them naturally in sentences.
- Which high-frequency verbs are always followed by a to-infinitive, including verbs of decision and intention.
- The five key verbs (remember, forget, stop, try, regret) that change meaning depending on the following form.
- How to use gerunds correctly after prepositions and fixed expressions such as it is worth, there is no point in and be used to.
Practice Exercises
Use the exercises below to put the rules into practice. The quiz and true-or-false activities test your knowledge of verb patterns, while the cloze and complete-the-sentence tasks develop the habit of choosing the correct form in context.
Also useful: English Phrasal Verbs Guide — many phrasal verbs are always followed by a gerund; this guide shows you the patterns with real examples.
Practice What You've Learned
LexFizz has 30 free interactive exercises — no sign-up needed.
Browse All Exercises →
Explore other grammar topics: All Grammar TopicsModal VerbsPresent PerfectPast Tenses
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between a gerund and an infinitive?
A gerund is the -ing form of a verb used as a noun: Swimming is healthy. Running takes stamina. An infinitive is to + the base verb: to swim, to run. Both can follow certain verbs, but the choice is determined by the main verb. Some verbs always take a gerund (enjoy reading), some always take an infinitive (decide to leave), and a small group can take either form but with a change of meaning (remember locking vs remember to lock).
Which verbs are always followed by a gerund?
The most common verbs followed only by a gerund are: enjoy, mind, avoid, finish, consider, suggest, recommend, practise, keep, miss, deny, admit, postpone, risk, fancy, involve, imagine, and dislike. A useful memory trick is that many of these verbs describe past or ongoing situations (finishing something, denying something, missing something), whereas infinitive verbs often point forward to a future action.
Which verbs are always followed by an infinitive?
Common verbs always followed by a to-infinitive include: want, need, hope, decide, plan, agree, refuse, manage, afford, offer, promise, expect, learn, tend, fail, seem, appear, claim, arrange, and pretend. Many of these verbs relate to decisions, intentions or future actions. Notice that need can also be followed by a gerund in British English in the passive sense: The car needs washing (= needs to be washed).
What is the difference between "I stopped smoking" and "I stopped to smoke"?
This is one of the most important meaning-change pairs. "I stopped smoking" means you no longer smoke — the smoking habit has ended. "I stopped to smoke" means you paused what you were doing in order to have a cigarette — the infinitive here expresses purpose. This distinction is tested frequently at B2 level. A similar logic applies to "try": "She tried taking the tablets" (she experimented with them) vs "She tried to take the tablets" (she made an effort to take them, possibly unsuccessfully).
Why is a gerund always used after a preposition?
In English, prepositions must be followed by a noun or noun phrase. Because a gerund functions as a noun, it is the only verb form that can follow a preposition. Examples: She is good at organising events. He apologised for being late. They are interested in learning more. I look forward to hearing from you. (Note: "to" in "look forward to" is a preposition, not part of the infinitive, so it takes a gerund.) A common error is using an infinitive here: "She is good at to organise" is incorrect.
Does "remember" take a gerund or an infinitive?
Remember takes both, but with different meanings. "Remember + gerund" refers to a memory of a past action: I remember meeting her at the conference (= I have a memory of that event). "Remember + infinitive" refers to a future obligation or duty: Remember to send the invoice tomorrow (= don't forget to do it). A useful test: if the action referred to happened before the act of remembering, use the gerund. If the action is still to happen, use the infinitive. The same rule applies to forget.
What fixed expressions are always followed by a gerund?
Several fixed expressions in English are always followed by a gerund: it is worth (It is worth trying), there is no point in (There is no point in worrying), it is no use / no good (It is no use arguing), have difficulty/trouble (She has difficulty remembering names), spend/waste time (He spends hours reading), be used to / get used to (I am used to working late — note: "to" here is a preposition, not part of the infinitive), look forward to (I look forward to seeing you), and can't help (I can't help laughing).
Can "like", "love", "hate" and "prefer" take a gerund or an infinitive?
In British English, these verbs commonly take either form with little or no change in meaning when speaking generally: I like swimming and I like to swim are both acceptable. However, when referring to a specific occasion or a choice you make deliberately, the infinitive is preferred: I'd like to go now. I'd prefer to stay at home. In American English, the infinitive is more frequently used with these verbs. At B2 level, both forms are generally accepted, but the distinction with would (I'd like, I'd prefer) + infinitive is important to know.
How do gerunds and infinitives appear in IELTS and Cambridge exams?
Gerund and infinitive patterns are tested heavily in Cambridge B2 First (FCE) and C1 Advanced (CAE) in the Use of English paper, particularly in open cloze and key word transformation tasks. In IELTS, correct use of gerunds and infinitives contributes to your Grammatical Range and Accuracy score in both Writing and Speaking. Common exam traps include: verbs that change meaning (stop, remember, try), fixed expressions (look forward to + -ing), and the difference between "be used to doing" (accustomed) and "used to do" (past habit).
What are the most common gerund and infinitive mistakes made by English learners?
The most frequent errors are: (1) using an infinitive after enjoy, avoid or mind — "I enjoy to read" should be "I enjoy reading"; (2) using a gerund after decide, want or refuse — "She decided going" should be "She decided to go"; (3) using an infinitive after a preposition — "interested in to learn" should be "interested in learning"; (4) confusing "be used to doing" with "used to do" — "I am used to get up early" should be "I am used to getting up early"; (5) choosing the wrong form with remember or stop without noticing the meaning difference.