Have you ever paused mid-sentence, wondering whether to say “I stopped to drink coffee” or “I stopped drinking coffee”? Those two little forms — gerunds (-ing) and infinitives (to + base verb) — can change your meaning in surprisingly subtle ways. In this lesson, you’ll learn the key patterns, common verbs, and real-life differences so you can sound clear and natural. Practice is woven throughout, so try each exercise as you go!

Gerunds and infinitives — what they are

• A gerund is a verb in its -ing form used as a noun: “Swimming is fun.”
• An infinitive is “to + base verb”: “I want to swim.”

They often act like nouns (subjects, objects) and can follow certain verbs, adjectives, and prepositions.

He admitted the report late.

Notice how gerunds and infinitives can feel different in tone and focus. Gerunds often emphasize the activity itself (“I enjoy running”), while infinitives can sound more goal-oriented or future-focused (“I plan to run tomorrow”).

When meaning changes — the tricky verbs

Some verbs allow both forms but change meaning:

• remember/forget + gerund = recall an action that happened
• remember/forget + infinitive = not fail to do an action (future or planned)
• regret + gerund = feel bad about a past action
• regret + infinitive = a formal way to announce bad news
• stop + gerund = quit an activity
• stop + infinitive = pause one activity in order to do another
• try + gerund = experiment/test a possible solution
• try + infinitive = make an effort (often difficult)

I suggested to go earlier. → I suggested going earlier. Suggest takes a gerund, not an infinitive.

Patterns that boost real-world fluency

• Object + infinitive: “The manager asked me to update the file.”
• Adjective + infinitive: “It’s hard to focus with loud music.”
• Preposition + gerund: “Thanks for coming,” “She’s interested in working abroad.”

These are everywhere in emails, meetings, travel, and daily life.

We can’t afford a mistake on this contract.

Gerunds can form compound nouns like “decision-making,” “time-saving,” or “problem-solving.” They describe ongoing processes and are common in business and academic English.

Mini-dialogue practice

Reorder the lines to form a natural conversation about travel bookings.

They want us earlier next time.

Cultural and usage notes

• like + gerund vs like + infinitive: Both are correct, but the gerund often refers to general enjoyment (“I like swimming”), while the infinitive can sound more specific or polite (“I’d like to swim now” or “I like to swim before breakfast”). In American English, both forms are natural; choice depends on nuance.
• would rather + base verb (bare infinitive): “I’d rather stay home tonight.” No “to.”
• help + (to) infinitive: Both “help me do this” and “help me to do this” are acceptable. The version without “to” is slightly more common in everyday speech.

He suggested to me to change jobs. → He suggested (that I) change jobs. With suggest, use a gerund (“suggest changing jobs”) or a that-clause. Not “suggest to + infinitive.”

Quick review

• Use gerunds after enjoy, avoid, consider, suggest, finish, keep, deny, imagine, practise.
• Use infinitives after want, need, hope, expect, plan, decide, promise, refuse, afford, manage, learn.
• After prepositions, choose the gerund.
• Some verbs change meaning with each form: remember, regret, stop, try.
• Object + infinitive is essential for requests and instructions: tell someone to…, ask someone to…

Small choices make big differences in English. Keep noticing patterns in your emails, meetings, and conversations. Practice a little every day — you’ll soon choose gerund vs infinitive without thinking!