Common verbs Followed by the Gerund or the Indifinite

 Common Verbs Followed by the Gerund or the Indefinite

Some verbs can be followed by a gerund or an infinitive without causing a change in meaning:

 

begin can’t bear can’t stand continue

hate like love prefer

propose start try

 

• Some people prefer getting up early in the morning.
• Some people prefer to get up early in the morning

Some verbs can be followed by a gerund or infinitive but with a change in meaning:

 

Forget Go on quit

Regret Remember stop

try

 

forget	I forgot to meet him. (I didn’t meet him because I forgot to do it.)
	I forgot meeting him. (I don’t have the memory of meeting him before.)
go on	He went on to learn English and French. (He ended one period of time before this.)
	He went on learning English and French. (He continued learning the languages.)
quit	She quit to work here. (She quit another job in order to work here.)
	She quit working here. (She quit her job here. She doesn’t work here anymore.)
regret	I regret promising to help you. (I’m sorry that I made the promise.)
	I regret to tell you that we can't hire you. (I’m telling you now, and I’m sorry.)
remember	She remembered to visit her grandmother. (She didn’t forget to visit.)
	She remembered visiting her grandmother. (She had memories of this time.)
send	He remembered sending the fax. (He remembered the act of sending the fax)
	He remembered to send the fax. (He remembered the fax and sent it.)
stop	I stopped to call you. (I interrupted another action in order to call you.)
	I stopped calling you. (I stopped this activity. Maybe we had a fight.)
try	I tried to open the window. (I attempted this action but didn’t succeed.)
	I tried opening the window. (This was one option I sampled. Maybe the room was hot.)