Help!

Help!

Verbs followed by gerund or infinitive

In English, if you want to follow a verb with another action, you must use a gerund or infinitive. For example:
There are certain verbs that can only be followed by one or the other, and these verbs must be memorized. Many of these verbs are listed below.

- We resumed talking. (gerund – verb + ing)

- I want to see a movie. (infinitive – to + base verb)

Common verbs followed by a gerund:
Example: He misses playing with his friends.

  • abhor
  • acknowledge
  • admit
  • advise
  • allow
  • anticipate
  • appreciate
  • avoid
  • be worth
  • can’t help
  • celebrate
  • confess
  • consider
  • defend
  • delay
  • detest
  • discontinue
  • discuss
  • dislike
  • dispute
  • dread
  • endure
  • enjoy
  • escape
  • evade
  • explain
  • fancy
  • fear
  • feel like
  • feign
  • finish
  • forgive
  • give up (stop)
  • keep (continue)
  • keep on
  • mention
  • mind (object to)
  • miss
  • necessitate
  • omit
  • permit
  • picture
  • postpone
  • practice
  • prevent
  • put off
  • recall
  • recollect
  • recommend
  • report
  • resent
  • resist
  • resume
  • risk
  • shirk
  • shun
  • suggest
  • support
  • tolerate
  • understand
  • urge
  • warrant

Common verbs followed by an infinitive:

Example: She threatened to quit if she didn't get a raise.

  • agree
  • appear
  • arrange
  • ask
  • attempt
  • beg
  • can/can’t afford
  • can/can’t wait
  • care
  • chance
  • choose
  • claim
  • come
  • consent
  • dare
  • decide
  • demand
  • deserve
  • determine
  • elect
  • endeavor
  • expect
  • fail
  • get
  • grow (up)
  • guarantee
  • hesitate
  • hope
  • hurry
  • incline
  • learn
  • manage
  • mean
  • need
  • neglect
  • offer
  • pay
  • plan
  • prepare
  • pretend
  • profess
  • promise
  • prove
  • refuse
  • remain
  • request
  • resolve
  • say
  • seek
  • seem
  • shudder
  • strive
  • struggle
  • swear
  • tend
  • threaten
  • turn out
  • venture
  • volunteer
  • wait
  • want
  • wish
  • would like
  • yearn

Verbs followed by a gerund or infinitive with little to no change in meaning:
Example: It started to rain. / It started raining.

  • begin
  • can’t bear
  • can’t stand
  • continue
  • hate
  • like
  • love
  • prefer
  • propose
  • start

Verbs followed by a gerund or infinitive with a change in meaning:

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.)

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.)

Infinitive/to/in order to




















Forming the infinitive

- The infinitive is the base form of a verb. In English, when we talk about the infinitive we are usually referring to the present infinitive, which is the most common. There are, however, four other forms of the infinititive: the perfect infinitive, the perfect continuous infinitive, the continuous infinitive, & the passive infinitive.
The present infinitive has two forms:

  • - the to-infinitive = to + base
  • - the zero infinitive = base

To-infinitive

Zero infinitive

to sit

sit

to eat

eat

to have

have

to remember

remember

The negative infinitive is formed by putting not in front of any form of the infinitive.
Examples
- I decided not to go to London.
- He asked me not to be late
- I´d rather not to eat meat
- Explicación extensa (da click)