Gerunds vs Infinitives: The Rule Nobody Explains Clearly
Why does 'stop to smoke' mean the opposite of 'stop smoking'? This guide breaks down gerunds and infinitives with clear rules, verb lists, and real examples — so you finally stop guessing.
What Are Gerunds and Infinitives?
A gerund is a verb turned into a noun by adding -ing: 'swimming,' 'reading,' 'cooking.' An infinitive is the base form of a verb with 'to': 'to swim,' 'to read,' 'to cook.' Both gerunds and infinitives act as nouns in a sentence — they can be subjects, objects, or complements.
The problem? English has no clear, universal rule for when to use which one. Some verbs demand a gerund ('I enjoy swimming'), some demand an infinitive ('I want to swim'), and some accept both — sometimes with the same meaning, sometimes with completely different meanings. This is why learners struggle: it often feels like random memorization.
But it's not entirely random. There are patterns, logical groupings, and a few key rules that cover most situations. This guide will give you those patterns so you can stop guessing and start getting it right.
Gerund (verb + -ing)
enjoy + swimming, avoid + making, mind + waiting
A gerund looks like a present participle (-ing form) but functions as a noun, not a verb.
Infinitive (to + verb)
want + to swim, decide + to leave, hope + to finish
The 'to' is part of the infinitive, not a preposition. 'I want to go' = infinitive. 'I look forward to going' = preposition + gerund.
Verbs That Only Take Gerunds
These verbs must be followed by a gerund (-ing form). Using an infinitive after them is grammatically wrong. The good news: most of these verbs share a common theme — they describe reactions, feelings, or attitudes toward an activity.
Emotional Reactions
enjoy, love, hate, like, dislike, can't stand, can't help, miss, appreciate
I enjoy reading before bed. (NOT: I enjoy to read)
Mental Processing
consider, imagine, suggest, recommend, mind, recall, understand
She suggested taking a different route. (NOT: She suggested to take)
Avoidance and Completion
avoid, quit, stop, finish, give up, put off, postpone, delay, keep
He quit smoking last year. (NOT: He quit to smoke)
Admission and Denial
admit, deny, mention, risk, practice
She admitted stealing the money. (NOT: She admitted to steal)
Memory trick: verbs about feelings, reactions, and 'what you do with activities' tend to take gerunds. If the verb describes your emotional response to an action, try the gerund first.
Verbs That Only Take Infinitives
These verbs must be followed by an infinitive (to + verb). Using a gerund after them sounds wrong to native speakers. These verbs tend to share a theme too — they're about intentions, desires, plans, and decisions about the future.
Wanting and Wishing
want, wish, would like, need, desire
I want to learn French. (NOT: I want learning)
Deciding and Planning
decide, choose, plan, prepare, arrange, aim, intend, mean
She decided to move abroad. (NOT: She decided moving)
Attempting and Promising
try, attempt, promise, offer, refuse, agree, threaten, manage, fail
He promised to call me back. (NOT: He promised calling)
Seeming and Appearing
seem, appear, tend, pretend, claim, afford, hope, expect, learn
She seems to understand the problem. (NOT: She seems understanding)
Memory trick: verbs about future actions, intentions, and decisions tend to take infinitives. If the verb is about 'what you plan/want/decide to do next,' it usually takes an infinitive.
Verbs That Take Both — With Different Meanings
This is the most important section. Some verbs accept both gerunds and infinitives, but the meaning changes completely. These are the pairs that cause the most confusion and the most embarrassing mistakes.
Stop
Stop + gerund = quit the activity
I stopped smoking. (I quit smoking — I don't smoke anymore.)
Stop + infinitive = pause to do something
I stopped to smoke. (I paused what I was doing in order to have a cigarette.)
Remember
Remember + gerund = remember something you did (past)
I remember locking the door. (I have a memory of doing it.)
Remember + infinitive = remember to do something (future task)
Remember to lock the door. (Don't forget to do it.)
Forget
Forget + gerund = forget a past experience
I'll never forget meeting her. (The memory of that experience.)
Forget + infinitive = forget a task/duty
I forgot to meet her. (I didn't do it — I forgot the task.)
Try
Try + gerund = experiment with something
Try adding more salt. (Experiment — see if it helps.)
Try + infinitive = make an effort/attempt
I tried to open the window. (I attempted it, but maybe I couldn't.)
Regret
Regret + gerund = feel sorry about the past
I regret telling her the truth. (I wish I hadn't told her.)
Regret + infinitive = feel sorry about what you're about to say
I regret to inform you that your application was rejected. (Formal announcement.)
Verbs That Take Both — With the Same Meaning
Some verbs accept both forms with little or no difference in meaning. With these verbs, you can relax — either form is correct. However, there are subtle preferences that can make your English sound more natural.
Start / Begin
It started raining. = It started to rain.
Both are equally correct. Avoid double -ing: say 'It was starting to rain' (NOT 'It was starting raining').
Continue
She continued working. = She continued to work.
Both forms are interchangeable in most contexts.
Like / Love / Hate / Prefer
I like swimming. ≈ I like to swim.
With these verbs, gerund = general enjoyment ('I like swimming' — I enjoy the activity in general). Infinitive = specific choice ('I like to swim in the morning' — a specific habit or preference). In American English, infinitives are slightly more common; in British English, gerunds are preferred.
Begin / Intend / Can't bear
I can't bear waiting. = I can't bear to wait.
Both forms express the same frustration or inability to tolerate something.
When in doubt with these verbs, the gerund is the safer choice — it's accepted in both American and British English.
Gerunds After Prepositions
This is a rule with no exceptions: when a verb follows a preposition, it must be in the gerund form. Always. This trips up learners because the word 'to' can be either a preposition or part of an infinitive.
The Rule
preposition + gerund (ALWAYS)
After any preposition (in, on, at, for, about, of, to, by, without, before, after...), the verb takes the -ing form.
I'm interested in learning Japanese. (NOT: interested in to learn)
She's good at solving problems. (NOT: good at to solve)
He left without saying goodbye. (NOT: without to say)
I look forward to meeting you. (NOT: look forward to meet)
She apologized for being late. (NOT: for to be late)
The 'To' Trap
The biggest mistake: confusing 'to' as a preposition with 'to' as part of an infinitive. In 'I want to go,' the 'to' is part of the infinitive. But in 'I look forward to...,' the 'to' is a preposition — so it must be followed by a gerund: 'I look forward to going.'
More preposition-to phrases: be used to (doing), get used to (doing), object to (doing), be committed to (doing), be dedicated to (doing), in addition to (doing).
Common Patterns: Go + Gerund and More
English has several fixed patterns that always use gerunds. Learning these as chunks (rather than individual rules) is the fastest way to sound natural.
Go + Gerund (Activities)
go swimming, go shopping, go hiking, go fishing, go skiing, go running, go camping, go sightseeing, go bowling, go dancing
'Go + gerund' is used for recreational and physical activities. You can't say 'go to swim' or 'go to shop' — the gerund is mandatory.
Spend + time + Gerund
I spent two hours studying. / She spends too much money shopping.
When 'spend' refers to time or money, the activity takes the gerund form.
Be busy + Gerund
I'm busy working on a project. / She's busy preparing for the exam.
Always gerund after 'busy.' Never 'busy to work.'
Be worth + Gerund
This book is worth reading. / It's not worth arguing about.
Always gerund after 'worth.' Never 'worth to read.'
Have trouble/difficulty/fun/a good time + Gerund
I had trouble finding the address. / We had fun playing games.
These expressions always take gerunds.
Gerunds and Infinitives as Subjects
Both gerunds and infinitives can be the subject of a sentence, but they feel different. Gerunds are more natural and common in everyday English. Infinitives sound more formal or philosophical.
Gerund as Subject (Natural, Common)
Swimming is great exercise.
Learning a new language takes patience.
Cooking relaxes me after a long day.
Infinitive as Subject (Formal, Less Common)
To err is human, to forgive divine. (famous proverb — very formal)
To learn a language, you must practice daily.
To succeed in business requires dedication.
The 'It is + adjective + to' Pattern
Instead of using an infinitive as a subject, English speakers often use the 'it' pattern, which sounds more natural:
It's important to practice every day. (More natural than: To practice every day is important.)
It's easy to make mistakes. (More natural than: To make mistakes is easy.)
It's worth noting that... (Fixed phrase — mixes 'worth' + gerund concept with 'it' pattern.)
Rule of thumb: use gerunds for general statements ('Swimming is fun') and the 'it + infinitive' pattern for specific advice or opinions ('It's important to stretch before exercise').
The Most Common Mistakes Learners Make
These errors appear in essays, conversations, and exams constantly. Most of them come from translating directly from your native language, where the rules are different (or the distinction doesn't exist).
Using infinitive after prepositions
I'm interested in to learn English.
I'm interested in learning English.
Using infinitive after 'enjoy'
I enjoy to play football.
I enjoy playing football.
Confusing 'stop to do' and 'stop doing'
I stopped to smoke. (when you mean you quit the habit)
I stopped smoking. (= I quit the habit)
Using gerund after 'want'
I want going to the beach.
I want to go to the beach.
Using 'to' + infinitive after 'look forward to'
I look forward to meet you.
I look forward to meeting you.
Forgetting the 'to' in infinitives after certain verbs
She decided go home early.
She decided to go home early.
Quick Reference Guide and Practice Tips
Here's a practical summary you can bookmark and refer back to whenever you're unsure. The key insight: don't try to memorize every verb individually. Learn the patterns and the most common verbs in each group.
Always Gerund (-ing)
enjoy, avoid, mind, suggest, finish, quit, keep, practice, consider, imagine, deny, risk, miss, appreciate, delay, postpone, can't help, can't stand, give up, put off
Always Infinitive (to + verb)
want, need, decide, choose, plan, hope, expect, promise, agree, refuse, offer, learn, seem, appear, pretend, afford, manage, fail, tend, claim
Both — Different Meaning
stop, remember, forget, try, regret
Both — Same Meaning
start, begin, continue, like, love, hate, prefer, can't bear, intend
How to Practice Effectively
Don't memorize lists — learn verbs in context by reading and listening to real English.
When you hear a gerund or infinitive in a podcast or video, pause and notice the pattern.
Write 5 sentences a day using verbs from each group. Focus on the 'both with different meanings' group — those are the ones that matter most.
Use FlexiLingo to save real sentences from YouTube videos that contain gerunds and infinitives, then review them with spaced repetition.
How to Master Gerunds and Infinitives With FlexiLingo
Grammar rules are easier to remember when you learn them from real content rather than textbook exercises. FlexiLingo helps you encounter gerunds and infinitives in natural context — the way native speakers actually use them.
Interactive subtitles on 23+ platforms
Watch YouTube, Netflix, TED Talks, and more with interactive subtitles. Click on any word to see its definition and grammar role. Notice patterns like 'I enjoy watching' or 'She decided to leave' in real conversations.
Save real examples with one click
When you hear a perfect gerund or infinitive example in a video, save the full sentence with its audio context. Build a personal collection of real-world examples that show how these forms work naturally.
AI-powered grammar analysis
FlexiLingo's NLP engine identifies grammar structures in content you watch. See gerunds and infinitives highlighted and explained in context, not in isolation.
Spaced repetition for lasting memory
Review your saved gerund and infinitive examples at optimal intervals. Seeing real sentences repeatedly — with audio — helps your brain internalize the patterns until correct usage becomes automatic.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there one simple rule to know when to use gerund vs infinitive?
Not a single universal rule, but a useful guideline: verbs about emotions and reactions (enjoy, mind, avoid) take gerunds. Verbs about future intentions and decisions (want, plan, decide) take infinitives. For the 5 verbs that change meaning (stop, remember, forget, try, regret), you need to learn both forms — but that's a small list to master.
Why does 'I stopped smoking' mean something different from 'I stopped to smoke'?
Because 'stop + gerund' means 'quit the activity' — the gerund is what you stopped doing. But 'stop + infinitive' means 'pause in order to do something' — the infinitive explains your purpose for stopping. So 'I stopped smoking' = I quit the habit. 'I stopped to smoke' = I paused what I was doing so I could have a cigarette.
After 'to,' how do I know if it's a preposition or part of an infinitive?
Ask: can I replace the verb with a noun? If yes, 'to' is a preposition → use gerund. 'I look forward to the weekend' → 'I look forward to meeting you.' If 'to' + verb forms a single unit of meaning (want to go, need to eat), it's an infinitive. Common preposition-to phrases: look forward to, be used to, get used to, object to, be committed to.
Which form should I use when both are correct?
For verbs like start, begin, continue — either is fine. For like/love/hate, gerund is slightly more common in British English and infinitive in American English. When in doubt, the gerund is the safer bet. The most important thing is knowing the 5 verbs where the meaning actually changes.
What's the fastest way to get better at this?
Three steps: (1) Memorize just the 5 'different meaning' verbs (stop, remember, forget, try, regret) — these are the ones that cause real misunderstanding. (2) Learn the preposition rule (preposition + gerund, always). (3) Read and listen to real English daily with FlexiLingo — you'll naturally absorb which verbs take which form through exposure, just like native speakers did.