Verbs Followed by -ing or Infinitive: Master the Changing Meanings 🧠

Have you ever wondered whether you should say “I remembered to lock the door” or “I remembered locking the door”? Both are grammatically correct, but they mean completely different things!

In English, certain verbs can be followed by either a gerund (the -ing form) or an infinitive (the to + verb form). However, choosing one over the other completely changes the message you are sending.

In this ultimate guide, we will break down the most common change-of-meaning verbs—remember, forget, try, stop, regret, and go on—with clear examples so you can always choose the right form with confidence. 🚀

🔍 The Core Concept: -ing vs. Infinitive

Before diving into specific verbs, keep this general memory trick in mind:

• ⏩ The Infinitive (to + verb) usually points forward in time. It represents a duty, a goal, or an action you need to do.
• ⏪ The Gerund (-ing) usually points backward in time. It represents a memory, a past experience, or a continuous action that is already happening.

1. Remember & Forget ⏳

These two verbs deal entirely with time tracking. Did the action happen before or after the remembering/forgetting?

🔹 + Infinitive = Remember/Forget the duty first, then do it.

You remember that you have an obligation before you actually perform the action.

• 📌 Please remember to lock the front door before you leave. (First remember, then lock.)
• 📌 Don’t forget to buy milk on your way home from the office. (Don’t forget the task.)

🔹 + -ing = Do the action first, then remember/forget it as a memory.

You performed the action in the past, and now you have a mental memory (or lack thereof) of it.

• 📌 I distinctly remember locking the door this morning. (I locked it first; now I have the memory of doing it.)
• 📌 I will never forget traveling through Europe for the first time. (I traveled first; now it is an unforgettable memory.)

2. Try 🧪

When you are facing a problem, are you attempting a difficult task, or are you testing a potential solution?

🔹 + Infinitive = Make an effort to do something difficult.

You try your hardest to accomplish something that requires serious effort, and you might not even succeed.

• 📌 I tried to open the window, but it was completely jammed shut. (I made a physical effort.)
• 📌 She is trying to learn Japanese before her trip next summer. (It takes hard work.)

🔹 + -ing = Do an experiment to see if it solves a problem.

The action itself isn’t difficult to perform; you are just doing it as a test or an experiment to see what happens.

• 📌 If you have a headache, try drinking more water. (Drinking water is easy; you are testing it as a remedy.)
• 📌 The room is too cold. Let’s try turning on the heater. (Turning it on is simple; we want to see if it fixes the temperature problem.)

3. Stop 🛑

This combination changes whether you are halting an activity permanently or pausing a current activity to start a brand new one.

🔹 + Infinitive = Pause one action in order to do something else.

You interrupt what you are currently doing because you want to perform a different action.

• 📌 During our long road trip, we stopped to take photos of the mountains. (We stopped driving so we could take pictures.)
• 📌 He stopped to talk to his neighbor on his way to work. (He paused his walk in order to chat.)

🔹 + -ing = End or quit an ongoing activity.

You completely halt or finish the action you were already engaged in.

• 📌 Can you please stop making so much noise? I am studying. (Quit making noise.)
• 📌 He stopped smoking three years ago for his health. (He quit the habit entirely.)

4. Regret 😔

Regret changes depending on whether you are looking back at a past mistake or politely sharing bad news right now.

🔹 + Infinitive = Inform someone of bad news (Formal).

Used almost exclusively in formal speech or written letters to introduce disappointing information.

• 📌 We regret to inform you that your application was unsuccessful. (We are sorry to tell you this now.)
• 📌 I regret to say that I cannot attend your wedding next week. (I am sorry to make this statement.)

🔹 + -ing = Feel sorry about a past action.

You look back at a choice you made in the past and wish you hadn’t done it.

• 📌 I regret quitting my job before finding a new one. (I quit in the past, and now I feel sorry about it.)
• 📌 She regrets buying such an expensive car. (She bought it, and now she wishes she hadn’t.)

5. Go On 🔄

Are you transitioning to a brand new phase or task, or are you persisting with the exact same activity?

🔹 + Infinitive = Finish one task and move on to a completely new task.

• 📌 After graduating from university, she went on to become a successful CEO. (She finished studying and moved into her career.)
• 📌 The professor welcomed the class and then went on to explain the syllabus. (He finished greeting everyone and changed tasks.)

🔹 + -ing = Continue doing the exact same activity.

• 📌 Even though it started raining heavily, they went on playing football. (They kept playing without stopping.)
• 📌 Please don’t stop reading; go on talking. (Continue speaking.)

🧠 Test Your Skills!

Can you spot the difference? Choose the correct option for each sentence:

1. I forgot _______ (to turn off / turning off) the stove, so the food burned.
2. If your computer is slow, try _______ (to restart / restarting) it.
3. He stopped _______ (to buy / buying) a coffee on his way to the office.
4. I regret _______ (to tell / telling) him my secret because now everyone knows.

(Answers: 1. to turn off, 2. restarting, 3. to buy, 4. telling)

🚀 Keep the Momentum Going!

Mastering these subtle semantic shifts is what transforms good English into advanced, natural English. Try writing two sentences using the same verb with both forms in the comments section below to practice what you learned today!