verb + -ingUse -ing after verbs that require it. The second verb acts like an activity.
Gerund vs Infinitive
B1Some verbs take -ing, some take to + verb, and some allow both. With verbs like remember, stop, and try, the choice changes the meaning.
What you'll learn
- Choose -ing or to + verb after the first verb.
- Use like + -ing for general enjoyment of an activity.
- Use like + to + verb for a choice or usual action.
- Accept both forms after start and begin in common use.
- Pick the right form when the meaning changes after remember, stop, and try.
Structure
verb + to + base verbUse to + verb after verbs that require it.
subject + like + -ingUse this for enjoyment in general: the activity itself is pleasant.
subject + like + to + base verbUse this for a chosen action, a routine choice, or what someone thinks is good to do.
start/begin + -ing / to + verbIn common use, both forms are natural after start and begin.
remember/stop/try + -ing OR to + verbChoose the form by meaning. The two options do not say the same thing.
Build a sentence
First verb
Next form
Marialikesswimming
Maria likes swimming after work.
Use like + -ing for enjoyment in general.
When to use
Verb patterns
After enjoy, avoid, finish, keep use -ing. After decide, hope, need, plan use to + verb.
Like: meaning choice
Like swimming = enjoy the activity. Like to swim before work = choose it as a routine or good plan.
Meaning changes
Remember, stop, and try can change meaning with -ing or to + verb, so choose by message, not by habit.
Markers
enjoy + -ingdecide + tolike + -ing / tostart + -ing / toremember + -ing / tostop + -ing / totry + -ing / to
Common mistakes
Wrong
Lisa enjoys to read before bed.
Correct
Lisa enjoys reading before bed.
Enjoy is followed by -ing, not to + verb.
Wrong
Tom decided leave early.
Correct
Tom decided to leave early.
Decide needs to + verb after it.
Wrong
I remember to lock the door last night.
Correct
I remember locking the door last night.
Remember + -ing looks back to a memory of an earlier action. Remember + to + verb means not forgetting a duty.
Wrong
Anna stopped to smoke two years ago.
Correct
Anna stopped smoking two years ago.
Stop + -ing means end an activity. Stop + to + verb means pause one action in order to do another one.
Wrong
The window is stuck. Try to open it with a coin.
Correct
The window is stuck. Try opening it with a coin.
Try + -ing suggests an experiment or possible solution. Try + to + verb means make an effort to succeed.
Common misconceptions
❝ Like + -ing and like + to + verb always mean exactly the same thing. ❞
Both can be correct, but the focus can change. Like + -ing often shows enjoyment; like + to + verb often shows choice, habit, or what feels right.
❝ After any verb, I can choose -ing or to + verb if the meaning is clear. ❞
Many verbs fix the form that follows them. The sentence can sound wrong even when the idea is easy to understand.
Skills in this rule (5)
FOLLOW_VERB_PATTERNw5Choose the form a main verb requires after it
Some verbs take -ing, some take to + verb. Learn the pattern of the first verb and keep the next verb in that form.
LIKE_ING_FOR_ENJOYMENTw4Use like + -ing for enjoyment in general
Use like + -ing to talk about activities someone enjoys in general or as a habit.
LIKE_TO_FOR_CHOICE_OR_OCCASIONw4Use like + to + verb for a choice or usual action
Use like + to + verb when you mean what someone chooses to do in a situation or what they think is a good habit.
SAME_MEANING_WITH_START_BEGINw3Use -ing or to + verb after start and begin
After start and begin, both forms are common and the meaning stays the same in most everyday sentences.
MEANING_CHANGE_REMEMBER_STOP_TRYw5Pick the form that changes the meaning after remember, stop, and try
With some verbs, the choice between -ing and to + verb changes the message. Focus on whether the second action happened before, after, or as an experiment.