When one verb follows another, the second verb takes one of two forms: the -ing form (a gerund) or to + base verb (an infinitive). Which one you need usually depends on the first verb, so it pays to learn the common ones as pairs.
The pattern
I enjoy cooking on the weekend.
We decided to rent an apartment.
01Verbs followed by -ing
These common verbs take the -ing form: enjoy, avoid, finish, mind, suggest, keep, practice, consider, miss, quit, recommend.
Also use -ing after a preposition (interested in, good at, thanks for, worried about) and when the activity is the subject of the sentence.
- Do you mind waiting a few minutes?
- She's worried about finding a job after graduation.
- Walking to work saves me a lot of money.
02Verbs followed by to + base verb
These common verbs take to + base verb: want, need, decide, plan, hope, agree, promise, refuse, learn, afford, offer, seem, would like.
Use to + verb after adjectives too (It's easy to..., I'm happy to...) and to give a reason: "I went to CVS to buy some cold medicine."
- We can't afford to eat out every night.
- He offered to drive me to the airport.
- It's hard to find parking downtown.
03Verbs that take both
Like, love, hate, prefer, start, begin and continue can take either form with almost no change in meaning. Americans often choose to + verb after like and love. Would like always takes to + verb.
- I like to run in the morning. / I like running in the morning.
- It started to snow. / It started snowing.
- Would you like to join us?
04Stop, remember, try: the meaning changes
With a few verbs, the choice changes what you mean. Look at the difference carefully.
| Verb | + -ing | + to + verb |
|---|---|---|
| stop | I stopped drinking soda. (I don't drink it anymore.) | I stopped to buy gas. (I stopped my car in order to buy gas.) |
| remember | I remember locking the door. (a memory of the past) | Remember to lock the door. (don't forget a future task) |
| try | Try restarting your router. (an experiment to see if it works) | I tried to open the jar. (I made an effort, maybe without success) |
05Common mistakes
I enjoy to travel.
I enjoy traveling.
Enjoy is always followed by the -ing form.
She decided moving to Seattle.
She decided to move to Seattle.
Decide is followed by to + base verb.
I'm looking forward to see you.
I'm looking forward to seeing you.
In look forward to, to is a preposition, so -ing follows.
Thank you for help me.
Thank you for helping me.
After a preposition like for, use the -ing form.