Bare Infinitive - To Infinitive - Gerund

I. To-Inf and Gerund at the beginning of a sentence:

V-ing	To-V
V-ing can be used as a Subject. Camping is now a very popular leisure activity.	To-V is used to express a purpose. To overcome this challenge, the team must work together at all time.

II. To-Inf and Gerund with 'to be':

V-ing	To-V
Be + V-ing is used to express an idea/a concept. The job requirement is travelling and working in a foreign country.	Be + to-V is used to express a purpose. This activity is to help students practice English.

III. Bare Inf and Gerund with verbs of the sense:

(look at, watch, notice, observe, hear, listen to, smell, feel, taste, ...)

V(bare)	V-ing
Verb + Obj + Vbare is used when the action is intentional or when the event is observed from start to finish. We watched the singer perform on stage.	Verb + Obj + V-ing is used when the action is unintentional or when the event is observed only partially. He noticed a thief climbing in through the window.

III. Verbs and phrases without an object:

V(bare)	V-ing	To-V
can, may, might, shall, will, would, should, could would rather, had better used to so as to, in order to	can't bear, can't help, can't stand be/get used to, be/get accustomed to admit (to) allow avoid anticipate consider delay, postpone deny enjoy feel like, fancy finish imagine involve mind miss practice risk a chance OF advise AGAINST approve OF bored WITH carry ON dream OF/ABOUT excited ABOUT insist ON interested IN keep (ON) look forward TO succeed IN think OF/ABOUT tired OF	afford agree appear arrange dare decide demand deserve be determined fail feel obliged hesitate hope manage offer plan prepare pretend promise refuse seem tend threaten volunteer wait want wish discover how wonder how find out how understand how know how explain how learn how

IV. Verbs + someone (s.o):

V(bare)	V-ing	To-V
make s.o ... let s.o ... have s.o ...	accuse s.o OF ... apologize (TO s.o) FOR ... ban, prohibit, forbid s.o FROM ... blame s.o FOR ... congratulate s.o ON ... forgive s.o FOR ... prevent s.o FROM ... protect s.o FROM/AGAINST ... stop s.o FROM ... suspect s.o FROM ... thank s.o FOR ... warn s.o OF/AGAINST ...	advise s.o ... allow s.o ... ask s.o ... assist s.o ... beg s.o ... cause s.o ... convince s.o ... dare s.o ... demand s.o ... enable s.o ... force s.o ... get s.o ... hire s.o ... instruct s.o ... persuade s.o ... request s.o ... tell s.o ...

V. Verbs that can go with either To Inf or Gerund

These verbs do not change in meaning when going with either To Inf or Gerund:

​continue, start, begin, intend, dread

These verbs change in meaning when going with To Inf or Gerund:

V-ing	To-V
stop V-ing: stop the current action When they saw me, they stopped laughing.	stop to-V: stop something to do another thing We stopped to have dinner at a nearby restaurant.
remember V-ing: remember something that happened I remember hanging out in the park when I was young.	remember to-V: remember something that must be done I'm sorry. I didn't remember to turn off the lights.
forget V-ing: forget something that happened Ms.Lily forgot buying the potatoes, so she accidentally bought a second bag of them.	forget to-V: forget something that must be done Ms.Lily forgot to buy the potatoes, so she had to turn back to the supermarket.
try V-ing: have an attempt at I tried shouting his name, but no one was at home.	try to-V: make an effort to do something I tried to climb over the wall but it was too high.
go on V-ing: continue something that has been paused earlier He went on talking about his problems even though I didn't listen.	go on to-V: continue to do another thing after doing something After my mother finished cooking, she went on to do the dishes.
like/love/hate V-ing: express a general hobby or preference I like fishing at the weekend.	like/love/hate to-V: express a preference at the time of speaking I don't like to go fishing this Saturday.
mean V-ing: involve, equal to Taking this job means travelling abroad.	mean to-V: intend I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you.
need V-ing: have a passive meaning Your hair needs cutting.	need to-V: have an active meaning You need to have a haircut.
regret V-ing: express regret for something that was done in the past He regrets going to medical university.	regret to-V: express regret for something about to be done We regret to say that your application has been rejected.

VI. Fixed expressions:

• · The first/second/only/best/last/… (+ Noun) + to-V

• · It is + Adjective (+ of s.o) + to-V

• · It/This/That is a good thing + to-V

• · Too + Adjective/Adverb + to-V

• · Enough + Noun + to-V

• · Adjective/Adverb + Enough + to-V

• · It takes + s.o + time + to-V

• . Spend time + V-ing

• · Prefer + V-ing

• · Prefer V-ing to V-ing

• · Would prefer to-V rather than V-bare

• · Would rather V-bare than V-bare

• · Would rather + S + V-2/ed

• · It’s no good/use V-ing

• · There is no point in V-ing

• · It’s not worth V-ing