Verbs followed by gerund or infinitive

Introduction

The [VERB + INFINITIVE] pattern and the [VERB + GERUND] pattern are similar but need to be distinguished for correct usage and meaning.  Some verbs can only be followed by a gerund and others only followed by an infinitive.  Some verbs can be followed by either.  Moreover, some verbs that can use either pattern change their meaning when followed by one or the other.  The main questions to be answered here are the following.

1.  Is there any way of predicting which verbs follow which pattern?  Is there any logic to the choice?

2.  What is the difference in meaning when a verb can be followed by either pattern?

Examples of the two patterns:

In English, the majority of verbs follow the pattern [VERB + INFINITIVE] when a particular verb can be followed directly by another verb (for example, want to go, plan to leave, hope to visit, decide to move).  A certain set of verbs, however, are sometimes or always followed by the gerund (“-ing”) form of the verb (for example, enjoy reading, prevent stealing, avoid going).

The first list below shows verbs that are always followed by the infinitive form of a verb.  The second list shows verbs that are always followed by the gerund form of a verb--if a verb follows them. The third list shows the set of verbs that are sometimes followed by one or the other form.  A general discussion of the two patterns follows the lists, and, in addition, there is a discussion relating to verbs that can follow either pattern.

Verbs followed directly by an infinitive (and not a gerund)

agree, aim, appear, arrange, ask, beg, care, chance, claim, come, condescend, consent, dare, decide, demand, desire, determine, elect, endeavor, expect, fail, get, go, grow, happen, hasten, have (e.g., “We have to go soon”), hesitate, hope, hurry, leap, leave (e.g., “He left to catch the train”), live, long, look, manage, offer, pay, plan, pledge, prepare, presume, pretend, proceed, profess, promise, propose, prove, purpose, refuse, rejoice, request, resolve, say, seek, seem, shudder, strive, struggle, swear, tend, think, trouble, undertake, use (e.g., “He used to smoke”), venture, volunteer, vote, wait, wish, would like, yearn

Often listed with verbs followed only by an infinitive are the verbs “choose,” “forget,” “intend,” “learn,” “plan,” “threaten,” and “want.”  These verbs usually are followed by an infinitive rather than a gerund, but there are exceptions as discussed below.

Verbs followed directly by a gerund (and not an infinitive)

abhor, acknowledge, admit, advise, allow, anticipate, appreciate, avoid, cause, celebrate, complete, consider, contemplate, defer, delay, deny, despise, detest, discontinue, discuss, disdain, dispute, dread, encourage, endure, enjoy, entail, escape, excuse, explain, fancy, fear, feign, finish, forbid, forgive, imagine, include, involve, justify, loathe, mention, mind, miss,  pardon, permit, picture, postpone, practice, prevent, quit, recall, recollect, recommend, regret, report, resent, resist, resume, risk, save, suggest, tolerate, understand, warrant

In addition to the single-word verbs listed here, the common phrasal verbs “put off” and “give up” as well as many other phrasal verbs are followed only by a gerund.

Please note that a number of the verbs listed above, such as “advise,” “allow,” “cause,” “encourage,” “forbid,” and “permit,” can follow the pattern [VERB + somebody/something + INFINITIVE], as in “His father advised him to save his money.”  The verbs in this gerund-only list are those that are not followed directly by an infinitive.

It may be noted that the verb “keep” is not listed above as a verb that is followed by a gerund although some sources do list it is as following this pattern.  It is not listed here because, although “keep” is often followed by an “-ing” form of a verb (e.g., “They kept working all night”), that form is technically a present participle rather than a gerund.  Similarly, the verbs “come,” “go,” and “get” are often followed by “-ing” verb forms (e.g., “They came running,” “We’d better get packing,” “Let’s go swimming”).  These “-ing” forms are also verbs in the present progressive and not gerunds.

Verbs that can be followed by either infinitive or gerund

As indicated above, there is a relatively small set of verbs that can be followed by either an infinitive or a gerund.  However, when either pattern is grammatically possible, the choice of gerund or infinitive affects the meaning or tone of the message conveyed.  With some of these verbs, the difference in meaning is very subtle or negligible, but, in the case of others, there is a very distinct difference in the meaning that is communicated by the choice of one pattern over another.  Please see below for a discussion of these particular verbs (shown in bold in the following list).

afford, attempt, bear, begin, bother, cease, choose, continue, deserve, dislike, disdain, dread, forget, hate, help, intend, learn, like, love, mean, need, neglect, omit, prefer, propose, regret, remember, stand, start, stop, threaten, try, want

Please note that the use of the gerund with “intend” is becoming rare and, when used, sounds rather formal and resolute.  Note also that “learn” only takes the gerund when it describes a generalized activity that people do such as “sewing,” “skiing,” “fishing.”  Also, although it is grammatically possible to do so, “forget” is rarely used with the gerund.  In the meaning of not recalling some action in the past, one would be correct in saying “I forgot doing that,” but it would be more common to say “I forgot that I did that.”  The words “choose,” “threaten,” and “want” are most often followed by an infinitive. These words are discussed below.

Using the Gerund

Probably the most important thing to remember in considering why a verb may or must be followed by a gerund rather than an infinitive is that the gerund is functioning as a noun in a sentence. The infinitive contains a more verbal idea than the gerund, and it tends to refer to an action occuring in the future with respect to the first verb or to an action that is repeated or habitual. The gerund, on the other hand, refers to the action as a thing, a kind of activity, without any real concern for when it happens or with what regularity.  The gerund is also preferred, however, if the action is something that has already begun and is continuing.

In the examples that follow, notice how the responses that are gerunds function exactly like other, ordinary nouns in the same environment.

What do you like ?     Cake.   What do you like?      Basketball.
What do you like?      Swimming.  (GERUND)
Which do you prefer?     Coffee.
Which do you prefer?     Staying home.  (GERUND)

Did she mention the party?   Did she mention me?
Did she mention going to the party?  (GERUND)

He celebrated his birthday.
He celebrated getting into college.  (GERUND)

They prevented a fire.
They prevented having to do all the work over again.    (GERUND)

Attitudes or feelings about carrying out a particular action--feelings such as liking, hating, enjoying, preferring, regretting--tend to either require or allow the gerund form to come after them, as in the following example phrases.

like doing, love doing, dislike doing, hate doing, detest doing, abhor doing, despise doing, fear doing, miss doing, prefer doing, loathe doing, enjoy doing, resent doing, regret doing, dread doing, tolerate (someone’s) doing

Of these verbs, only “like,” “love,” “hate,” and “dislike” can be used with either gerund or infinitive.  The others are always followed by a gerund. (Please see discussion below concerning verbs that can be followed by either form.)

The ideas of permission, prohibition, denial, and justification tend to be expressed with the gerund form:

permit doing, allow doing, admit doing, deny doing, justify doing, rationalize doing, excuse doing

The ideas of putting off, avoiding, omitting or escaping the action of the second verb also tend to require or allow the gerund.

delay doing, postpone doing, defer doing, put off doing, avoid doing, escape doing, omit doing, prevent doing

Using the infinitive

Using the infinitive for the second verb is typical when the second verb refers to a single or possibly repeated action in the future with respect to the time that the action of the first verb occurs.  If we say “I plan to go next week,” for example, the planning is now, and the going comes later, or is expected to come later.

Here are some additional examples:

He agreed to sign  (Signing is a single intended action in the future with respect to the agreeing.)

I aim to finish by Friday  (Finishing is a single intended action in the future with respect to the aiming.)

She tried to open the window  (Opening the window is a single intended action in the future with respect to the trying.)

I want to visit China very much.  (Wanting is now, but the visiting of China could occur once or repeatedly in the future.)

I hope to beat you at tennis next year.  (Hoping is now, but beating this person at tennis could occur just once or repeatedly in the future.)

I long to go on my daily walks again.  (Longing is now.  Going on walks might occur at one or more times in the future.)

In addition, the verb in the infinitive form often signals an action that repeats in what is considered the present or past time.  Consider the following examples.

I like to cook.  (The infinitive form after the verb “like” implies that the cooking occurs repeatedly and that the liking occurs each time the action happens.)

I liked to walk by the river when I was young.  (Each time I walked by the river in the past, I liked it.)

Whether the action of the infinitive occurs only once in the future (with respect to the action of the main verb) or occurs repeatedly depends on the meaning and tense of the initial verb and on other information in the sentence.

I like to cook (Cooking occurs repeatedly in the general present.)

I want to cook tonight (Cooking is a single intended action in the future.)

I hope to cook a lot when I get my new stove.  (Cooking is expected to occur repeatedly in the future.)

I planned to cook Thanksgiving dinner that year.  (Cooking was a single action intended to occur in the future with respect to the planning.)

I hated to cook on the weekends.  (Cooking occurred repeatedly in the past, although it was hated.)

If one had never cooked before in one’s entire life but was, at this moment, enjoying the experience of doing it, it would be more likely that this person would say “Oh, I like cooking!”--using the gerund form--rather than “Oh, I like to cook!”—using the infinitive.  This is because using the gerund refers simply to the experience itself and does not include any notion of repetition in the present or future.  If this person said “Oh, I like to cook!” the listener might be a little confused and respond by saying “I thought you never cooked before.”  Again, the infinitive is generally used when the action of the second verb occurs in the future with respect to the first verb or when it occurs repeatedly in past, present, or future.

The use of an infinitive after certain verbs conveys the equivalent of, or something similar to, the idea of “in order to,” “so that,” or “in order that.”  The gerund never conveys this type of meaning.

I stopped to get a newspaper on the way = I stopped in order to get a newspaper on the way.

He left to catch the bus. = He left in order to catch the bus.

She tried to help us. =  She made an effort so that she might help us.

I asked to speak with the manager =  I asked in order that I could speak to the manager.

Infinitive vs. Gerund  Summary

One might think of the infinitive as describing an action as one neat package, or a series of neat packages.  The infinitive simply states the name of a particular action that occurred, will occur, or repeatedly occurs. The gerund, on the other hand, often presents the action as a thing under a microscope or stretched out over time and looked at from a point in the middle or at the beginning.  Use of the gerund form generally shows a closer interest in the quality of the action or activity itself—what kind of thing it is--whereas the infinitive focuses on an action from a distance and in contrast with other actions.  The infinitive is not so interested in the quality of the specific action but on its being THIS action and not some other action.

I like to cook.    (Implication:  I cook repeatedly and I like it each time.)

I like cooking.   (Implication:  I like the things involved in cooking. I like using spices. I like chopping vegetables, etc.)

Discussion: Verbs followed by either gerund or infinitive

As mentioned above, some verbs are followed by either the infinitive or the gerund--for example, “like,” “love,” “try,” “start,” remember.”  The use of the gerund or the infinitive requires a choice between meanings, however.  With some of these verbs, the difference in meaning conveyed by the following of one or the other is subtle or barely distinguishable (e.g., “She started to speak” versus “She started speaking”), but, with some of these combinations, the meaning is quite different depending on whether a gerund or infinitive is used after the initial verb.

Here again is the list of verbs that are sometimes used with the gerund and sometimes with the infinitive.

afford, attempt, bear, begin, bother, cease, choose, continue, deserve, dislike, dread, forget,  hate, help, intend, learn, like, love, mean, need, neglect, omit, plan, prefer, propose, regret, remember, stand, start, stop, threaten, try, threaten, want

Verbs followed by either infinitive or gerund with very subtle difference in the meaning

Compare the following pairs of examples where the difference in meaning between using an infinitive versus using a gerund is quite subtle and where the choice of one over the other would not be considered an actual error.  The subtle difference in meaning or effect conveyed by these choices lies in the fact that the gerund focuses more closely on the quality of its action and often gives a sense of its continuation without stop.  The infinitive, by contrast, looks at the action from a distance, as if it were a small, discrete, and complete package--some action that simply occurs after the first action or occurs repeatedly in past, present, or future.

Compare:

AFFORD

With the verb “afford,” the choice between the gerund or infinitive is primarily a matter of when the action of the second verb occurs.  If the action of the second verb takes place or would take place only in the future with respect to the first verb, then the infinitive is more likely to be used.  If the action of the second verb is occurring at the same time as the first, it is somewhat likely that the gerund will be used, although the infinitive is permissible as well.

a)  With my raise, I can afford to buy a car now.  (Having the ability to afford a car is the situation now, and the action of the infinitive, the car buying, could possibly happen in the future.  The same sentence could continue in the following way:  “With my raise, I can afford to buy a car now, so I’m thinking about what kind to buy.”)

b)  I can afford living downtown.  (The action of the gerund, the living downtown, is likely to be currently happening, as a result of this person having enough money.  The same sentence could continue in the following way:  “I can afford living downtown, but I find it very noisy.  Sometimes I wish I could live where it’s quieter.”)

BEAR

With the verb “bear” (just as with the verb “afford”), the choice between the gerund or infinitive is primarily a matter of when the action of the second verb occurs.  If the action of the second verb takes place or would take place only in the future with respect to the first verb, then the infinitive is more likely to be used.  If the action of the second verb is occurring at the same time as the first, it is somewhat likely that the gerund will be used, although the infinitive is permissible as well.

a)  I can’t bear to leave you.  (The feeling of unbearableness is occurring now, but the action of leaving, if it were to take place, would be in the future.  The same sentence could continue in the following way:  “I can’t bear to leave you;  I’ll stay with you forever unless they take me to prison.”)

b) I can’t bear working in this place.  (The action of the gerund is already occurring; that is, I currently work here, but I’m very unhappy.  The same sentence could continue in the following way:  “I can’t bear working in this place, and I’m doing everything I can to find another job.”)

BEGIN

a)  She began to tell the story.  (Here the focus is simply on the action of starting, saying the first words of the story.  No continuation or finishing of the story is implied. The same sentence might likely continue in the following way: “She began to tell the story but was interrupted by the bell.” Or, “She began to tell the story but realized she didn’t have enough time to tell it.”)

b)  She began telling the story.   (Here the focus is both on the starting and on the likely continuing of telling the story, probably until the end.  It gives the sense that “she” is going to be involved in the telling for some time and perhaps things will happen as she tells the story.  Also, the action of telling seems longer and less abstract than when the infinitive is used. The same sentence might continue in the following way: “She began telling the story, and the children became quiet and listened attentively.”  Or, “She began telling the story in a soft, scary voice.”  Or, “She began telling the story at ten and still hadn’t finished by eleven.”)

a)  It began to rain.  (Here the focus is just on the very short event of drops of rain starting to come down.  The same sentence might continue in the following way:  “It began to rain, so we went inside.”)

b)  It began raining.  (The focus is on both the beginning and the continuation of the rain.  The same sentence might continue in the following way:  “It began raining on Friday, and it rained for seven days straight.”)

CHOOSE

a)  I chose to fly Delta Airlines this time instead of American.  (This is a simple statement of a decision regarding future action.  The action of choosing occurs first, and the action of flying occurs in the future with respect to the choosing.)

b)  I chose flying because it was actually cheaper.  (The verb “choose” is nearly always followed by an infinitive as in the example above, but, occasionally, it is followed by a gerund when the choice of one course of action over another is being closely examined, justified, or questioned.  In these cases, the gerund may be chosen because, again, it focuses more strongly on the particularities of the action as a kind of thing than the infinitive does.  When a gerund follows “choose,” the gerund or gerund phrase is often followed by the preposition “over” and a statement of the option that was not chosen, as in this example:  “She chose staying at home over continuing at her job because she wanted to spend more time with her children.”  I chose swimming over running because I have trouble with my knees.”

CONTINUE

a)  She continued to sing.  (Here the focus is on the decision to continue rather than to stop.  The same sentence might go on in the following way:  “She continued to sing even though there was shouting and general commotion in the auditorium.”)

b)  She continued singing.  (Here the focus is on the continuation of singing over a period of time. The same sentence might go on in the following way: “She continued singing until she was booed off the stage.”)

DESERVE

a)  She deserves to get a medal for her heroic act .  (Use of the infinitive here suggests, or allows for the possibility, that this person could actually be given a medal.  This is an event that might happen. The sentence might continue in the following way:   “She deserves to get a medal for her heroic act, and I have no doubt that they will give it to her.”)

b)   She deserves getting a medal for her patience and dedication.  (“Deserve” is almost always followed by an infinitive, but it can occasionally be used with a gerund.  Using the gerund puts a stronger focus on the action (getting a medal) as a kind of thing rather than something that happens.  In this case, getting a medal is seen as the proper reward for this person’s patience and dedication even if there is no possibility of getting such a reward.  The important thing for the speaker is simply to state that some very good behavior or personality trait merits some nice reward. The sentence might continue in the following way:  “She deserves getting a medal for her patience and dedication.  Too bad the hospital doesn’t give out medals!”

LIKE

a)  I like to bowl.  (This sentence simply means that on those occasions when I bowl, I like it.  The action seems to be seen from a distance. The same sentence might continue in the following way:  “I like to bowl, and my friends and I go about once a week.  I like to play racquetball too.”)

b)  I like bowling.  (This sentence conveys a greater sense of the actual activity of bowling--throwing the ball, making a strike, etc.  The action is more concrete, more visible than it is when referred to by an infinitive.  The same sentence might continue in the following way:  “I like bowling because it’s enjoyable exercise, and I’m pretty good at it.”)

Verbs followed by either infinitive or gerund with significant difference in the meaning

The verbs where it makes the most difference whether a gerund or infinitive follows them are:  “remember,” “stop,” “try,” “need,” “help,” “regret,” “dread,” “mean,” and “stand.”  The differences are explained individually and by means of examples below.

DREAD

I dread to think what terrible things might happen.   (“Dread” is most often followed by a gerund, and when it is followed by an infinitive, the infinitive is usually “think” or something similar.  With the infinitive, the meaning of the word “dread” is “to fear,” but the fear concerns something that may or may not happen.  Saying “I dread to think” means something like “Thinking about (what might happen) fills me with fear” or “I’m so full of fear that I don’t even want to think (about what might happen).”

I dread finding out the results of my tests.  (When “dread” is followed by a gerund, which is more usual, the person dreading is feeling anxiety about something that is planned in the future or that will very likely happen.  In fact, this person wishes they could avoid this thing, or they view it as something that may affect them in a bad way.)

HELP

It usually helps to take some aspirin.   (When “help” is followed directly by an infinitive, it has the meaning of making a desired thing possible or making something better or easier.  This pattern with the infinitive directly after “help” is often used in this type of construction introduced by “it.”  It is possible, however, for a standard subject to be used, as in “Their generous donation helped to make the project a success.”  “My sister is so funny, and she helped to cheer us all up.”)

I can’t help worrying about him.  (When “help” is used in the idiomatic expression “cannot help,” it is always followed by the gerund rather than the infinitive.  The idiom means to be unable to stop oneself from doing something.)

MEAN

I mean to finish this by noon.  (When “mean” is followed by an infinitive, it has the meaning of having a goal or intention to do something.  “I mean to finish” is similar to “I intend to finish.” When used in the present tense with the infinitive, however, it indicates a rather strong sense of determination.  When “mean” is used in the past tense with an infinitive, it simply describes a past intention whether it was very strongly felt or not. (e.g, “Sorry!  I meant to call you but I got busy.”)  Use of “mean” in the past tense to signify intention is much more common than its use in the present tense.

Missing the deadline to turn in the paper will mean failing the course.  (When “mean” is followed by a gerund, the gerund indicates what will be the result of something.  In this example, the meaning is that if the deadline is missed, the result will be to fail the course.)

NEED

I need to speak with him.  (This sentence means that it is important for me to speak with this person.  I am having a problem that requires his help or advice.  The needing is now, and the speaking is an intended action in the future.)

That employee needs speaking to.  (This sentence means that this employee should be given some kind of scolding or cautioning, according to the speaker of the sentence.  This meaning of “need” is substantially different from the meaning of “need” when used with an infinitive.  In these cases, it is really the person speaking who feels that something is necessary rather than the actual subject of the sentence.  If you were to say “These shoes need cleaning,” the shoes do not actually feel any need.  It is you, the speaker, who feels that the shoes are dirty and should be cleaned.  With this meaning of “need,” which requires the gerund, the subject of the sentence is usually a thing rather than a person, as in  “The kitchen needs painting”;  “The lawn needs mowing”;  “The knives need sharpening.”)

REGRET

I regret to tell you that your request has been denied.  (Using the infinitive signals that the telling will occur in the future with respect to the regretting.  The regretting, the feeling bad, is occurring now as I am about to tell you the news about your request.)

I regret telling him the truth about what happened.  (Using the gerund signals that the telling occurred before the regretting.  I regret now that I told this person the truth about what happened.  In addition to the difference in the timing of events in sentences using the gerund or infinitive, there is a difference in the meaning of “regret” and in the type of meaning expressed by these sentences as a whole.  When “regret” is followed by an infinitive, that which is regretted is something that will affect another person more strongly than oneself.  Often, the meaning is simply that one feels a little bad about what one is about to do—usually telling or informing someone of bad news--and often this is something expressed for politeness sake only and not deeply felt.  When “regret” is followed by a gerund, the feeling expressed is probably genuine and strongly felt, particularly as the action expressed by the gerund is something the speaker actually did and which had a direct impact on him or her.  The example sentence here might be continued in the following way:  “I regret telling him the truth about what happened because it ended our friendship.”)

REMEMBER

I remembered to mail the letter.  (This sentence means that my plan or intention to mail the letter came into my mind, and then I went on to carry out that action.  In other words, the remembering of the necessity to mail the letter came first, and, after that, I mailed the letter.  I’m probably happy I accomplished what I needed to accomplish.  This use of the infinitive with “remember” fits in with the general idea of the action of the first verb coming before the action of the second verb.)

I remember mailing the letter.  (In this sentence, the mailing of the letter came first and the recalling of doing that came later.  The timing of the two actions is reversed from the timing conveyed by the use of the infinitive. When you remember doing something, you are looking back at an action that already occurred.  This sentence might be said in a situation where people are wondering what happened to the letter:  “She never received the letter?  Really? That’s strange.  I remember mailing it.”)

STAND

He stands to lose his whole business if this plan doesn’t work.  (“Stand” followed by an infinitive is used to express what will be the result if or when a certain thing—either wanted or unwanted--happens.  In this example, the speaker expresses that “he” will lose his business if “this plan” doesn’t work.)

He can’t stand losing.  (“Stand” is always followed by a gerund when used in the idiom “cannot stand,” meaning “cannot tolerate” or “cannot bear.”)

STOP

I stopped to get gas.  (This sentence means that I was driving (most likely), and I stopped my car somewhere in order to get gas.  The stopping occurred first, and the getting of gas occurred after this and as a result.  This is yet another example of the verb in the infinitive being in the future with respect to the first action.  It is also an example where use of the infinitive carries the meaning of “in order to”).

I stopped eating meat.  (This sentence means that I used to eat meat in the past, but I stopped and I no longer eat meat.  The eating of meat began first, and the stopping occurred later.  Here again, the timing of the actions of the two verbs is reversed from the timing in the case of using the infinitive.)

Note that the actual meaning of “stop” changes depending on whether the infinitive or gerund is used after it.  With the infinitive, the meaning is to stop some action such as walking or driving.  With the gerund, the meaning is to discontinue doing something that one had started doing earlier.)

TRY

I tried to open the window.  (This sentence means that the window was closed and I used some effort in order to open it.  It is also strongly implied that I was not successful in my attempt.  I was not able to open the window despite my effort.  This sentence might continue in the following way:  “I tried to open the window, but it was impossible.”)

I tried opening the window.  (This sentence means that I opened the window as a means of solving some other problem.  Perhaps there was smoke in the house and I opened the window hoping that the smoke would go out.  It is very important to note that, with the use of the gerund, the action expressed by the second verb actually happened—I did, in fact, open the window.  I didn’t just make an attempt to open it.  The meaning of “try” when it is followed by an infinitive is significantly different from its meaning when it is followed by a gerund.  It may be useful to note in addition that “try” followed by a gerund is often used in combination with the mention of other actions that were also tried in order to solve the same particular problem.  So, for example, one might say “First I tried opening the window, but that wasn’t enough to get the smoke out.  Then I tried opening the doors and turning on the fans, and that helped somewhat.”)

WANT

I want to go home now.  (With the infinitive, the meaning is simply that this person has a desire to go home.  When a verb follows “want,” it is nearly always in the infinitive.)

This chair wants repairing.  (The meaning of “want” is quite different when the gerund follows it.  The meaning is close to the meaning of “need” when it is followed by the gerund.  The example here means something like “This chair needs repairing” or “This chair should be repaired.”  Use of “want” with the gerund is more common in British English than in American English.