Verb Patterns Ing and To

Verb patterns: verb + infinitive or verb + -
ing?
Grammar > Verbs > Verb patterns > Verb patterns: verb + infinitive or verb + -ing?
from English Grammar Today
Verbs followed by a to-infinitive

Some verbs can be followed immediately by a to-infinitive:
deman
afford like pretend
d
agree fail love promise
arrange forget manage refuse
mean (= remembe
ask hate
intend) r
begin help need start
choose hope offer try
continu
intend plan want
e
decide learn prefer
I can’t afford to go on holiday.

It began to rain.
She hopes to go to university next year.
My mother never learnt to swim.
Did you remember to ring Nigel?
See also:
 Help somebody (to) do
 Want
 Verbs followed by a direct object and a to-infinitive
Verbs followed by -ing

-ing but not to-infinitive
Some verbs are normally followed by the -ing form, not the to-infinitive:
admit deny finish mind
avoid dislike give up miss
practis
(can’t) help enjoy imagine
e
(can’t)
fancy involve put off
stand
feel keep
consider risk
like (on)
I always enjoy cooking.

Not: I always enjoy to cook.
We haven’t finished eating yet.
Not: We haven’t finished to eat.
She keeps changing her mind about the wedding.
New subject before -ing

Some of these verbs (e.g. can’t stand, dislike, imagine, involve, mind, miss, put off and risk)
can be used with a new subject before the -ing form (underlined in the examples below). If
the new subject is a pronoun, it is in the object form (me, him, her, us, them):
We just couldn’t imagine Gerry singing in public.
Do you mind me being here while you’re working?
I don’t want to risk him losing his job.
See also:
 Verbs followed by -ing
Verbs followed by a to-infinitive or -ing

Hate, like, love, prefer
Hate, like, love and prefer can be followed either by -ing or a to-infinitive. The difference in
meaning is often small. The -ing form emphasises the verb itself. The to-infinitive puts the
emphasis more on the preference for, or the results of, the action.
Compare
-ing form to-infinitive
I love cooking Indian food. (emphasis I like to drink juice in the morning, and tea at
on the process itself and enjoyment of lunchtime. (emphasis more on the preference or
it) habit)
She hates cleaning her I hate to be the only person to

room. (emphasis on the process itself disagree. (emphasis more on the result: I would
and no enjoyment of it) prefer not to be in that situation.)
We prefer to drive during the day whenever we

Most people prefer watching a film at
can. (emphasis more on the result and on the
the cinema rather than on
habit or preference. The speaker doesn’t
TV. (emphasis on the process itself and
necessarily enjoy the process of driving at any
enjoyment of it)
time of day.)
Hate, like, love, prefer with would or should

When hate, like, love and prefer are used with would or should, only the to-infinitive is used,
not the -ing form:
She’d love to get a job nearer home.
Not: She’d love getting a job nearer home.
Would you like to have dinner with us on Friday?
To-infinitive or -ing form with a change in meaning

Some verbs can be followed by a to-infinitive or the -ing form, but with a change in meaning:
go remembe
need try
on r
mea regre wan

stop
n t t
Compare
-ing form to-infinitive
Working in London means

leaving home at 6.30. (Because I I didn’t mean to make you cry. (I didn’t intend to
work in London, this is the result or make you cry.)
consequence.)
He went on singing after everyone She recited a poem, then went on to sing a lovely
else had finished. (He continued folk song. (She recited the poem first, then she
singing without stopping.) sang the song.)
I tried searching the web and finally

I tried to email Simon but it bounced back. (I
found an address for him. (I searched
tried/attempted to email him but I did not
the web to see what information I
succeed.)
could find.)
She stopped crying as soon as she We stopped to buy some water at the motorway
saw her mother. (She was crying, and service area. (We were travelling and we stopped
then she didn’t cry anymore.) for a short time in order to buy some water.)
See also:
 Mean
 Need
 Remember or remind?
 Stop + -ing form or to-infinitive
 Want
Verbs followed by an infinitive without to

Let, make
Let and make are followed by an infinitive without to in active voice sentences. They always
have an object (underlined) before the infinitive:
Let me show you this DVD I’ve got.
They made us wait while they checked our documents.
Not: They made us to wait …
Help
Help can be followed by an infinitive without to or a to-infinitive:
She helped me find a direction in life.
Everyone can help to reduce carbon emissions by using public transport.
See also:
 Help somebody (to) do
 Let, let’s
 Make
Verbs followed by -ing or an infinitive without to

A group of verbs connected with feeling, hearing and seeing can be used with -ing or with an
infinitive without to:
feel notice see
hea overhea watc

r r h
When they are used with -ing, these verbs emphasise the action or event in progress. When
they are used with an infinitive without to, they emphasise the action or event seen as a
whole, or as completed.
Compare
-ing infinitive without to
She heard people shouting in the street

I heard someone shout ‘Help!’, so I ran
below and looked out of the
to the river. (emphasises the whole event:
window. (emphasises that the shouting
the person probably shouted only once)
probably continued or was repeated)
-ing infinitive without to
A police officer saw him running along the Emily saw Philip run out of Sandra’s
street. (emphasises the running as it was office. (emphasises the whole event from
happening) start to finish)
Verbs followed by a direct object and a to-infinitive

Some verbs are used with a direct object (underlined) followed by a to-infinitive. These verbs
include:
reques
advise hate like persuade
t
ask help love prefer teach
challeng instruc recommen

need tell
e t d
orde
choose intend remind want
r
forbid invite
I advised him to get a job as soon as possible.

Did Martin teach Gary to play squash?
They want me to go to Germany with them.

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Verb patterns: verb + infinitive or verb + -

Verbs followed by a to-infinitive

agree fail love promise

arrange forget manage refuse

begin help need start

choose hope offer try

decide learn prefer

I can’t afford to go on holiday.

Verbs followed by -ing

admit deny finish mind

avoid dislike give up miss

I always enjoy cooking.

New subject before -ing

Verbs followed by a to-infinitive or -ing

-ing form to-infinitive

She hates cleaning her I hate to be the only person to

We prefer to drive during the day whenever we

Hate, like, love, prefer with would or should

To-infinitive or -ing form with a change in meaning

mea regre wan

-ing form to-infinitive

Working in London means

I tried searching the web and finally

Verbs followed by an infinitive without to

Verbs followed by -ing or an infinitive without to

feel notice see

hea overhea watc

-ing infinitive without to

She heard people shouting in the street

Verbs followed by a direct object and a to-infinitive

ask help love prefer teach

challeng instruc recommen

I advised him to get a job as soon as possible.

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