Choosing between a gerund and an infinitive can be confusing because English does not use one simple rule for every verb. Enjoy reading is correct, but want to read is correct. With verbs such as like and start, both forms may be possible.
The difference usually comes from the grammatical pattern of the first verb, and in some cases, changing the form also changes the meaning. Once you look at the complete verb pattern rather than only the words -ing and to, the choice becomes much easier to understand.
Gerund vs. Infinitive: What Is the Difference?
A gerund is the -ing form of a verb used in a noun-like grammatical role.
Noah enjoys cooking.
An infinitive in this comparison usually means the to-infinitive:
to + base form of the verb
Noah wants to cook.
There is no reliable rule that says gerunds always describe general activities while infinitives always describe specific actions. Differences like that can appear in certain contexts, but they do not explain the gerund-infinitive system as a whole.
In many cases, you need to know the complement pattern associated with the first verb.
Why the Choice Depends on the Verb Pattern
Different English verbs allow different kinds of complements.
For example:
enjoy reading
avoid driving
decide to leave
hope to return
That is why:
I enjoy reading.
is standard English, while:
I enjoy to read.
is not the usual standard pattern.
Similarly:
We decided to wait.
is natural, but:
We decided waiting.
does not work with the same meaning.
It is often more useful to learn a verb together with the pattern it commonly takes than to search for one meaning-based rule that predicts every case.
Verbs Commonly Followed by Gerunds
Some verbs normally take an -ing complement in this pattern.
Common examples include:
- avoid doing
- consider doing
- enjoy doing
- finish doing
- keep doing
- mind doing
- suggest doing
- recommend doing
- admit doing
- deny doing
Olivia avoided answering the question.
Marcus considered changing jobs.
We enjoyed exploring the old town.
Priya suggested leaving earlier.
Ethan admitted making a mistake.
These examples are representative rather than exhaustive. Many of these verbs also occur in other grammatical constructions, but when they directly introduce this type of verbal complement, the -ing pattern is standard.
Verbs Commonly Followed by To-Infinitives
Other verbs commonly take a to-infinitive.
Typical patterns include:
- agree to do
- decide to do
- expect to do
- hope to do
- learn to do
- manage to do
- need to do
- plan to do
- promise to do
- refuse to do
- want to do
Nina decided to postpone the meeting.
Leo hopes to study abroad.
The team managed to finish on time.
Ava promised to call after work.
Daniel refused to sign the document.
Here too, learning the complete pattern is more reliable than choosing the form from its meaning alone.
Verb + Object + To-Infinitive
Some verbs commonly allow this pattern:
verb + object + to-infinitive
The manager asked Olivia to wait.
Maya reminded her brother to call.
We expected the train to arrive at six.
The doctor advised Ethan to rest.
Priya encouraged Noah to apply.
The object appears between the first verb and the infinitive.
Compare:
Noah wants to leave.
with:
Noah wants Maya to leave.
In the second sentence, Maya is understood as the subject of to leave.
Common patterns include:
- advise someone to do
- allow someone to do
- ask someone to do
- encourage someone to do
- expect someone to do
- invite someone to do
- remind someone to do
- tell someone to do
- want someone to do
Not every verb that takes a to-infinitive also allows an object before it, so the complete construction matters.
Verbs That Can Take Either Form
Some verbs allow both an -ing complement and a to-infinitive.
Common examples include:
- begin
- continue
- start
- like
- love
- hate
- prefer
With begin, continue, and start, the basic meaning is often very similar.
It started raining.
It started to rain.
Both are natural.
She continued working after lunch.
She continued to work after lunch.
Again, both are possible.
That does not mean the two structures are interchangeable in every imaginable context. Grammar, style, and the larger construction can sometimes favor one form.
For these verbs, however, switching between the two forms often causes little or no important change in the basic meaning.
When Gerund and Infinitive Change the Meaning
With some verbs, both forms are grammatical but express different relationships between the actions.
These contrasts are worth learning individually.
Stop Doing vs. Stop to Do
Stop + -ing
means to end an activity.
Daniel stopped drinking coffee.
He ended the activity of drinking coffee.
Stop + to-infinitive
means to interrupt one activity in order to do another.
Daniel stopped to buy coffee.
He paused what he was doing so that he could buy coffee.
In the second pattern, the infinitive expresses the purpose of stopping.
Remember Doing vs. Remember to Do
Remember + -ing
refers to a memory of an earlier event.
Maya remembers visiting the museum as a child.
The visit happened before the remembering.
Remember + to-infinitive
means keeping a required or intended action in mind and carrying it out.
Remember to lock the door.
The locking is still to happen.
Compare:
I remember meeting Noah at the conference.
I remembered to email Noah after the conference.
The grammatical form changes the time relationship between remembering and the other action.
Forget Doing vs. Forget to Do
Forget + -ing
concerns the memory of an event that has already happened.
A very common pattern is:
I’ll never forget seeing the ocean for the first time.
The event happened, and the speaker says the memory will remain.
You may also hear sentences such as:
I had completely forgotten meeting him before.
The meeting happened earlier, but the memory of it was lost.
Forget + to-infinitive
means failing to perform something because you did not remember to do it.
Liam forgot to charge his phone.
He did not charge it.
Maya forgot to pick Noah up at the station.
The intended action was not carried out.
So forget doing concerns memory of an event, while forget to do concerns remembering or failing to perform an intended action.
Try Doing vs. Try to Do
Try + -ing
often means testing a method to see whether it works.
If the screen freezes, try restarting the computer.
Restarting is suggested as a possible solution.
Try + to-infinitive
usually focuses on making an effort to achieve something.
Maya tried to open the window, but it was stuck.
She made an effort to open it.
Compare:
Try adding a little more water.
with:
Ethan tried to lift the heavy box.
One suggests a method. The other emphasizes an attempt.
Regret Doing vs. Regret to Do
Regret + -ing
expresses regret about something that happened.
Noah regrets leaving the job so quickly.
He left the job and now regrets that decision.
Regret + to-infinitive
is especially common when formally introducing unwelcome information.
We regret to inform you that the event has been cancelled.
You also see patterns such as:
I regret to say that we cannot accept the proposal.
This is a relatively specific use. It should not be treated as a general interchangeable alternative to regret doing.
Go On Doing vs. Go On to Do
Go on + -ing
means to continue the same activity.
Priya went on speaking despite the interruption.
She continued speaking.
Go on + to-infinitive
means to move on to a new activity or stage.
Priya went on to explain the final part of the plan.
She moved from what came before to a new point.
The two structures therefore express different relationships between the actions.
Like, Love, Hate, and Prefer
Verbs such as like, love, hate, and prefer can often take either an -ing form or a to-infinitive.
Ava likes reading before bed.
Ava likes to read before bed.
Noah loves cooking for friends.
Noah loves to cook for friends.
Maya hates waiting in long lines.
Maya hates to wait in long lines.
In many contexts, both forms are grammatical and the difference is small.
There can be differences of emphasis, context, register, habit, or variety of English, but they should not be reduced to a fixed rule such as:
gerund = general preference
infinitive = specific preference
That distinction is too rigid.
Prefer
Both forms are possible:
I prefer walking.
I prefer to walk.
When comparing two activities directly, an -ing construction with to is common:
She prefers working from home to commuting every day.
Here, to belongs to the comparison prefer X to Y. It is a preposition, not an infinitive marker.
Another possible comparison is:
I prefer to walk rather than drive.
The structure changes, but both sentences express preference.
Gerunds After Prepositions
When a verbal form directly follows a preposition, English normally uses an -ing form.
Mia left without saying goodbye.
Theo is interested in learning Japanese.
We talked about moving the meeting.
She succeeded by working consistently.
This also matters with to.
We look forward to seeing you.
Here, to is a preposition.
Compare:
We hope to see you.
Here, to introduces an infinitive.
So seeing the word to is not enough. Its grammatical function determines what can follow.
A Brief Note on Bare Infinitives
An infinitive does not always appear with to.
English also uses the bare infinitive, the base form without to, in certain constructions.
Let Maya speak.
The joke made everyone laugh.
You should call him.
Bare infinitives also occur after modal auxiliaries such as can, may, must, should, and will.
This is a separate part of the infinitive system rather than the main gerund-versus-to-infinitive choice discussed here.
Infinitives of Purpose
A to-infinitive can explain the purpose of an action.
Ava went outside to make a phone call.
The purpose of going outside was to make the call.
Liam opened the window to let in some fresh air.
Nina saved money to buy a new laptop.
This differs from a complement such as:
Nina wants to buy a new laptop.
In wants to buy, the infinitive complements wants.
In:
Nina saved money to buy a new laptop.
the infinitive explains why she saved money.
Gerund or Infinitive After an Adjective?
Many adjectives occur naturally with a to-infinitive.
happy to help
ready to leave
difficult to explain
surprised to hear
For example:
Maya was happy to help.
The instructions were difficult to understand.
Adjectives can also occur in constructions containing a preposition followed by an -ing form:
interested in learning
tired of waiting
worried about missing the train
The contrast again comes from the complete grammatical construction, not from a rule that every adjective must take one particular verb form.
Common Gerund and Infinitive Errors
Many errors happen when the complement pattern of one verb is applied to another.
Incorrect:
She enjoys to swim.
Correct:
She enjoys swimming.
Enjoy normally takes an -ing complement in this construction.
Incorrect:
They decided leaving early.
Correct:
They decided to leave early.
Decide normally takes a to-infinitive.
Incorrect:
I look forward to meet you.
Correct:
I look forward to meeting you.
The to in look forward to is a preposition.
Incorrect:
He suggested to take a taxi.
Correct:
He suggested taking a taxi.
In this pattern, suggest takes an -ing complement.
Learning the word together with its usual complement pattern helps prevent these errors.
How to Choose Between a Gerund and an Infinitive
When you are unsure, start with the grammatical pattern rather than trying to decide from meaning alone.
Check for a Preposition
A verbal form after a preposition normally takes -ing.
interested in learning
without waiting
look forward to meeting
Check the First Verb
Some verbs commonly take an -ing complement:
enjoy reading
avoid driving
Others commonly take a to-infinitive:
decide to leave
hope to return
Check Whether Both Forms Are Possible
With verbs such as start, begin, like, love, hate, and prefer, both forms may be available.
The surrounding sentence and intended emphasis can then affect which sounds more natural.
Watch for Meaning-Changing Verbs
Pay particular attention to:
- stop
- remember
- forget
- try
- regret
- go on
With these verbs, changing the form can change the relationship between the actions.
Look for an Object Before the Infinitive
Some constructions follow:
verb + object + to-infinitive
ask someone to wait
tell someone to leave
want someone to help
Check Whether the Infinitive Expresses Purpose
She went outside to call her mother.
Here, the infinitive tells you why she went outside.
Recognizing the construction is usually more reliable than applying one general gerund-versus-infinitive rule.
Gerund and Infinitive Examples in Sentences
Olivia enjoys listening to podcasts on her commute.
Enjoy takes an -ing complement.
Marcus plans to start a new course next month.
Plan takes a to-infinitive.
The teacher reminded the students to submit their work.
Reminded uses a verb + object + to-infinitive pattern.
Sofia started working before sunrise.
Start can take an -ing complement.
The rain started to fall just before noon.
A to-infinitive is also possible after start.
Daniel stopped checking his phone during meetings.
He ended the activity.
Caleb stopped to check the map.
He paused another activity in order to check it.
I remember seeing that building years ago.
The seeing is an earlier remembered event.
Remember to bring your identification.
The action still needs to be performed.
If the soup tastes bland, try adding more herbs.
The -ing form suggests a possible method.
Ethan tried to carry the suitcase upstairs by himself.
The infinitive focuses on his effort.
We are looking forward to visiting the new gallery.
To is a preposition, so the -ing form follows it.
Nina left early to avoid the traffic.
The infinitive expresses purpose.
There is no single rule that predicts every choice between a gerund and an infinitive. Some verbs normally take an -ing complement, others take a to-infinitive, and some allow both.
With certain verbs, changing the form changes the meaning. In other cases, the difference may be small or depend on context. Learning the complete grammatical pattern, rather than relying on a broad meaning rule, gives you the more dependable answer.
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