Gerund or Infinitive? 50+ Verbs You Need to Know

One of the trickiest aspects of English grammar is knowing when to use a gerund (verb + -ing) and when to use an infinitive (to + verb). Some verbs are strictly followed by one form, while others can take both, but with a change in meaning.

In this guide, you’ll find a comprehensive list of verbs that take either gerunds, infinitives, or both, along with clear explanations and examples.

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Gerund or Infinitive?! Let’s find out!

Verbs That Must Be Followed by an Infinitive (to + verb)

These verbs always require an infinitive after them.

Examples:

• She decided to leave early.
• I hope to visit Paris next year.

List of Verbs That Take an Infinitive:

• Afford – I can’t afford to buy a new car.
• Agree – She agreed to help me with my project.
• Aim – He aims to become a doctor.
• Appear – She appears to be nervous.
• Arrange – We arranged to meet at noon.
• Ask – He asked to borrow my phone.
• Attempt – She attempted to lift the heavy box.
• Beg – He begged to stay a little longer.
• Choose – They chose to stay at home.
• Claim – She claims to know the answer.
• Consent – He consented to join the committee.
• Decide – I decided to take a break.
• Demand – She demanded to see the manager.
• Deserve – He deserves to win the award.
• Expect – I expect to finish my work by tomorrow.
• Fail – She failed to complete the assignment.
• Hesitate – Don’t hesitate to ask for help.
• Hope – We hope to travel next summer.
• Intend – He intends to study law.
• Learn – She learned to play the piano.
• Manage – He managed to fix the computer.
• Offer – She offered to drive me home.
• Plan – They plan to visit London next year.
• Prepare – We are preparing to leave.
• Pretend – He pretended to be asleep.
• Promise – She promised to help me.
• Refuse – He refused to answer the question.
• Seem – She seems to understand the problem.
• Struggle – He struggled to finish the race.
• Swear – He swore to tell the truth.
• Tend – She tends to forget things easily.
• Threaten – He threatened to call the police.
• Want – I want to learn Spanish.
• Wish – She wishes to visit Japan.

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Verbs That Must Be Followed by a Gerund (verb + -ing)

These verbs always require a gerund after them.

Examples:

• He enjoys reading novels.
• They suggested going for a walk.

List of Verbs That Take a Gerund:

• Admit – He admitted stealing the money.
• Advise – She advised taking the train instead of driving.
• Anticipate – I anticipate meeting him at the conference.
• Appreciate – I appreciate having you around.
• Avoid – He avoided answering the question.
• Consider – She considered moving to another city.
• Complete – He completed writing his novel.
• Delay – They delayed making a decision.
• Deny – She denied breaking the window.
• Discuss – We discussed going on vacation together.
• Dislike – He dislikes waking up early.
• Enjoy – She enjoys painting in her free time.
• Escape – He escaped being caught by the police.
• Excuse – Excuse my interrupting your conversation.
• Finish – He finished writing his report.
• Imagine – Can you imagine living on the moon?
• Involve – His job involves travelling a lot.
• Justify – She justified leaving the meeting early.
• Keep – He keeps forgetting his keys.
• Mention – She mentioned seeing him at the bar.
• Mind – Would you mind helping me with this?
• Miss – I miss spending time with my family.
• Postpone – They postponed having the party.
• Practise – She practises playing the piano every day.
• Prevent – The law prevents parking in this area.
• Quit – He quit smoking last year.
• Recall – I recall meeting her before.
• Recommend – She recommended visiting the museum.
• Resent – She resents being treated unfairly.
• Resist – He couldn’t resist eating another piece of cake.
• Risk – They risk losing their investment.
• Suggest – She suggested going for a walk.
• Tolerate – I can’t tolerate waiting in long lines.
• Understand – He understands speaking English well is important.

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Verbs That Can Take Both Infinitives and Gerunds (with a Change in Meaning)

Some verbs can be followed by either a gerund or an infinitive, but the meaning changes.

1. Forget

• Forget + infinitive: Forget to do something (a task/duty)
  • I forgot to call her. (I didn’t call her.)
• Forget + gerund: Forget a past memory
  • I’ll never forget meeting you. (I met you, and I remember it.)

2. Go on

• Go on + infinitive: Move on to do something new
  • He went on to explain the rules. (He finished one topic and started another.)
• Go on + gerund: Continue the same action
  • He went on talking for hours. (He kept talking.)

3. Mean

• Mean + infinitive: Intend to do something
  • I meant to call you. (I intended to call.)
• Mean + gerund: Involve something as a result
  • Being a doctor means working long hours. (Being a doctor involves working long hours.)

4. Need

• Need + infinitive: Someone needs to do something
  • I need to study for my exam.
• Need + gerund: Something needs to be done (passive meaning)
  • My car needs washing. (My car needs to be washed.)

5. Regret

• Regret + infinitive: Be sorry to give bad news
  • We regret to inform you that your flight is canceled.
• Regret + gerund: Be sorry about something in the past
  • I regret leaving my job. (I wish I hadn’t left.)

6. Remember

• Remember + infinitive: Remember to do something
  • Remember to lock the door! (Don’t forget to do it.)
• Remember + gerund: Remember something from the past
  • I remember visiting this place before. (I have a memory of it.)

7. Stop

• Stop + infinitive: Stop one action to do another
  • She stopped to answer the phone. (She stopped what she was doing to answer.)
• Stop + gerund: Quit doing something
  • He stopped smoking. (He gave up smoking.)

8. Try

• Try + infinitive: Make an effort to do something difficult
  • I tried to lift the box, but it was too heavy.
• Try + gerund: Experiment with something
  • Try adding more sugar to the recipe. (See if it improves.)

9. Hear, See, Watch, Feel, Notice

• Infinitive (without ‘to’) → Completed action
  • I saw him cross the street. (I saw the whole action.)
• Gerund → Action in progress
  • I saw him crossing the street. (I saw him while he was crossing.)

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Conclusion

Mastering gerunds and infinitives is essential for fluent English. By understanding which verbs take which form—and how meaning can change—you’ll improve both your grammar and your confidence in speaking and writing.

📌 Pro Tip: If you’re ever unsure, try looking up the verb in a reliable dictionary, as usage can sometimes vary.

Do you have any tricky verbs you’re still unsure about? Drop a comment below! 📩

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🎯 Gerund or Infinitive? Test Your Knowledge!

Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the verb (gerund or infinitive). Write your answers in the comments! ⬇️

1. I forgot ______ (lock) the door before leaving home.
2. She stopped ______ (drink) coffee because it made her anxious.
3. We need ______ (finish) the project before Friday.
4. He went on ______ (talk) for hours about his trip.
5. I remember ______ (meet) you at the conference last year!
6. They tried ______ (fix) the machine, but it still doesn’t work.
7. The doctor advised ______ (eat) more vegetables.
8. I regret ______ (inform) you that your application was unsuccessful.
9. My car needs ______ (wash).
10. She promised ______ (help) me with my homework.

💬 Drop your answers in the comments, and I’ll check them! ✅