Verb + -ing (gerund)
enjoy, avoid, mind, finish, keep, suggest, admit, deny, practice, can't stand, look forward to + -ing
- I enjoy swimming. · He avoids eating junk food. · Do you mind opening the window?
Verb + to infinitive
want, hope, decide, plan, promise, refuse, manage, afford, learn, pretend, would like + to + verb
- She wants to be a doctor. · We decided to buy a house.
Verb + object + to infinitive
want, tell, advise, ask, allow: He told me to close the door. · make / let + object + base verb: She made me clean my room.
Both forms (similar meaning)
like, love, hate, prefer, start, begin, continue: I like running / to run.
Both forms (different meaning)
| Verb | + -ing | + to |
|---|
| remember / forget | memory of the past: I remember locking it. | don't forget to do: Remember to lock it. |
| stop | end the activity: He stopped walking. | pause in order to: He stopped to buy coffee. |
| try | experiment: Try opening the window. | make an effort: I tried to open it. |
| regret | sorry about the past: I regret telling him. | formal news: We regret to inform you. |
Other uses
- After a preposition → -ing: good at drawing, thinking of moving, before leaving.
- Subject → -ing: Swimming is good for you.
- Purpose → to: I went to the shop to buy milk.
- Adjective + to: It's easy to make a mistake.
- Modals → base verb: I can swim.
En español
Algunos verbos llevan -ing (enjoy, avoid, mind), otros to + infinitivo (want, decide, hope). Después de una preposición siempre -ing. Cambian de significado: remember, forget, stop, try, regret.
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