6/17/25, 7:27 PM Verb patterns: verb + infinitive or verb + - ing ?
- Cambridge Grammar
Verb patterns: verb + infinitive or verb + - ing ?
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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:
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6/17/25, 7:27 PM Verb patterns: verb + infinitive or verb + - ing ? - Cambridge Grammar
afford demand like pretend
agree fail love promise
arrange forget manage refuse
ask hate mean (= intend) remember
begin help need start
choose hope offer try
continue intend plan want
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:
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6/17/25, 7:27 PM Verb patterns: verb + infinitive or verb + - ing ? - Cambridge Grammar
admit deny finish mind
avoid dislike give up miss
(can’t) help enjoy imagine practise
(can’t) stand fancy involve put off
consider feel like keep (on) risk
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.
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6/17/25, 7:27 PM Verb patterns: verb + infinitive or verb + - ing ? - Cambridge Grammar
Compare
-ing form to-infinitive
I love cooking Indian food.
I like to drink juice in the morning, and tea at
(emphasis on the process itself and
lunchtime. (emphasis more on the preference or habit)
enjoyment of it)
She hates cleaning her room. I hate to be the only person to disagree. (emphasis
(emphasis on the process itself and more on the result: I would prefer not to be in that
no enjoyment of it) situation.)
Most people prefer watching a film We prefer to drive during the day whenever we can.
at the cinema rather than on TV. (emphasis more on the result and on the habit or
(emphasis on the process itself and preference. The speaker doesn’t necessarily enjoy the
enjoyment of it) process of driving at any 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.
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6/17/25, 7:27 PM Verb patterns: verb + infinitive or verb + - ing ? - Cambridge Grammar
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 on need remember try
mean regret stop want
Compare
-ing form to-infinitive
Working in London means leaving home
I didn’t mean to make you cry. (I didn’t intend to
at 6.30. (Because I work in London, this is
make you cry.)
the result or consequence.)
Contents To top
He went on singing after everyone else She recited a poem, then went on to sing a
had finished. (He continued singing lovely folk song. (She recited the poem first, then
without stopping.) she 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 the tried/attempted to email him but I did not
web to see what information I could find.) succeed.)
We stopped to buy some water at the
She stopped crying as soon as she saw
motorway service area. (We were travelling and
her mother. (She was crying, and then she
we stopped for a short time in order to buy some
didn’t cry anymore.)
water.)
See also:
Mean
Need
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6/17/25, 7:27 PM Verb patterns: verb + infinitive or verb + - ing ? - Cambridge Grammar
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
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6/17/25, 7:27 PM Verb patterns: verb + infinitive or verb + - ing ? - Cambridge Grammar
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
hear overhear watch
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 below
I heard someone shout ‘Help!’, so I ran to
and looked out of the window. (emphasises that
the river. (emphasises the whole event:
the shouting probably continued or was
the person probably shouted only once)
repeated)
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:
advise hate like persuade request
ask help love prefer teach
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6/17/25, 7:27 PM Verb patterns: verb + infinitive or verb + - ing ? - Cambridge Grammar
challenge instruct need recommend tell
choose intend order remind want
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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