Verbs Followed by Gerunds and Infinitives
In English, if you want to follow a verb with another action, you must use a gerund or
infinitive. For example:
We resumed talking. (gerund – verb + ing)
I want to see a movie. (infinitive – to + base verb)
There are certain verbs that can only be followed by one or the other, and these verbs
must be memorized. Many of these verbs are listed below.
1. Common verbs followed by a gerund:
Example: He misses playing with his friends.
abhor endure postpone
acknowledge enjoy practice
admit escape prevent
advise evade put off
allow explain recall
anticipate fancy recollect
appreciate fear recommend
avoid feel like report
be worth feign resent
can’t help finish resist
celebrate forgive resume
confess give up (stop) risk
consider keep (continue) shirk
defend keep on shun
delay mention suggest
detest mind (object to) support
discontinue miss tolerate
discuss necessitate understand
dislike omit urge
dispute permit warrant
dread picture
2. Common verbs followed by an infinitive:
Example: She threatened to quit if she didn't get a raise.
agree fail remain
appear get request
arrange grow (up) resolve
ask guarantee say
attempt hesitate seek
beg hope seem
can/can’t afford hurry shudder
can/can’t wait incline strive
care learn struggle
chance manage swear
choose mean tend
claim need threaten
come neglect turn out
consent offer venture
dare pay volunteer
decide plan wait
demand prepare want
deserve pretend wish
determine profess would like
elect promise yearn
endeavor prove
expect refuse
3. Verbs followed by a gerund or infinitive with little to no change in meaning:
Example: It started to rain. / It started raining.
begin
can’t bear
can’t stand
continue
hate
like
love
prefer
propose
start
4. Verbs followed by a gerund or infinitive with a change in meaning:
forget I forgot to meet him.
(I didn’t meet him because I forgot to do it.)
I forgot meeting him.
(I don’t have the memory of meeting him before.)
go on He went on to learn English and French.
(He ended one period of time before this.)
He went on learning English and French.
(He continued learning the languages.)
quit She quit to work here.
(She quit another job in order to work here.)
She quit working here.
(She quit her job here. She doesn’t work here anymore.)
regret I regret promising to help you.
(I’m sorry that I made the promise.)
I regret to tell you that we can't hire you.
(I’m telling you now, and I’m sorry.)
remember She remembered to visit her grandmother.
(She didn’t forget to visit.)
She remembered visiting her grandmother.
(She had memories of this time.)
stop I stopped to call you.
(I interrupted another action in order to call you.)
I stopped calling you.
(I stopped this activity. Maybe we had a fight.)
try I tried to open the window.
(I attempted this action but didn’t succeed.)
I tried opening the window.
(This was one option I sampled. Maybe the room was hot.)
Source: Alex, https://www.engvid.com/english-resource/verbs-followed-by-
gerunds-and-infinitives/
