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Verbs followed by '-ing' or by 'to' + infinitive 2
Look at these examples to see how these verb patterns work.
The bus stopped picking up the children.
The bus stopped to pick up the children.I want to try studying with a friend to see if it helps us stay more motivated.
I'm trying to study but it's impossible with all this noise.
Try this exercise to test your grammar.
Read the explanation to learn more.
Grammar explanation
Some verbs have a different meaning depending on whether they are followed by an -ing form or to + infinitive.
stop
Stop + -ing means the action is not happening any more.
I've stopped buying the newspaper because now I read the news online.
Stop + to + infinitive means that someone or something stops an activity so that they can do something else.
He stopped the video to ask the students some questions.
try
Try + -ing means that you are trying something as an experiment, especially as a possible solution to a problem, to see if it works or not.
Have you tried turning the computer off and on again?
Try + to + infinitive means that something is difficult but you are making an effort to do it.
I'm trying to learn Japanese but it's very difficult.
remember/forget
Remember + -ing and forget + -ing refer to having (or not having) a memory of something in the past.
I remember watching this film before.
I'll never forget meeting you for the first time in this café.
Remember + to + infinitive and forget + to + infinitive refer to recalling (or not recalling) that there is something we need to do before we do it.
Please remember to buy some milk on the way home.
He forgot to lock the door when he went out.
Do this exercise to test your grammar again.
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Hello 83roman,
Go on can be followed by either the to-infinitive or by an -ing form, but the meaning is different:
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
Hello fred,
Like + -ing means the same as enjoy. It tells us that we get pleasure from a particular action or state.
Like + to verb means a preference in terms of behaviour.
For example, we can compare these two sentences:
The first sentence tells us that eating porridge gives the speaker pleasure. The second sentence tells us that he or she likes to organise their day to include porridge for breakfast.
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
Hello fred
There's a difference between 'like' and 'would like'. We use 'like' to speak about things that we enjoy or which please us -- for example, 'I like running' or 'She likes apples'. In Spanish, we'd normally use 'gustar' for 'like' ('She likes apples' = 'Le gustan las manzanas').
We use 'would like' to express wishes in a polite way -- it's a more polite way of saying 'want'. For example, 'I would like an apple' (I could say this to a fruitseller) or 'I would like to see Las Fallas in Valencia'. In Spanish, we'd normally say use 'quisiera' or 'querría' ('I would like an apple' = 'Quisiera una manzana').
Does that make sense?
All the best
Kirk
The LearnEnglish Team
Hi mehransam05,
Both of these sentences are grammatical:
The first tells us that quality is an important element in satisfying customers.
The secnd tells us that quality is important in order to satisfy customers - it shows a causal relationship.
We can use for in a similar way to to in the first example, but it is more often used when talking about the beneficiary of the action (who it is done for):
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team