
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.
Hi Chekytan,
We don't have resources at C2 level at the moment, but you can find C1 resources by typing 'C1' in the search bar.
You may like to try the Skills sections, which all have resources at C1 level.
Best wishes,
Jonathan
The LearnEnglish Team
Hello Nehashri,
Gerunds behave as verbs within the clause, so they can take an object or be modified by an adverb, but the clause as a whole (which could be just the gerund or could contain more words) functions as a noun within the sentence.
In your second example, Reading books is a non-finite clause where the gerund is followed by an object (a verbal property). The non-finite clause is the subject (a nominal property) in the larger sentence.
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team