The differences between verbs followed by Gerund or to + infinitive forms.

Sometimes we come across with verbs followed by a Gerund (verb ending in -ing which expresses a progressive form or a continuous action) or an infinitive preceded by the preposition “to” or sometimes the same verb uses both patterns.

Which is the difference among them?

Then let´s learn more about Gerunds which come Latin “gerere” which means “to do” and we use them to emphasize the action of doing something.  Sometimes the Gerund can act as a noun when we refer to the action in an abstract manner or as an adjective before the noun that accompanies as a collocation, for example:

Dancing is good for your health.

Painting is a good hobby when you live beside a beautiful place.

Reading was my favourite pastime when I was a teenager.

She likes gardening but I prefer swimming in our pool.

The plants need watering every day.

This is the singing parrot which is renowned in the whole country.

She was the dancing queen at the club during the whole week.

He used to go for stroll to the park with his walking stick and his small dog.

I saw her in the rocking chair and she winked and smiled to me.

 

Also Gerunds are used to refer to a past habit or action:

Writing in my diary was my usual morning routine during the lockdown.

Walking to the lake everyday are my memories when I was a kid in Ontario.

Talking to my neighbour daily relieved my grief after my husband passed away.

 

Many times, we use the Gerund to highlight an action which is real, repetitive, important or complete:

My tasks at the office involved writing emails to customers every day.

They decided moving to a greener neighborhood the following month.

We opted opening the clothes shop in the same street we had lived as teenagers.

She worked packing gifts during Christmas at that factory.

It started running badly but it ended well at the end.

He played fighting against the other kids in the courtyard.

 

We can also use the Gerund when you remind or regret doing something in the past:

I remember spoiling my daughter at home so she is now unable to keep a job.

He regrets cheating on his wife.

I remember switching off the TV when I left home.

I stopped talking at work after the boss scolded me.

We stopped buying fizzy drinks after we watched that documentary about sugar.

They stopped smoking once they realized the reason of illness of their mates.

I forgot locking the car.

 

When we use the infinitive it is usually because we should/ must do or have to do something or that we already stopped or began to do something in particular.

I changed my clothes not to anger my mum.

We do not buy mineral water to avoid plastic.

We forgot to feed the pets.

I quitted my work to help my family in the shop.

She stopped her conversation with me to help her injured neighbour.

They tried to contact him but it was useless.

We can´t afford to pay the fees in a private College.

He promised to attend the seminar at the weekend.

We stopped our car to save the stray cat.

I forgot to do my homework today.

 

These three verbs (help, make, let) are always followed by an infinitive without to:

This habit helps him alleviate his pain.

It makes them reduce speed in such crossroad.

It let us go sailing without sinking in the sea.

Let´s go to the beach. Let us go for a walk to the promenade in the evening. Let´s do it.

 

There are verbs which are always followed by an infinitive with “to” such as:

Agree, appear, arrange, ask, attempt, choose, dare, decide, demand, deserve, expect, fail, grow, happen, help, hope, hurry, learn, long (ansiar, anhelar), make, manage, neglect, offer, pay, plan, pretend, promise, promise, refuse, seek, seem, struggle, swear, threaten, vow (jurar, prometer), want, wish.

 

There are also verbs which are followed by an object and then the preposition “to” and the Infinitive, for your understanding these verbs appear in black in sample sentences:

We advised her not to open the door of the airplane.

I assisted him to drive a car.

She begs me to donate for her NGO.

They bribed us to pay them one million dollars.

He commanded me to open the notebook.

He dares in the office to shout at his boss.

She employed them to work in the fields.

It enables us to run faster.

It encourages our team to work harder.

He instructs the soldiers to march together.

We invited an artist to have dinner with us.

He leads his family to live a harsh life.

The headteacher ordered the children to shut up.

She persuaded the party to follow her ideology.

The psychologist selected us to do the quiz.

We sent the presents to please her.

Jesus teaches us to be compassionate.

She tells us to smile at the guests.

They trained him to work as a spy for the enemies.

They urged me to hurry up.

The policeman warned us to watch the traffic lights.

 

There are also verbs which use the infinitive after the main verb preceded by the conjunct “that” which begins a subordinate clause of purpose frequently:

I admit that she works efficiently.

We advise that you leave the flat as soon possible (asap).

They agreed that she pay the debt on Monday.

Moreover, these verbs are mostly: appear, appreciate, arrange, decide, demand, deny, expect, fancy, forget, happen, hope, intend, learn, mean, mention, order, persuade, plan, pretend, promise, propose, regret, remember, resent, resolve, seem, suggest, swear, teach, tell, threaten, vow, warn, wish.

There are verbs which are always followed by a verb in the gerund (V-ing) such as:

Enjoy, finish, imagine, mind, spend, suggest, avoid, appreciate, burst out, can´t stand, contemplate, delay, detest, dislike, endure, enjoy, escape, excuse, face, fancy, feel like, finish, give up, involve, keep on, leave off, mention, mind, miss, practice, put off, risk, resent, waste time, want.

 

There are also verbs which can be used either with the Gerund or the infinitive preceded by to such as:

Attempt, begin, continue, forget, go on, hate, intend, love, mean, plan, prefer, propose, regret, start.

Although some of them may change the meaning with the Gerund or the to + infinitive:

I remember doing the homework at night everyday when I was a child. (habit)

I remember to do the homework. (an action you have done in this situation)

She tried talking to me but I didn´t listened her= she kept trying several times.

She tried to talk to me but I didn´t listened her. = she tried once.

We stopped swimming in the river= we do not do it again.

We stopped to swim in the river= we stopped something to swim in the river instead.

 

And these three verbs (hear, see, watch) can be used indistinctly in the Gerund or Infinitive form once or twice in the same sentences:

Hearing about her life then was the saddest thing for me that day.

Watching children playing was his favorite pastime in the beach.

Seeing her at the office made me very happy.

She needs to watch subtitled movies.