When two verbs appear together in English, the form of the second verb depends on the first. It may be a to-infinitive, a gerund (-ing), or a bare infinitive. Choosing the wrong form is one of the most persistent intermediate errors.
4 subtopics — pick one to start practising
Verbs Followed by the To-Infinitive
Many verbs are followed by "to + base verb" (the to-infinitive). Common examples: want, need, decide, hope, plan, agree, refuse, manage, fail, offer, promise, expect, seem, appear, learn, choose. "She decided to leave early." "He managed to finish on time." There is no rule — these must be learnt.
Verbs Followed by the Gerund (-ing)
Some verbs are followed by a gerund (verb + -ing). Common examples: enjoy, avoid, consider, finish, keep, mind, suggest, recommend, imagine, practise, admit, deny, risk, miss, involve, postpone. "I enjoy reading." "She admitted making a mistake." Again — these must be learnt as vocabulary, not rules.
Gerund vs. Infinitive — Meaning Changes
A small group of verbs change meaning depending on whether they are followed by a gerund or an infinitive. The most important: "stop doing" = quit a habit; "stop to do" = pause in order to do something. "Remember doing" = recall a memory; "remember to do" = not forget a task. "Try doing" = experiment; "try to do" = attempt something difficult.
Verb + Someone + To Infinitive
Some verbs take an object + to-infinitive: want, ask, tell, expect, need, help, allow, encourage, remind, warn, invite, force, persuade. "She asked me to wait." "They expected him to resign." The structure is: VERB + OBJECT + TO + BASE VERB. With "help", the to is sometimes dropped in informal English: "Can you help me (to) carry this?"