Gerund and infinitive – different meaning
Verbs can change their meaning when they are followed by a Gerund or an Infinitive
forget
| GERUND | INFINITIVE |
|---|---|
| Is used when you lose the memory of something in the past. | Is used when you remember something, but you didn’t do it. |
| She forgot reading the book when she was a child. | I forgot to bring the tickets. |
go on
| GERUND | INFINITIVE |
|---|---|
| continue the same activity | change the activity |
| We’ll go on questioning you until we get the truth. | We’ll go on to discuss the next item. |
mean
| GERUND | INFINITIVE |
|---|---|
| something has to be done as a result | intend to do something. |
| The pipes are frozen. That means getting a plumber. | I meant to phone the plumber, but I lost his number. |
regret
| GERUND | INFINITIVE |
|---|---|
| Something you did in the past that you are not happy about. | To give bad news in a formal way |
| I regret marrying her. | We regret to inform you that the 18:30 train has been cancelled. |
remember
| GERUND | INFINITIVE |
|---|---|
| This is a memory of something in the past. | To recall you need to do something. |
| I remember turning off the gas before I went on holiday. | Remember to turn off the gas when you go on holiday. |
stop
| GERUND | INFINITIVE |
|---|---|
| To finish an activity | Finish one thing to start the verb in the infinitive. |
| I stopped smoking. | I stopped to smoke. |
try
| GERUND | INFINITIVE |
|---|---|
| to test something. | to do something that is not easy |
| I tried dieting but I didn’t lose weight. | I tried to diet but I couldn’t. |