Gerund and infinitive meaning changes

After some verbs, English uses verb-ing; after others, it uses to + verb. A smaller group accepts both forms but changes meaning. The best way to learn these verbs is as a pattern in a useful sentence rather than as a long list.

Remembering a past action or a future task

I remember locking the door.
I have a memory of doing it.

Remember to lock the door.
Do not forget this task.

The -ing action happens before the remembering; the infinitive describes something you need to do. Forget follows a similar pattern: I’ll never forget meeting them looks back at an experience; Don’t forget to call them points to a task.

Remember: the task and the memory have different timelines

Imagine posting an application on Monday and thinking about it on Tuesday.

Monday: I post it → Tuesday: I remember posting it.

Remember + -ing looks back to an earlier action. Now imagine an alarm reminding you to post it:

Monday morning: I remember the task → later: I post it.
I remembered to post the application.

Remembered to post normally means you remembered the task and carried it out. Forgot to post means you failed to do it because you forgot. Forgot posting it means the posting happened but you later lost the memory of it. Because that last use can sound less natural in isolation, a full context helps: I'd completely forgotten sending that email until I found it in my sent folder.

The infinitive does not always refer to future time relative to now: Yesterday I remembered to pay the bill concerns a completed past task. The important order is remembering before doing, rather than “infinitive equals future”.

Stopping, trying and regretting

Stop + -ing means end an activity: She stopped working at six. Stop + to-infinitive means pause one activity in order to do another: She stopped to answer the phone.

Try + -ing suggests testing a method: Try restarting the router. Try + to-infinitive means make an effort, perhaps with difficulty: I tried to restart it, but the screen stayed blank.

Regret + -ing expresses sorrow about an earlier action: He regrets sharing the password. Regret + to-infinitive is formal and often introduces unwelcome news: We regret to inform you that the flight has been cancelled.

Pattern	Meaning	Example
stop + -ing	end an activity	They stopped talking.
stop + to-infinitive	pause in order to act	They stopped to talk.
remember + -ing	recall a past action	I remember posting it.
remember + to-infinitive	remember a task	Remember to post it.

A few more meaning contrasts

Go on doing means continue the same activity; go on to do means move to a new activity:

She went on explaining the first chart.
She went on to describe the second chart.

Mean doing describes what something involves: Changing the date would mean contacting everyone. Mean to do expresses intention: I meant to contact everyone, but I forgot.

Verbs that allow both forms

After begin, start, continue and prefer, both forms are often possible with little change: It began raining / to rain. With like and love, the gerund often presents enjoyment of an activity (I like swimming); the infinitive can present a habit or choice (I like to check the figures twice). This is a tendency, not a strict rule.

The preposition to takes -ing

In look forward to meeting, object to changing and be used to working, to is a preposition, so it takes a noun or -ing. Compare want to meet, where to introduces an infinitive.

Cambridge's article on mistakes with verb patterns explains contrasts such as try doing, try to do and need doing. Use a dictionary example to check verbs not covered here.

Two ways to solve a problem with try

Your printer is not working. A friend says Try switching it off and on again. The switching is a proposed experiment: do it and see whether it helps.

You answer I tried to switch it off, but the button was stuck. Now the focus is your effort to perform the action. The sentence explicitly says the attempt was unsuccessful. Try to alone does not always mean failure: I tried to contact her, and eventually got through is possible.

Verb	-ing meaning	To-infinitive meaning
try	Test a method: Try using another cable.	Make an effort: Try to stay calm.
stop	End the named activity: Stop checking your phone.	Pause for a purpose: Stop to check the address.
mean	Involve a consequence: It means paying extra.	Intend: I meant to pay you back.
go on	Continue the activity: She went on talking.	Move to the next activity: She went on to answer questions.

In We stopped to buy water, the infinitive explains why we stopped; buying is not the activity we stopped doing. You can make this explicit: We stopped walking in order to buy water.

A passive meaning with need

The window needs cleaning means someone needs to clean it. An equivalent is The window needs to be cleaned, not The window needs to clean. The window receives the action.

Compare I need to clean the window, where I will perform it. Once again, the subject and meaning guide the pattern.

For preferences, notice would like/love/prefer + to-infinitive: I'd like to join you, rather than ~~I'd like joining you~~ for this particular invitation. General enjoyment can use like + -ing: I like joining walking groups.

When you meet a new verb, record a complete phrase and explain its meaning in ordinary language. Do not infer the pattern from a synonym: enjoy reading and want to read express related interests but require different forms.