Infinitive or –ing ?
Choose the right form !
The basics
Easy rules you CAN ALWAYS
remember …
The VERB + -ING form is
used:
1. After prepositions:
The company is looking into expanding
their operations in the Middle East.
And…
2. As a subject or object of a sentence:
Financing the arts is an expensive form of
publicity.
The company directors fixed breaking into
the Japanese market as their main
objective.
&
3. After while, before, after and when
After completing his studies, he got a job
in a bank.
When implementing a new project, it’s
important to keep to budget.
&
4. After certain verbs including:
Admit, appreciate, avoid, celebrate,
consider, contemplate, delay, deny, dislike,
enjoy, face, fancy, finish, imagine, involve,
keep, mention, mind, miss, postpone,
practise, report, resent, resist, risk, suggest
Ex.: They postponed launching their special
offer until after the holiday season.
Do you need to memorize the list ?
 Not necessarily…..these are verbs that are
often followed by an object, or a
preposition….
 For example, you…..
 …practise playing a musical instrument
 …report seeing a person stealing a car
 …resent someone insulting you.
 …suggest seeing a doctor
We use the infinitive…
1. To express purpose:
The purpose of this meeting is to discuss
possible strategies for the launching of
our new product.
They sold the land to finance the
building of a new factory.
&
2. After adjectives
The Fine Arts Festival indicated that they
would be delighted to accept our
sponsorship
3. After too and enough.
It’s too far to walk.
It’s too far in the future to decide yet.
The offer is not high enough for us to
accept.
&
4. As a formal way to talk about
something that will happen in the future :
President Obama is to visit Italy next April.
Volkswagen are to open a new factory in
Romania next month.
5. After certain verbs, including:
afford, agree, aim, appear, arrange, ask,
attempt, choose, dare, decide, demand,
deserve, expect, fail, happen, help,
hesitate, hope, intend, learn, manage,
mean, neglect, offer, plan, prepare,
pretend, promise, prove, refuse, seem,
tend, threaten, volunteer, wait, want,
wish
&
For example:
Don’t hesitate to contact me if you
require assistance.
He seemed to be very sure he was right.
He demanded to see the director
immediately.
She appeared to be confused.
I arranged to meet my sister for lunch.
Complete these sentences using the correct form of the verb in
brackets:
 1. ……(GO) into business involves ….(TAKE) a
certain amount of risk.
 2. That production is not cost-effective enough
…..(CONTINUE) with it: we risk ….. (GO)
bankrupt unless we modify it.
 3. He was quick …..(SPOT) the mistake in the
accounts, and without even …..(RUN) them
through the computer.
….
 4. ….(DISCOURAGE) their workers from
…. (GO) on strike, FIAT has been
threatening …. (CLOSE) its Italian
operations.
 5. Do you happen …(KNOW) if Mr.
Woodward is considering …. (VISIT) Zurich
during his European trip ?
 6. Could you arrange …. (HOLD) the
meeting after …. (COMPLETE) the
proposal .
VERB COMBINATIONS
We know that verbs are often followed by
other verbs:
I enjoy reading.
I didn’t choose to do this job.
You deserve to get a promotion.
She denies cheating on the test.
But how can we know whether the 2nd verb
is a to-infinitive or ends with –ing ?
VERB + VERB+ing
The –ing verb focuses on:
a. an action or state BEFORE the action of
the first verb:
She admitted taking a bribe.
She finished doing her homework an hour
ago.
Now that he is in prison, he misses seeing
his wife and children.
b. the activity itself:
I hate working the night shift.
She recommends selling the shares now.
Some common verbs followed by –ing involve:
SAYING AND THINKING (admit, consider, deny)
LIKING AND DISLIKING (dislike, enjoy, not mind)
PHRASAL VERBS (carry on, give up, put off, look
forward to....)
PHRASES WITH CAN’T (can’t bear, can’t stand,
can’t help)
It’s not worth..... / It’s no use / no good....
OTHER COMMON VERBS: avoid, delay, finish,
involve, keep, miss, postpone, practice, risk
admit appreciate contemplate hive up
involve deny enjoy consider carry on
mean look forward to remember
justify can’t stand mind anticipate
resent warrant detest recollect risk
recommend delay dislike/hate
like/love jeopardise suggest put off avoid
miss
We use MIND +-ing in negative and
interrogative sentences.
Do you mind waiting a moment ?
GO and COME + –ing are used for sports and
outdoor activities:
I often go skiing in the winter.
Do you want to come shopping with me ?
1. Travelling doesn’t bother me as long as
there are no delays. (mind)
I don’t.....____________________________
2. He was late so I didn’t see him. (miss)
He was late so ....._____________________
3. Why on earth did you spend so much
money on clothes. (justify)
How can you ..... _____________________
4. In my job I have to meet many people.
(involve)
My job ... ____________________________
VERB + to-INFINITIVE
The to-infinitive form focuses on:
a) a purpose (to explain why we do
something):
I’m calling to find out if you stock spare
parts.
She intends to complain about her marks.
b) a future situation:
They are planning to launch a takeover bid.
I’ve arranged to see the sales rep tomorrow.
I expect to see them in Rome next week.
c) The infinitive is used after a question
word:
Can you show me how to get on the
Internet on this computer ?
Some common verbs followed by toinfinitive forms are:
Intend attempt promise plan guarantee
mean try undertake arrange offer want hope
forget seem fail wish expect remember
appear neglect claim pretend
1. We will provide a 24-hour-a-day hotline.
(undertake)
We.....___________________________
2. Send them the samples they requested—don’t
forget, will you ? (remember)
Please ....________________________
3. I anticipate receiving an answer soon (expect)
I ..... ______________________________
4. I have every intention of complaining. (intend)
I fully ... _________________________
VERB + OBJECT + to-infinitive
When we want to talk about two actions
performed by different people or things, the verbs
are separated by an object:
He didn’t want me to attend the meeting.
(NOT: He didn’t want that I attend...)
They don’t allow you to smoke at work.
(NOT: They don’t allow that...)
A laptop enables people to work on a plane.
(NOT: A laptop enables that...)
Some common verbs used with an object + toinfinitive are:
advise allow ask cause challenge choose defy
enable encourage expect forbid force help inspire
instruct intend invite lead leave mean oblige
order pay permit persuade prefer programme
recruit remind teach tell train trust urge use
warn
VERB + OBJECT + VERB +ing
Some verbs are used with an object + a second
verb ending in –ing:
Her comment set me (to) thinking .
Outsourcing would save you (from) spending
money on permanent staff.
Some common verbs used this way are:
catch describe discover feel find
hear imagine keep leave like
listen to notice observe prevent (from)
save see send set show watch
VERBS of PERCEPTION
The choice of –ing or the infinitive without to
depends on the meaning:
-ing when not all of the action is seen or heard:
I saw a man stealing some clothes from a shop.
I heard a door banging repeatedly.
He watched the crowd leaving the stadium.
Infinitive, if all of the action is seen or heard:
I saw a man steal some clothes from a store.
He watched the crowd leave the stadium.
I heard a door bang once and then nothing.
VERB + INFINITIVE without TO:
A few verbs used in second position do not
take to. These are let, make and have (in
the sense of ‘cause to happen’).
We let them to have a 10% discount.
Don’t make me to laugh.
Could you have the secretary to bring us
coffee, please ?
VERB + IT + OBJECT CLAUSE:
When the object of a verb is a clause,
to+infinitive or –ing structure, we use IT after
the verb to introduce the clause:
I find it impossible to understand their culture.
The government regard it as unnecessary to raise
taxation.
She feels it is necessary to send a copy to
absolutely everyone.
CORRECT THE ERRORS IN THESE SENTENCES:
I find impossible to work with him.
They made us to work extremely hard in my
previous job.
She never let me to take any decisions
Could you have Mr. Clarke to prepare some
statistics ?
She’s finding difficult to get used to her new job.
VERB + for + to-INFINITIVE
Some verbs are followed by the preposition FOR
and its object, then an infinitive:
He arranged for his secretary to drive him to the
airport.
I waited for him to get back in touch.
They called for the union to reconsider its strike.
These verbs can be used in this way:
Appeal apply arrange ask call
Opt pay plead vote wait
Wish yearn
VERB + possessive + verb + ing
It’s possible to introduce a possessive pronoun
or genitive between the first and second verb.
‘Please forgive me for asking’
‘Please forgive my asking’
INFORMAL
FORMAL
That would entail our making a concession.
This will save our wasting time.
They have suggested his going to the
symposium.
He’s looking forward to our visit.
SPECIAL CASES:
Certain verbs can be followed either by an
infinitive or another verb +ing, but the choice
leads to a change in meaning:
REMEMBER / FORGET:
+ ing for PAST MEMORIES (the action happens
before remembering)
+ to infinitive for actions someone is/was
supposed to do.
I will never forget meeting Bill Gates.
(=always remember meeting)
I sometimes forget to wear my seatbelt.
(=don’t remember to wear)
She remembered to turn her headlights off.
(=didn’t forget)
She remembers turning off her headlights.
(=has a clear memory of)
MEAN + ing = when one thing results in/
requires another
MEAN + to infinitive = an intention
I mean to see her later this week.
(Intend to)
I could get a better job but
it would mean moving.
(=involve)
STOP + -ing = when we end an action
STOP + to infinitive = to give the reason
for stopping
We stopped buying from that supplier.
(=ceased)
He stopped to have a drink on the way home.
(in order to)
GO ON + ing = continue something
GO ON + to infinitive = when we move on to
something else.
They went on trading even though they
were nearly bankrupt. (=did the same thing)
After leaving IBM he went on to start his
own company. (=did something new)
TRY + -ing = when we do something and then
see what happens
TRY + to infinitive = we make an effort but
don’t necessarily suceed
Why don’t you try giving the staff greater
autonomy ? (=experiment and see what
happens)
He tried to learn Russian but gave up.
(=attempted/made the effort)
REGRET + ing = am sorry about something in
the past
REGRET + to infinitive = to give bad news
I regret saying no to the job in Paris.
I regret to inform you that we are unable
to....
VERBS OF PERCEPTION: see, watch, feel,
hear, listen to, notice:
If we see or hear only part of the action,
or it continues, we use –ing
If we see or hear the whole action from
beginning to end we use the infinitive:
Compare:
I saw her giving the presentation
I saw her give the presentation.
I heard the machine make a strange noise.
I heard the machine making a strange noise.
VERBS WITH LITTLE CHANGE IN
MEANING (infinitive or –ing)
BEGIN, CONTINUE, INTEND, START
In the 2nd quarter, when the market began
to go down, we began selling stock to
minimize our losses.
N.B.
We usually DO NOT use two –ing forms
together:
It was starting to get dark NOT
It was starting getting dark.
LIKE /LOVE /HATE /PREFER + to infinitive
= a good/bad idea
LIKE /LOVE /HATE / PREFER + -ing form
= shows your feelings
I like to do my taxes early, but I don’t like
doing them.