INFINITIVES AND –ING FORMS
• Some verbs are usually followed by an infinitive:
I promised to call her tonight.
She managed not to lose her keys this time.
• We use an infinitive after these verbs:
afford, agree, aim, arrange, begin, decide, deserve,
expect, fail, hope, intend, learn, manage, need, offer,
plan, pretend, promise, refuse, seem, start, threaten,
want
• Some verbs are usually followed by an –ing form:
Do you enjoy flying?
I hate being cold.
• We use an –ing form after these verbs:
admit, adore, avoid, can’t stand, consider, deny, dislike,
don’t mind, enjoy, escape, fancy, feel like, finish,
imagine, involve, keep (on), look forward to, mention,
mind, miss, practice, regret, resist, suggest, understand
Use the verbs in brackets, in the correct form, to
complete the information.
Have you decided where to go on holiday this year?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
We promise ______ (help) you decide.
Do you enjoy ______ (cycle) in the countryside and _____ (walk)
in the mountains?
If you fancy _____ (escape) from the crowds and _____ (do)
something different, and you don’t mind _____ (share) your holiday
with others, we offer _____ (show) you the most fantastic places.
If you can’t afford _____ (spend) a lot of money, don’t worry!
We promise _____ (beat) any price offered by our competitors.
We always aim _____ (give) our clients the best possible holiday
experience.
And you just need _____ (mention) this advertisement to get an
extra discount!
V + O + INF
• We can use some verbs with a person as object +
infinitive:
I want my son to learn French.
Jack helped me to finish painting.
• We use these verbs in this structure:
allow, ask, cause, encourage, expect, force, get, help,
invite, leave, like, love, need, prefer, persuade, teach,
tell, train, want
Rewrite the sentences using the verbs given.
1. My teacher said I should listen to more music.
(encourage)
2. My brother showed me how to play the guitar. (teach)
3. My mother thought I would go to university. (expect)
4. My father said to me, “You should study engineering.”
(want)
5. When I first met my manager, he said, “Please give e a
chance.” (persuade)
6. My manager showed me how to get a record deal.
(help)
7. The famous musicians said to me, “Please join our
tour.” (invite)
• Some verbs can take an infinitive or an –ing form with
the same meaning:
I like to go for long walks.
I like going for long walks.
She continued to talk.
She continued talking.
• These verbs are:
begin, continue, hate, intend, like, love, prefer, start
• We can use an infinitive or an –ing form with these verbs, but with a
change in meaning:
try, remember, forget, stop
I tried to see Mary but she was in a meeting.
If you can’t get to sleep, try counting sheep.
Did you remember to buy some bread?
Do you remember going to London when you were 3?
I forgot to phone your sister.
I’ll never forget seeing Rio de Janeiro for the first time.
I was walking home from school and stopped to play football.
I stopped playing football two years ago, when I broke my leg.
Cross out the incorrect form in these sentences.
1. Have you seen my hat? – Yes, I remember seeing/to
see it in the kitchen yesterday.
2. The End of Reason is a fantastic film. You must
remember seeing/to see it when you get a chance.
3. I can’t stop thinking/to think about the book I read last
night – it was very moving.
4. What would you like for dinner? – I have too much work
to do, I can’t stop thinking/to think about food.
5. I would love going/to go for a walk this afternoon.
6. I mustn’t forget showing/to show you my photograph
tomorrow.
7. I’ll never forget showing/to show my father the painting I
did for him – he thought it was terrible.