-ing form or infinitive?

Some verbs and adjectives can be followed by an infinitive or by an -ing form, often with a difference of meaning.

1   remember and forget

We remember or forget doing things in the past — things that we did. 
Forget . . . -ing is used especially in the structure I'll never forget . . . -ing.

• I still remember buying my first packet of cigarettes.
  


• I'll never forget meeting the Queen.

We remember or forget to do things which we have to do.

• Did you remember to buy my cigarettes?


• You mustn't forget to go and meet Mr Lewis at the station tomorrow.

2 stop

If you stop doing something, you don't do it any more.

• I really must stop smoking

If you stop to do something, you pause (in the middle of something else) in order to do it.

• Every hour I stop work to have a little rest.

3 go on

If you go on doing something, you continue — you do it more.

• She went on talking about her illnesses until everybody went to sleep.

If you go on to do something, you do it next — you stop one thing and start another.

• She stopped talking about her illnesses and went on to tell us about all her other problems.

4 regret

You regret doing something in the past — you are sorry that you did it.

• I don't regret telling her what I thought, even if it made her angry.

The expression I regret to say/tell you/announce etc means 'I'm sorry that I have to say...'

• British Rail regret to announce that the 13.15 train for Cardiff will leave approximately thirty-seven minutes late.
  This delay is due to the late running of the train.

5 allow

After allow, we use . . . -ing in active clauses if there is no object. If there is an object, we use an infinitive.

• We don't allow smoking in the lecture room.


• We don't allow people to smoke in the lecture room.

6 see, watch and hear

If you saw, watched or heard something happening, it was happening: you saw or heard it while it was going on.
If you saw, watched or heard something happen, it happened: you saw or heard a complete action.

• I looked out of the window and saw Mary crossing the road.
  ( = She was in the middle of crossing the road.)


• I saw Mary step off the pavement, cross the road and disappear into the post office.

7  try

Try . . . -ing = 'make an experiment; do something to see what will happen'.

• I tried sending her flowers, giving her presents, writing her letters; but she still wouldn't speak to me.

Try to ... = 'make an effort'. It is used for things that are difficult.

• I tried to write a letter, but my hands were too cold to hold a pen.

8  afraid

We use afraid of . . . -ing to talk about accidents.

• I don't like to drive fast because I'm afraid of crashing
  (NOT . . . I'm afraid to crash.)

In other cases, we can use afraid of . . . -ing or afraid to . .. with no difference of meaning.

• I'm not afraid of telling/to tell her the truth.

9 sorry

We use sorry for . . . -ing or sorry about . . . -ing to talk about past things that we regret.

• I'm sorry for/about waking you up. ( = I'm sorry that I woke you up.)
  

We can use a perfect infinitive with the same meaning.

• I'm sorry to have woken you up.

Sorry + infinitive is used to apologize for something that we are doing or going to do.

• Sorry to disturb you — could I speak to you for a moment?
  


• I'm sorry to tell you that you failed the exam.

10 certain and sure

If I say that somebody is certain/sure of doing something, I am talking about his or her feelings — he or she feels sure.

• Before the game she felt sure of winning, but after five minutes she realized that it wasn't going to be so easy.

If I say that somebody is certain/sure to do something, I am talking about my own feelings — I am sure that he or she will succeed.

• 'Kroftova's sure to win — the other girl hasn't got a chance.' 'Don't be so sure.'

11  like, love, hate, prefer, begin, start, attempt, intend, continue, can't bear

After these verbs, we can use either the -ing form or the infinitive without much difference of meaning.

• I hate working/to work at weekends.


• She began playing/to play the guitar when she was six.


• I intend telling her/to tell her what I think.

In British English, we usually use like . . . -ing to talk about enjoyment, and like to ... to talk about choices and habits.

• I like climbing mountains.
  


• I like to start work early in the morning.

After the conditionals would like, would prefer, would hate and would love, we use the infinitive.

• I'd like to tell you something.


• 'Can I give you a lift?' 'No, thanks. I'd prefer to walk.'


• I'd love to have a coat like that.

• Do you like dancing? ( = Do you enjoy dancing?)


• Would you like to dance? (An invitation. = Do you want to dance now?)