Complex gerund and infinitive patterns

English verbs do not all take the same kind of complement. We say enjoy reading, hope to read, make someone read and suggest that someone read. These patterns are part of each verb’s grammar; translating the structure word for word from another language often produces an error. At C1, the important step is to learn a pattern together with the meaning it creates.

When changing the form changes the message

With some verbs, both -ing and to + infinitive are possible, but the meaning changes:

I remember locking the door. I have a memory of an earlier action.
Remember to lock the door. Keep a future task in mind.

She stopped working at six. She ended the activity.
She stopped to answer the phone. She paused another activity in order to answer.

Try restarting the router. Test this method.
I tried to restart it, but the screen stayed blank. I made an effort.

He regrets saying that. He is sorry about a past statement.
We regret to inform you that your application was unsuccessful. A formal announcement is being made now.

The same distinction appears with forget: I’ll never forget meeting her looks back at an experience; Don’t forget to meet her at noon refers to a future obligation.

Some verbs allow both forms with little change

After begin, start, continue and prefer, both patterns are often possible: It began raining / to rain. The choice may depend on rhythm, context or a nearby construction. With verbs such as like and love, the forms can suggest a difference in focus: I like swimming presents it as an activity I enjoy; I like to check the figures twice often presents it as a habit or sensible practice. This is a tendency, not an absolute distinction.

Other verbs strongly prefer one pattern. Avoid, consider, deny, finish and suggest commonly take -ing: They considered moving the deadline. Agree, decide, expect, manage and promise commonly take a to-infinitive: They agreed to move the deadline. Check unfamiliar combinations in a reliable learner’s dictionary.

The role of an object

The subject of the non-finite action may differ from the subject of the main verb:

We expect to finish by Friday. We will finish.
We expect the team to finish by Friday. The team will finish.

Some patterns require an object: She persuaded him to apply; They prevented us from entering. A frequent learner error is to assume the same object pattern works for every verb: I suggested that she apply or I suggested applying, but usually not ~~I suggested her to apply~~.

Prepositions before -ing

When to is a preposition, it takes a noun or -ing form: look forward to meeting, object to changing, be committed to improving. In want to meet, by contrast, to introduces an infinitive. Learn the whole expression rather than treating every to as the same grammatical word.

Perfect and passive non-finite forms

Use to have + past participle when the non-finite action happened before the main verb: She appears to have left early. A passive infinitive is to be + past participle (The files need to be checked); a perfect passive infinitive is to have been + past participle (The files appear to have been altered).

The same time contrast appears with gerunds: He admitted copying the file and He admitted having copied the file are both possible; the perfect gerund explicitly places copying earlier than the admission. A passive gerund uses being + past participle: She dislikes being interrupted. Perfect forms add precision when chronology matters, but need not be used when the sequence is already obvious.

A few patterns where the subject changes the choice

Some verbs take an object before the infinitive: She encouraged me to apply, They warned us not to enter, I need you to check one figure. Others take an object plus -ing: I caught him copying the answer, We saw the lights flashing. Learn these frames, because the verb alone does not predict whether an object belongs between it and the non-finite form.

Verbs of perception can take either a bare infinitive or an -ing form, with a difference in viewpoint:

I watched the children cross the bridge. I saw the event as a whole.
I watched the children crossing the bridge. I saw them during the activity.

The distinction is one of focus, not a guarantee that the speaker saw every second of the event. In passive structures, the infinitive usually takes to: The children were seen to cross the bridge.

Some verbs change their pattern and meaning in less obvious ways: go on doing means continue the same activity, while go on to do means move to a next action; mean doing describes what an action involves, while mean to do expresses intention:

After introducing the topic, she went on to discuss the evidence.
Repairing the roof will mean replacing several tiles.
I meant to call, but the meeting ran late.

Negative forms and the agent

Put not before the non-finite verb: She decided not to appeal; He denied not knowing the password (a different meaning from He denied knowing it). The second example shows why the scope of a negative matters.

When a gerund has its own subject, English allows a possessive or an object form, with register and emphasis influencing the choice: I object to him interrupting is common; I object to his interrupting can sound more formal. A long subject may be clearer after the gerund phrase: I was surprised by the new assistant arriving before the doors opened. Make the agent explicit if the sentence could point to two people.