Verbs Followed by Gerunds and Infinitives

In English, if you want to follow a verb with another action, you must use a gerund or infinitive. For example:

• We resumed talking. (gerund – verb + ing)
• I want to see a movie. (infinitive – to + base verb)

There are certain verbs that can only be followed by one or the other, and these verbs must be memorized. Many of these verbs are listed below.

Common verbs followed by a gerund:

Example: He misses playing with his friends.

• abhor
• acknowledge
• admit
• advise
• allow
• anticipate
• appreciate
• avoid
• be worth
• can’t help
• celebrate
• confess
• consider
• defend
• delay
• detest
• discontinue
• discuss
• dislike
• dispute
• dread

• endure
• enjoy
• escape
• evade
• explain
• fancy
• fear
• feel like
• feign
• finish
• forgive
• give up (stop)
• keep (continue)
• keep on
• mention
• mind (object to)
• miss
• necessitate
• omit
• permit
• picture

• postpone
• practice
• prevent
• put off
• recall
• recollect
• recommend
• report
• resent
• resist
• resume
• risk
• shirk
• shun
• suggest
• support
• tolerate
• understand
• urge
• warrant

Common verbs followed by an infinitive:

Example: She threatened to quit if she didn't get a raise.

• agree
• appear
• arrange
• ask
• attempt
• beg
• can/can’t afford
• can/can’t wait
• care
• chance
• choose
• claim
• come
• consent
• dare
• decide
• demand
• deserve
• determine
• elect
• endeavor
• expect

• fail
• get
• grow (up)
• guarantee
• hesitate
• hope
• hurry
• incline
• learn
• manage
• mean
• need
• neglect
• offer
• pay
• plan
• prepare
• pretend
• profess
• promise
• prove
• refuse

• remain
• request
• resolve
• say
• seek
• seem
• shudder
• strive
• struggle
• swear
• tend
• threaten
• turn out
• venture
• volunteer
• wait
• want
• wish
• would like
• yearn

Verbs followed by a gerund or infinitive with little to no change in meaning:

Example: It started to rain. / It started raining.

• begin
• can’t bear
• can’t stand
• continue
• hate
• like
• love
• prefer
• propose
• start

Verbs followed by a gerund or infinitive with a change in meaning:

forget	I forgot to meet him. (I didn’t meet him because I forgot to do it.)
	I forgot meeting him. (I don’t have the memory of meeting him before.)
go on	He went on to learn English and French. (He ended one period of time before this.)
	He went on learning English and French. (He continued learning the languages.)
quit	She quit to work here. (She quit another job in order to work here.)
	She quit working here. (She quit her job here. She doesn’t work here anymore.)
regret	I regret promising to help you. (I’m sorry that I made the promise.)
	I regret to tell you that we can't hire you. (I’m telling you now, and I’m sorry.)
remember	She remembered to visit her grandmother. (She didn’t forget to visit.)
	She remembered visiting her grandmother. (She had memories of this time.)
stop	I stopped to call you. (I interrupted another action in order to call you.)
	I stopped calling you. (I stopped this activity. Maybe we had a fight.)
try	I tried to open the window. (I attempted this action but didn’t succeed.)
	I tried opening the window. (This was one option I sampled. Maybe the room was hot.)