Infinitive vs. Gerund

Infinitive vs. Gerund

Infinitive: To+Base Verb

Gerund: Base Verb+ing

Both infinitives and gerunds can act as subjects and objects of sentences. 

I like to swim. 

I like swimming.

Verbs Followed by Gerunds and Infinitives

Verbs Followed by Only Gerunds:

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

Verbs Followed by Only Infinitives:

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 Both Infinitives and Gerunds Without Change of Meaning

You can use either an infinitive or a gerund after these verbs. The meaning won't change or get worse or sound odd: 

Begin
Can’t bear Can’t stand Continue
Hate
Like Love
Prefer Propose
Start

Verbs Followed by Both Infinitives and Gerunds With Change of Meaning

Both infinitives and gerunds will be grammatically fine after these 7 verbs. But the meaning will become different. 

Forget

Go on

Quit

Regret

Remember

Stop

Try

Now see some examples of the change in meaning when you use infinitives or gerunds: 

I forgot to call him [ I was supposed to call him, but I forgot and didn't call ]
I forgot calling him [ I could not remember whether I had called him before or not ]


He went on to learn Japanese [He was doing something else, and he started to learn English after finishing that]
He went on learning Japanese [He had already started learning Japanese, and he continued it]

He wants to quit to teach at our school. [ He wants to leave his current job so that he can teach at our school, which will be his new job]
He wants to quit teaching at our school. [ He is already a teacher at our school, and he wants to leave this career]

I remembered to switch off the light. [I realized that I needed to switch off the light]
I remembered switching off the light.[I realized that I had switched off the light before]