Gerund | To–Infinitive | Bare Infinitive

In English, when one verb follows another, the second verb changes its form. It will usually become a Gerund, a To-Infinitive, or a Bare Infinitive.

Gerund: verb + -ing (e.g., eating)
To-Infinitive: to + verb (e.g., to eat)
Bare Infinitive: verb only (e.g., eat)

1. The Gerund (Verb + -ing)

We use the Gerund in three specific situations:

A. As the Subject of a sentence

Smoking is bad for your health.
Learning English requires patience.

B. After Prepositions

If a verb comes after a preposition (in, on, at, of, with, about), it must be a Gerund.

I am interested in learning Spanish.
She left without saying goodbye.

C. After certain verbs

Here is a list of common verbs that are always followed by the Gerund:

admit: He admitted stealing the money.
appreciate: I appreciate your helping me.
avoid: She avoids eating sugar.
consider: We considered moving to London.
delay: He delayed paying his taxes.
deny: The thief denied taking the bag.
discuss: We discussed working together.
enjoy: I enjoy playing tennis.
fancy: Do you fancy going out?
finish: Have you finished reading?
imagine: Imagine winning the lottery!
keep: She keeps interrupting me.
mind: Would you mind closing the window?
miss: I miss living near the beach.
practice: You must practice speaking English.
risk: Don't risk losing your job.
suggest: He suggested taking a break.

2. The To-Infinitive (To + Verb)

A. To express Purpose (Why?)

I went to the shop to buy milk.
He is studying hard to pass his exam.

B. After Adjectives

Structure: It is + Adjective + To-Infinitive

It is important to be polite.
It was difficult to understand him.

C. After certain verbs

Here is a list of common verbs that are always followed by the To-Infinitive:

afford: I can't afford to buy that car.
agree: They agreed to help us.
appear: He appears to be tired.
arrange: I arranged to meet him.
ask: She asked to see the manager.
choose: I chose to stay home.
decide: She decided to leave early.
demand: He demanded to speak to the boss.
deserve: You deserve to be happy.
fail: He failed to arrive on time.
hope: I hope to see you soon.
learn: I am learning to drive.
manage: Did you manage to fix it?
offer: He offered to carry my bag.
plan: We plan to visit Paris.
promise: I promise to help you.
refuse: She refused to pay.
seem: You seem to be busy.
want: I want to go home.
would like: I would like to have a coffee.

3. The Bare Infinitive (Verb only)

We use the verb without "to" in two main cases:

A. After Modal Verbs

Modals include: can, could, will, would, should, must, might.

I can swim well.
You must go now.

B. After "Let" and "Make"

Be careful! "Make" forces someone to do something. "Let" gives permission.

Subject + MAKE/LET + Object + Base Verb

My teacher made me do extra homework.
My parents let me watch TV late.

4. Verbs that Change Meaning

Some verbs can take both forms, but the meaning changes completely. This is a common B2 topic.

Verb + To-Infinitive	Verb + Gerund
Stop to smoke You stop walking/working in order to light a cigarette.	Stop smoking You quit the habit forever. It is no longer a habit.
Remember to lock You remember before you do the action (it is a task).	Remember locking You have a memory in your head of doing it in the past.
Regret to tell I am sorry for what I am about to say (bad news).	Regret telling I told you in the past, and now I feel sorry about it.
Try to open Make an effort. It is difficult physically.	Try opening Experiment. Use a different method to see if it works.

5. Verbs with NO Change in Meaning

Some verbs can take both forms with almost no difference in meaning: start, begin, continue, love, like, hate.

It started to rain. = It started raining.
I like to swim. = I like swimming.

Gerund | To–Infinitive | Bare Infinitive