Gerund vs infinitive — fine points

By B2 you know the basic rules: some verbs take a gerund (enjoy doing), some take a to-infinitive (want to do), and a few take both freely (begin / start / continue). At C1 the focus narrows to the verbs where the choice of form changes the meaning — and to the syntactic subtleties of using each form in subject position.

This is a high-frequency C1 trap. The verbs in question — stop, remember, forget, regret, mean, try, go on — appear in everyday speech, and the meaning shift is dramatic. I stopped smoking and I stopped to smoke are nearly opposite events. I remember locking the door (a memory of having done it) and I remembered to lock the door (a memory triggering the action) refer to entirely different moments.

Russian L1 speakers consistently blur these because Russian has no gerund/infinitive contrast — it uses verbal aspect and complement clauses. At C1, mastering these contrasts is what makes English sound natural rather than ESL-translated.

Verbs where the choice changes meaning

Seven verbs are the classic culprits. Memorize the contrast for each.

1. stop

• He stopped working at 60 and moved to Florida. (retired from work)
• He stopped to work on the engine. (pulled over and got out to fix the engine)
• I stopped reading that author after his third book got too political. (gave up reading him)
• I stopped to read the plaque. (paused walking to read it)

2. remember

• I remember meeting her at the conference in 2018. (memory of past meeting)
• Please remember to call your grandmother tomorrow. (reminder for future action)
• Do you remember mailing that letter? It never arrived. (questioning past action)
• Did you remember to mail the letter? (asking whether the future-oriented intention was carried out)

The gerund refers to a memory of an action already done; the infinitive refers to remembering an obligation to perform an action.

3. forget

The mirror of remember.

• I’ll never forget seeing the Grand Canyon for the first time. (vivid memory)
• I forgot to take my umbrella. (failed to do)
• He’ll never forget falling off the boat. (memory of past event)
• Don’t forget to lock the door. (don’t fail to do)

In casual speech, I forgot + V-ing is rare except after never: I’ll never forget seeing. The infinitive (forgot to do) is the everyday meaning.

4. regret

• She regrets dropping out of college. (regret about a past decision)
• We regret to announce that the flight is cancelled. (formal apology preamble)
• He regretted telling his parents. (sorry he told them)
• I regret to say this is unacceptable. (formal bad-news framing)

Regret + to V is almost exclusively used in formal announcements — regret to inform / regret to announce / regret to say. Regret + V-ing is the everyday emotional meaning.

5. mean

• Buying the house means giving up the trip. (it entails)
• I didn’t mean to upset you. (didn’t intend)
• Going freelance means working weekends. (it entails)
• She meant to be there but got stuck in traffic. (intended)

6. try

• Try turning the key the other way. (experiment)
• I tried to turn the key but it wouldn’t move. (attempt without success)
• Try adding salt — it might help. (suggest method)
• I tried to add salt but the shaker was empty. (attempted)

The try + V-ing form often appears in advice: Try lowering the heat. Try emailing instead. Try a different browser. The try + to V form describes a goal-directed effort.

7. go on

• She went on speaking even after the moderator called time. (continued the same activity)
• She went on to win three Oscars. (proceeded to the next phase of her career)
• He went on complaining for half an hour. (continued complaining)
• He went on to become the CEO. (next career stage)

Verbs taking both forms with no meaning change

Some verbs accept gerund and infinitive interchangeably. At C1, knowing the slight register difference matters even when the core meaning is the same.

The like + V-ing vs like + to V contrast is subtle:

I like swimming. (general enjoyment of the activity) I like to swim every morning. (it’s my habit; what I choose to do)

In AmE, this distinction is loose. Either form works in most contexts.

Gerund as subject vs to-infinitive as subject

A gerund or to-infinitive can serve as the subject of a sentence — but the choice has stylistic weight.

Gerund as subject — common, neutral

• Smoking is bad for your health.
• Reading widely is the best preparation for writing.
• Walking to work clears my head.

The gerund-as-subject is the default for general, abstract, habitual statements. It feels natural and weighty.

To-infinitive as subject — formal, often replaced by it

• To smoke indoors is to risk a fine. (formal, dated)
• To read widely is to think clearly. (formal, often aphoristic)

In modern AmE, the bare to V subject is rare. Instead, English uses extraposition with it as the formal subject and pushes the to V to the end:

• It is foolish to smoke indoors.
• It is essential to read widely.
• It would be helpful to clarify the deadline.

This it + adj + to V pattern is one of the most common formal-writing structures in AmE. It replaces awkward gerund subjects when the meaning is more about evaluation (it is essential, it is impossible, it is foolish) than about the action itself.

Comparison

The choice depends on rhythm and emphasis. As a rule: if the verb’s evaluative weight is the focus (foolish, essential, important, expensive), use it + adj + to V. If the activity itself is the focus, use the gerund.

Gerund vs infinitive after prepositions

After a preposition, English always uses the gerund, never the to-infinitive.

• I’m interested in learning more. (NOT to learn)
• She apologized for being late. (NOT to be)
• Thanks for coming. (NOT to come)
• Before leaving, double-check your passport. (NOT to leave)

This is a Russian-speaker trap: Russian often uses the infinitive where English requires the gerund after a preposition.

The exception: to as preposition vs to as infinitive marker

The word to can be either an infinitive marker (to go, to see) or a preposition (to school, to him). When to is a preposition, what follows is a gerund:

• I’m looking forward to seeing you. (preposition + gerund — NOT to see)
• She’s used to working long hours. (preposition + gerund)
• We’re committed to improving the product. (preposition + gerund)
• He objects to being treated like a child. (preposition + gerund)

How to tell which kind of to it is: try substituting a noun. Look forward to the meeting (noun after to) = preposition. Want to leave — can’t say want to the meeting — so to here is infinitive marker.

AmE notes

AmE casual speech is forgiving of small verb-pattern errors in conversation but unforgiving in writing. I tried calling her and I tried to call her are both grammatical; switching the intended meaning by using the wrong one will produce confusion.

AmE business email loves I regret to inform style. This formal-bad-news preamble is standard:

• I regret to inform you that we won’t be moving forward with your application.
• We regret to report that the merger has been delayed.

In casual AmE, the regret + V-ing form is the everyday emotional meaning: I regret saying that.

AmE prefers like + to V slightly more than BrE. I like to swim every morning sounds more AmE-native than the alternative I like swimming every morning (which is fine but slightly more British). In casual reports of preference, AmE often goes with the infinitive.

AmE almost never uses the bare to-infinitive as subject. To err is human, to forgive divine is a recognizable aphorism, but no AmE speaker would naturally start a paragraph with To run a startup requires…. The natural form is It takes… to run a startup or Running a startup requires.

Pronunciation notes

• The gerund -ing is normally /ɪŋ/. In fast AmE casual speech, g-dropping is widespread: runnin’, talkin’. Acceptable in casual contexts; inappropriate in formal speech.
• The to-infinitive to reduces strongly: to leave /tə liːv/ in connected speech. The full /tuː/ form is heard only with citation stress.
• Try + V-ing in advice contexts typically uses a flat or fall-rise contour, not a full question rise: Try restarting your laptop. (flat or slight fall-rise — “I’m suggesting this as a tentative solution”). A full question-rise sounds like the speaker is asking whether to try it, not advising.
• Mean + to V in the apologetic sense (I didn’t mean to) often has falling-rising contour signaling sincere regret.
• Stop + to V vs stop + V-ing in speech: the to-infinitive is often slightly slower with a brief pause: She stopped // to smoke. The gerund flows: She stopped smoking.

Common Russian-speaker mistakes

1. Wrong form with stop: I stopped to smoke five years ago (intended: quit smoking) → I stopped smoking five years ago. Use stop + V-ing for cessation of a habit.
2. Wrong form with remember: Did you remember locking the door? (when asking about a future-oriented intention) → Did you remember to lock the door? Use remember + to V for obligation-memory.
3. Wrong form with try: I tried calling her but the line was busy (this is fine — experiment) vs I tried to call her but the line was busy (this is also fine — attempted). Confusion arises when meaning matters: Try restarting (advice) vs Try to restart (effort).
4. Infinitive after preposition: I’m interested to learn more → I’m interested in learning more. After prepositions, always gerund.
5. Infinitive after to (preposition): I look forward to see you → I look forward to seeing you. The to in look forward to is a preposition.
6. Bare to-infinitive as subject in modern AmE: To learn a language takes time → It takes time to learn a language / Learning a language takes time. The bare to V subject is dated.
7. Wrong form with regret in formal contexts: We regret announcing the cancellation (sounds like routine regret) → We regret to announce the cancellation (formal preamble). Memorize regret to inform / announce / say as a formal-register pattern.
8. Calque from Russian aspect: I always stop to smoke when I’m stressed (intended: I light up when stressed) → I always smoke when I’m stressed / I always stop what I’m doing to smoke when I’m stressed. Russian aspect doesn’t map cleanly; rebuild from English first.

Summary

• Seven verbs change meaning with gerund vs infinitive: stop, remember, forget, regret, mean, try, go on.
• Stop V-ing = cease; stop to V = pause in order to.
• Remember/forget V-ing = memory of action; remember/forget to V = duty-memory.
• Regret V-ing = sorry for past action; regret to V = formal bad-news preamble.
• Mean V-ing = entail; mean to V = intend.
• Try V-ing = experiment with method; try to V = make an effort.
• Go on V-ing = continue the same; go on to V = proceed to next.
• Gerund as subject is everyday English; to V as subject is dated and replaced by it + adj + to V.
• After any preposition (including to when it’s prepositional), use the gerund.

Next lesson: Verb patterns — advanced — verb + object + to-infinitive vs verb + object + V-ing; perception verbs (see/hear/feel + bare V vs V-ing); causative verbs (make/let/have/get).