Gerund vs infinitive — rare distinctions

A handful of English verbs take both gerund and infinitive complements, with reliable meaning shifts: remember, forget, regret, stop, try, mean, go on, come to, propose, dread, hate, like, love, prefer. At C1 you met these as memorization items. At C2 you read them as instances of a single underlying logic: gerund = realis (the action happens), infinitive = irrealis (the action is intended, projected, or its truth is at issue).

This single rule cleans up most of the apparent chaos. I stopped smoking (realis — I actually smoked, then stopped) vs I stopped to smoke (irrealis intent — I stopped in order to smoke). I tried writing the email (realis — I did write it; the question is whether it worked) vs I tried to write the email (irrealis attempt — I made the effort; whether I succeeded is unstated). The rule has edge cases, but it covers the bulk of the territory.

This lesson also covers two adjacent puzzles: (1) the distinction between gerund (a verb form acting clausally — Reading the report took an hour) and verbal noun (a noun-of-action with full nominal grammar — The reading of the report took an hour), and (2) idiomatic constructions like cannot help V-ing, no use V-ing, worth V-ing that are fully fossilized.

The unifying logic — realis vs irrealis

Apply this to the canonical pairs:

Detailed nuances

Remember + V-ing vs remember + to V

The gerund refers to a past event the speaker now recalls:

• I remember meeting her at the conference in 2019. (she was there; I am remembering)
• Do you remember locking the back door before we left?
• I’ll always remember being told the news.

The infinitive refers to future intention executed (or not):

• Did you remember to call the doctor? (you had the intention this morning)
• Please remember to take out the trash.
• He remembered to send the flowers.

A useful test: if you can paraphrase as “I have a memory of (past event)”, the gerund fits. If you can paraphrase as “(at some time) I had the intention”, the infinitive fits.

Forget + V-ing vs forget + to V

• I’ll never forget seeing her face. (the event was real and unforgettable)
• He forgot to lock the door. (he had the intention; he failed)

Forget + V-ing is rarer than remember + V-ing. It usually appears in the negative — I’ll never forget V-ing — emphasizing memorability.

Regret + V-ing vs regret + to V

• I regret saying that. (the saying is past and real; I regret it)
• I regret to inform you that your application has been denied. (I am about to inform; the regret precedes the act)

Regret + to V is a fossilized formal phrase appearing mainly with the verbs inform, tell, announce, say. In other contexts, regret + V-ing dominates.

Stop + V-ing vs stop + to V

• He stopped smoking ten years ago. (he ceased the activity)
• He stopped to smoke. (he interrupted what he was doing in order to smoke)

The infinitive here is a purpose infinitive, not a complement. Stopped (in order) to smoke. Recognize this pattern: many apparent V + to V sequences are V + purpose-infinitive.

Try + V-ing vs try + to V

The most pragmatically rich pair.

• Try restarting the computer. (= do that action and see if it solves the problem — an experiment)
• I’ll try to fix it tonight. (= I’ll attempt; success not assured)
• She tried to explain, but he wouldn’t listen. (attempt with no clear outcome)
• Try adding a pinch of salt. (= as an experiment, do this)

Try + V-ing is “do X as an experiment”. Try + to V is “attempt X”. Native AmE writers use both freely; the gerund is more common in instructions and recipes.

Mean + V-ing vs mean + to V

• Cutting taxes means losing revenue. (entails — semantic consequence)
• Quitting the job will mean moving out of the city. (necessitate)
• I meant to call you yesterday. (intended)
• She doesn’t mean to be rude. (intention)

The gerund mean + V-ing is the entail/result-in reading; the infinitive is the intend reading.

Go on + V-ing vs go on + to V

• She went on talking for two hours. (continued the same activity)
• She went on to become a justice of the Supreme Court. (proceeded to a new and distinct activity)

The infinitive marks sequence and progression to something different; the gerund marks continuation of the same action.

Propose + V-ing vs propose + to V

• The committee proposed canceling the program. (concrete proposal)
• I propose to demonstrate in this paper that… (announce intention — formal/academic)

Propose + to V is heavily marked as academic-writing register; AmE academic prose uses it as a hedged authorial future: I propose to argue…

Like, love, hate, prefer — the affect verbs

These take both with subtle nuance:

• I like swimming. (general preference — I enjoy it as an activity)
• I like to swim in the morning. (habitual choice — when I swim, this is when I do it)
• She prefers walking to driving. (general preference)
• She prefers to walk when the weather is good. (specific habitual choice)

The gerund is the activity in general; the infinitive is the specific habit or choice. This nuance is weaker than the try/stop/remember nuance; both forms often interchange in AmE casual use.

After would like, would love, would hate, would prefer, only the infinitive is grammatical:

• I’d like to leave early. ✓
• I’d like leaving early. ✗ (sounds like preference for leaving as a general practice — confusing)
• I’d love to meet her. ✓ (specific occasion)

Gerund vs verbal noun

These look similar but have different grammar.

Gerund (verbal use)

• Reading the report took an hour. (the gerund reading takes a direct object the report, no article)
• *I enjoy writing novels. (transitive verbal use)
• *No smoking. (verbal — directly imperative)

Verbal noun (nominal use)

• The reading of the report took an hour. (full nominal grammar: definite article, of-phrase)
• *I enjoy the writing of novels. (nominal, more formal/abstract)
• *No smoking of cigarettes in this area. (verbal noun + of-phrase)

The verbal noun pattern uses of + NP instead of a direct object and accepts articles and adjectives: the careful reading of the report. The gerund pattern is verbal and accepts adverbs: carefully reading the report.

In formal academic writing, the verbal noun lifts register: The killing of large mammals (verbal noun) vs Killing large mammals (gerund). The first is more nominal, more abstract, more formal.

Fixed gerund expressions

Several patterns lock in the gerund and resist the infinitive:

• Cannot help V-ing: I can’t help feeling that something is wrong.
• It’s no use V-ing: It’s no use arguing with him.
• It’s no good V-ing: It’s no good pretending you didn’t see it.
• Worth V-ing: The book is worth reading. / It’s worth taking the time.
• Be busy V-ing: She’s busy writing her dissertation.
• Have difficulty V-ing: I’m having difficulty understanding the manual.
• Spend time V-ing: We spent the afternoon reading in the park.
• Look forward to V-ing (note: to is a preposition here, not the infinitive marker): I’m looking forward to hearing from you.
• Be used to V-ing / get used to V-ing (preposition to): I’m used to working late.

The last three contain a to that is a preposition, not the infinitive marker. The test: substitute a noun. I’m looking forward to the meeting → noun fits; therefore to is a preposition, requiring a gerund after.

Suggest, advise, recommend — gerund or that-clause

• I suggest waiting another week. (gerund — neutral)
• I suggest that we wait another week. (mandative that-clause — see lesson 01)
• I suggest you to wait ✗ (not grammatical — these verbs do not take a personal object + infinitive)

A common Russian-speaker error is I suggest you to do X. Correct: I suggest doing X or I suggest that you do X or I suggest you do X.

AmE notes

• AmE casual speech is more permissive about like + V-ing vs like + to V than BrE prescriptive style allows. Both interchange in many contexts.
• Try and V (instead of try to V) is colloquial AmE: Try and finish that by Friday. In writing, try to is preferred.
• Help (someone) V (bare infinitive after help) is increasingly the AmE norm: Help me carry this box. Help me to carry this box is more BrE.
• The verbal noun pattern (the writing of novels) is more common in BrE academic prose; AmE academic prose tends to use the gerund (writing novels) more freely.
• AmE permits I propose to demonstrate in academic writing (formal propose + to V).

Pragmatic notes — I regret to inform

The regret + to V construction is the canonical phrase of unwelcome news in American institutional writing:

• We regret to inform you that your application has not been accepted.
• I regret to announce that the program has been discontinued.
• The university regrets to confirm that the lecture has been cancelled.

The phrase signals: speaker is about to deliver unwelcome news; the regret precedes the delivery. C2 writers recognize the formula and may use it ironically: I regret to inform you that the coffee is gone.

Common Russian-speaker mistakes

1. Object + infinitive after suggest/recommend: I suggest you to come → I suggest you come (mandative bare) or I suggest coming. Russian Я предлагаю тебе прийти maps to a different syntax in English; suggest/recommend do not take personal object + infinitive.
2. Inverting realis/irrealis for remember/forget: I remember to call him yesterday (irrealis form for a realis event) → I remember calling him yesterday (gerund — the past event). Did you forget calling the doctor? (gerund for an intention) → Did you forget to call the doctor? (infinitive — the intention).
3. To as preposition vs infinitive marker*: I look forward to meet you → I look forward to meeting you. After look forward to, be used to, get used to, the to is a preposition.
4. Using gerund with would like/love/hate/prefer: I’d like swimming this evening → I’d like to swim this evening. After modal-like would like, only infinitive.
5. Confusing try + V-ing (experiment) with try + to V (attempt): Try to restart the computer if it freezes sounds like an effortful attempt; Try restarting the computer if it freezes is the natural instruction (experiment with this; it usually works).
6. Calquing Russian Стоит сделать это as It’s worth to do this: It’s worth doing this. Worth takes a gerund; never an infinitive.
7. Misreading stop to V: He stopped to smoke for ten years (read as “he ceased smoking” — wrong, stop to is purpose). To say “he quit smoking ten years ago”, use He stopped smoking ten years ago (gerund).

Summary

• The deep rule: gerund = realis, infinitive = irrealis. The complement-choice on remember, forget, regret, stop, try, mean, go on, propose falls out of this.
• Purpose infinitives (He stopped to smoke = he stopped in order to smoke) are not verb-complements; recognize them as adverbial.
• Gerund (verbal use) vs verbal noun (nominal use) differ in grammar: gerund takes direct object and adverb; verbal noun takes article, adjective, and of-phrase.
• Fixed gerund expressions: cannot help V-ing, it’s no use V-ing, worth V-ing, busy V-ing, look forward to V-ing, be used to V-ing.
• Suggest, recommend, advise do not take personal object + infinitive — use gerund or that-clause instead.
• Like/love/hate/prefer + gerund is general preference; + infinitive is specific habitual choice. After would + like/love/hate/prefer — only infinitive.

Next lesson: Complement clauses and nominalization — that-clause vs to-infinitive vs gerund as complement, extraposition with it, and nominalization for register.