Which verbs change meaning with gerund or infinitive?
After remember/forget, stop, go on, and try, -ing changes the direction from task to memory, purpose pause to quitting, new action to continuation, or attempt to experiment.
- Remember doing = memory; remember to do = task.
- Stop doing = quit; stop to do = pause for a purpose.
- Try doing = experiment; try to do = make an attempt.
B2 · Gerunds/Infinitives · 12 minGerund or infinitive — when the form changes the meaning.
This B2 lesson shows the meaning changes after remember, forget, stop, go on, and try — free to try, with no signup.
- CEFR levelB2 · Upper intermediate
- Time to completeAbout 12 minutes
- Core ideaForm switch changes meaning
- Blocks10 blocks
01 / 07
Which verbs change meaning with gerund or infinitive?
The meaning difference between gerund and infinitive appears after certain verbs because the form changes the direction of the message. With remember and forget, -ing looks back at a memory, while the infinitive points to a task: "I remember sending the invoice" versus "Remember to send the invoice." With stop, -ing ends the named activity, while the infinitive names a pause for a purpose. Go on + -ing continues the same action; go on + to introduces a new action. Try + -ing tests a possible solution, while try + to describes an attempt or effort. You are therefore not learning arbitrary lists of two interchangeable forms. You are learning contrast pairs in which a small formal change reverses the business message. The compact rule is: after each verb, ask whether you are looking back, naming an activity, or pointing forward to a task or purpose.
02 / 07
What is the difference between remember to do and remember doing?
Remember doing names the memory of an action already experienced, while remember to do names a task that still needs completion. "I remember sending the invoice" means that the send exists in your memory. "Remember to send the invoice" reminds you not to leave the task undone. The same contrast applies to forget: "I'll never forget presenting to the board" looks back at a memorable experience, while "I almost forgot to bring the figures" names a task that was nearly missed. German infinitive patterns can encourage to-spreading here. "I'll never forget to meet our first investor" suggests a task rather than a memory; for the past experience, use "I'll never forget meeting our first investor." The rule is: memory of the event takes -ing, while remembering the task takes the infinitive.
03 / 07
What is the difference between stop to do and stop doing?
Stop doing ends the named activity, while stop to do interrupts another activity for the stated purpose. "We stopped using the old CRM" means that use of the system ended. "We stopped to check the figures" means that we paused something else momentarily in order to check them. The minimal pair therefore carries opposite messages: quitting in one case and a purpose pause in the other. German aufhören takes a zu-infinitive, so "In 2019 we stopped to use the old CRM" may initially seem logical. In English, however, that sentence says that you paused in order to use the CRM. For the permanent process change, use "We stopped using the old CRM." Likewise, "She stopped to check her emails" is correct only if checking was the purpose of a pause. The rule is: -ing ends the activity; to names the purpose of the pause.
04 / 07
What is the difference between go on doing and go on to do?
Go on doing continues the same activity, while go on to do moves to a new action. If the team keeps discussing the same risk after lunch, say "The team went on discussing the risk." The discussion continues. If the chair first presents the results and then introduces a new topic, you can say "She went on to discuss pricing." The infinitive marks the next step in a sequence. The deciding factor is not whether the activities are close together in time; it is whether they are the same activity. If the content stays on the same action, use -ing. If the speaker moves to a new action, use the infinitive. In meeting minutes, this distinction can matter because continuation and topic change create different structures in the discussion. The rule is: -ing carries the same line forward; to opens the next one.
05 / 07
What is the difference between try to do and try doing?
Try to do describes an attempt to achieve a goal, while try doing tests an action as a possible solution. "I tried to restart the server" foregrounds the effort or attempt; the restart may not have succeeded. "Try restarting the server" proposes the restart as an experiment for solving a problem. This distinction is particularly useful in support work. If an app keeps failing, "Try clearing the cache" means test that measure and observe the result. If access is difficult, "Try to open the file before noon" means make the effort to complete the task in time. Both forms can therefore name the same activity while assigning it a different role. Ask whether you are foregrounding the effort towards a goal or the action as an experiment. The rule is: to emphasises the attempt; -ing tests a solution.
06 / 07
Which gerund and infinitive mistakes do German speakers make?
German speakers make two main errors with these contrast pairs: they transfer the zu-infinitive after aufhören and spread to into memories. The first error reverses the message. "We stopped to use the old CRM" does not mean that use ended; it means another activity paused so that the CRM could be used. To express the end, use "We stopped using the old CRM." The second error is "I'll never forget to meet our first investor." If you are looking back at the meeting, say "I'll never forget meeting our first investor." Test both sentences with a direction question: does the statement look back at an existing memory or ended activity, or does it point towards a task or purpose still ahead? That question is more reliable than a word-for-word German equivalent. The rule is: do not translate the form; identify the intended direction first.
07 / 07
How do you use these meaning changes at work?
At work, use these meaning changes to describe process changes, meeting sequences, and proposed solutions unambiguously. "We stopped using fax" documents the end of an old process. "We stopped to check the agenda" explains a short purpose pause. "Remember to attach the figures" sets a task for later, whereas "I remember presenting those figures" looks back at an experience. In a support chat, "Try sending the invoice again" proposes an experiment; "Try to send it before noon" instead foregrounds the task to be achieved. Minutes also benefit from go on: "They went on discussing the risk" preserves the same topic, while "They went on to discuss pricing" marks the change. This keeps the process relationship clear in status updates and meeting notes. The rule is: choose the form for the process relationship your reader needs to understand.