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In some phrases, a verb can be followed by another verb that is in the gerund form.
It is used after certain verbs - I enjoy singing.
It is used after prepositions - I drank a cup of coffee before leaving.
And it can be used as a subject or an object of a sentence - swimming is good exercise.
enjoy: I enjoyed living in France.
fancy: I fancy seeing a film tonight.
discuss: We discussed going on holiday together.
dislike: I dislike waiting for buses.
finish
mind: I don't mind coming early.
suggest
recommend
keep
avoid
Sometimes a verb can be followed by 'to' and then an infinitive. We can use this structure:
After certain verbs - we decided to leave.
After many adjectives - It's difficult to get up early in the morning.
And to show purpose - I came to London to study English.
ask*: I asked to leave early / I asked him to leave early.
decide: We decided to go out for dinner.
help*: He helped to clean the kitchen / he helped his flatmate to clean the kitchen.
plan: She plans to buy a new flat next year.
hope/learn
want*: I want to come to the party / I want him to come to the party.
would like*: I would like to see her tonight / I would like you to see her tonight.
promise/agree
*We can use an object before the infinitive with these verbs.
In some pharses, the verb is followed by the infinitive without the 'to'. The reasons that we use this struture are :
After modal verbs - I can meet you at six o'clock.
After let, make, and sometimes help - The teacher let us leave early.
After some verbs of perception - I watched her walk away.
And after expressions with why - why go out the night before an exam?
There are some verbs which can either be followed by the gerund or a form of the infinitive; each different ending brings a different meaning to the phrase.
Remember + gerund
This is when you have a memory of something in the past that you remember doing. e.g. he remembers closing the door
Remember + to + infinitive
This is when you think of something that you need to do e.g. I remembered to send her a card
Other examples include:
Stop and regret
Forget + gerund
This is when you forget about a memory, something that you've done in the past. For example, I'd forgotten going there.
Forget + to + infinitive
This is when you want to do something, but you forget about it. e.g. I forgot to call my mother.
Try + gerund
This is when you do something as an experiment. e.g. I tried using nicotine to quit smoking.
Try + to + infinitive
This is when the thing you do itself is difficult. e.g. I'll try to carry the suitcase, but it looks heavy.