Gerund vs Infinitive Mistakes
B1 · IntermediateCommon Grammar MistakesI enjoy swimming, not I enjoy to swim; I want to swim, not I want swimming — which verbs take which pattern.
What you'll learn
- Some verbs are always followed by -ing (enjoy, avoid, finish, suggest, admit, miss, mind)
- Some verbs are always followed by a to-infinitive (want, decide, agree, plan, hope, promise, afford)
- Which pattern a verb takes isn't predictable from its meaning — it has to be learned per verb, the same way its preposition does
- 'Look forward to', 'be used to', and 'be interested in' end in 'to/in' as a PREPOSITION, which is followed by -ing, not a bare infinitive
- A few verbs (stop, remember, try) change meaning depending on which pattern follows, so getting it wrong can change what you mean, not just how it sounds
No shortcut — it's learned per verb
There's no reliable rule that predicts whether a verb takes -ing or a to-infinitive from its meaning. 'Enjoy' and 'like' feel similar, but only one of them (enjoy) never takes 'to'. The only real fix is learning the pattern together with each verb, the way you'd learn its preposition.
Verbs always followed by -ing
Enjoy, avoid, finish, suggest, admit, miss, mind, and a handful of others are always followed by the -ing form, never 'to' + infinitive.
Verbs always followed by a to-infinitive
Want, decide, agree, plan, hope, promise, and afford are always followed by 'to' + the base verb, never the -ing form.
The 'to' + -ing trap
In a few fixed phrases, 'to' isn't part of an infinitive at all — it's a preposition, and prepositions are always followed by -ing, not a bare infinitive.
Real English
Watch out
'Enjoy' is always followed by -ing, never 'to' + infinitive.
'Want' is always followed by a to-infinitive, never -ing.
'To' in 'look forward to' is a preposition, not part of an infinitive — it needs -ing.
'Suggest' is always followed by -ing, never 'to' + infinitive.
Real life — Making plans with a friend
"I really enjoy hiking — do you want to join me this weekend?"
"I'd love to! I miss spending time outdoors."
"Great, I'll plan to pick you up around nine."
"Perfect — I look forward to seeing the trail everyone's been talking about."
Practice
Exercise 1 · Choose the correct sentence
Which is correct?
Exercise 2 · Choose the correct sentence
Which is correct?
Exercise 3 · Choose the correct sentence
Which is correct?
Exercise 4 · Choose the correct sentence
Which is correct?
Exercise 5 · Choose the correct sentence
Which is correct?
Exercise 6 · Choose the correct sentence
Which is correct?
Exercise 7 · Choose the correct sentence
Which is correct?
Exercise 8 · Choose the correct sentence
Which is correct?
Exercise 9 · Correct the mistake
Correct the mistake: He suggested to go for a walk.
Exercise 10 · Correct the mistake
Correct the mistake: I hope seeing you soon.
Quick challenge
Five quick questions to check what stuck.
Question 1 / 5
Score: 0/0
Which is correct?
You learned
- Some verbs (enjoy, avoid, finish, suggest, admit) always take -ing.
- Some verbs (want, decide, agree, plan, hope) always take a to-infinitive.
- The pattern is learned per verb, not predicted from meaning.
- In 'look forward to' and similar phrases, 'to' is a preposition and needs -ing.
Related grammar lessons
Common Preposition Mistakes
A focused review of the prepositions most often paired with the wrong verb or adjective — married to (not with), depend on (not of), listen to (not nothing at all).
Pronoun Mistakes
A focused review of the most common pronoun mistakes — the wrong pronoun after 'and' or a preposition, and reflexive pronouns added where English doesn't need one.
Common Article Mistakes
A focused review of the most persistent article mistakes — missing 'a/an' before a job or role, and an extra 'the' added to general statements or place names that don't need one.
Countability Mistakes
A focused review of the specific words that trip learners up most — advice, information, furniture, news, and the much/many, a little/a few pairs that go with them.