Gerunds vs Infinitives: 'Stop Eating' or 'Stop to Eat'?

Priya Sharma

Priya Sharma writes English learning guides for ESL students. Pune-based language enthusiast.

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Quick answer: A gerund is a verb with -ing used like a noun (swimming). An infinitive is 'to' plus the verb (to swim). Some verbs take only the gerund (enjoy, finish, avoid), some take only the infinitive (want, decide, need), and a few change meaning depending on which one you use (stop, remember, try).↗ Share on X

Use a gerund (verb + -ing, like *eating*) after verbs such as *enjoy, finish, avoid* and after prepositions. Use an infinitive (*to* + verb, like *to eat*) after verbs such as *want, need, decide, hope*. With a small group of verbs (*stop, remember, forget, try*), both are correct but the meaning changes: "I stopped eating" means you quit; "I stopped to eat" means you paused another activity so you could eat.

That is the whole rule in one paragraph. The rest of this article gives you the short lists to memorize, the tricky cases, and a simple way to practice so it starts to sound natural.

What are gerunds and infinitives, in plain words?

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Both are forms of a verb that act like a noun or complete another verb.

• Gerund: verb + -ing. *Reading, cooking, waiting.*

- *Cooking relaxes me.*

- *I enjoy cooking.*

• Infinitive: to + base verb. *To read, to cook, to wait.*

- *I want to cook tonight.*

- *She needs to wait.*

The problem is not the form. The problem is knowing which verb comes before it. English has no perfect logic here, so the fastest path is to learn the most common verbs as pairs, like "enjoy + -ing" and "want + to."

Which common verbs take the -ing form?

These verbs are followed by a gerund. You'll hear them every day:

A simple memory trick: many of these verbs talk about something you are already doing or have experience with (enjoy, finish, miss, keep, give up).

Which common verbs take "to" + verb?

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These verbs are followed by an infinitive:

Memory trick: many of these verbs point to the future or a goal (want, plan, hope, decide, promise). The action hasn't happened yet.

Which verbs can use both, with the same meaning?

With these verbs, you can choose. The meaning is almost the same:

• like / love / hate / prefer: *I like swimming.* = *I like to swim.*
• start / begin / continue: *It started raining.* = *It started to rain.*

Both are correct in daily conversation. Americans often use the infinitive after *like* and *love* when talking about a specific moment: *I'd love to come.* (Note: after *would like / would love*, only the infinitive works.)

Which verbs change meaning? (the tricky ones)

This is where most people make mistakes. Learn these four well:

1. Stop

- *I stopped smoking.* = I quit smoking. I don't smoke anymore.

- *I stopped to smoke.* = I paused what I was doing so I could smoke.

2. Remember

- *I remember meeting her.* = I have a memory of that past moment.

- *Remember to call her.* = Don't forget to do this task in the future.

3. Forget

- *I'll never forget visiting New York.* = a past memory.

- *I forgot to buy milk.* = I didn't do the task.

4. Try

- *Try restarting your phone.* = Do this as a test and see if it works.

- *I'm trying to open this jar.* = I'm making an effort, but it's hard.

A quick rule for *remember* and *forget*: -ing looks back at the past; to looks forward to a task.

Why is it "look forward to seeing you"?

Because in that phrase, *to* is a preposition, not part of an infinitive. After prepositions (in, on, at, about, for, of, without, before, after, to), English uses the -ing form:

• *I'm interested in learning Spanish.*
• *Thanks for helping me.*
• *She left without saying goodbye.*
• *I'm used to working at night.*
• *I look forward to hearing from you.*
• *What about going to the movies?*

If you can put a noun after the word (*I look forward to the weekend*), then *to* is a preposition, and you need the -ing form.

The 10 most common mistakes and how to fix them

Read the list out loud. Saying the correct version helps your ear learn the pattern faster than reading silently.

What about gerunds as the subject of a sentence?

When the action is the subject, the gerund sounds most natural in everyday English:

• *Walking is good for you.*
• *Learning English takes time.*
• *Driving in the city is stressful.*

You *can* say *To walk is good for you*, but it sounds formal or old-fashioned. In conversation, use the -ing form.

How can you practice this in daily conversation?

Grammar lists help, but your goal is to say these without thinking. Here is a simple 7-day plan, about 10 minutes a day:

1. Day 1: Say five sentences about what you enjoy. *I enjoy cooking. I enjoy listening to music.*

2. Day 2: Say five sentences about what you want or need to do this week. *I need to call my mom.*

3. Day 3: Practice *stop*: one sentence about a habit you quit, one about a pause. *I stopped drinking soda. I stopped to buy coffee.*

4. Day 4: Practice *remember* and *forget*: one past memory, one task. *I remember visiting my grandma. Remember to pay the bill.*

5. Day 5: Write three sentences with prepositions: *Thanks for..., I'm interested in..., before...*

6. Day 6: Record yourself answering: "What do you enjoy doing on weekends? What do you plan to do next year?"

7. Day 7: Listen to your recording. Check each verb against the tables above.

After a week, you'll notice that *enjoy to* and *want going* start to sound wrong to you. That feeling is exactly what you want.

Your next step

Pick the three verbs you use most at work or at home, like *need, want,* and *finish*. Write one true sentence with each one right now, check it against the tables, and say it out loud three times. Tomorrow, add three more verbs. In two weeks, you'll have the 24 most common verbs covered, and most of your daily conversations will already use them correctly.

FAQ

What is the difference between a gerund and an infinitive?

A gerund is a verb with -ing used like a noun, such as 'swimming.' An infinitive is 'to' plus the base verb, such as 'to swim.' Which one you use depends mostly on the verb before it.

Is it 'I enjoy to cook' or 'I enjoy cooking'?

The correct form is 'I enjoy cooking.' The verb 'enjoy' is always followed by the -ing form.

Why is it 'look forward to seeing you'?

Because 'to' in this phrase is a preposition, not part of an infinitive. After prepositions, English uses the -ing form.

What's the difference between 'stop smoking' and 'stop to smoke'?

'Stop smoking' means you quit the habit. 'Stop to smoke' means you paused another activity so you could smoke.