Use to + infinitive

• After question words (who, what, when, where, why, how):

I didn’t know what to do next.He always knows where to go to have a good

time.

Use to + infinitive

• When you want to express a reason for something (infinitive of purpose):

I went to the supermarket to buy some food.I visited my friends to have a good time.

Use to + infinitive

• After adjectives:

This recipe is difficult to make.English is very easy to learn.

Use to + infinitive

• After some verbs:

• Can’t afford, agree, decide, expect, forget, help, hope, learn, need, offer, plan, pretend, promise, refuse, remember*, seem, try*, want, would like (see SB p. 138)

Use -ing

• After prepositions:

I’m good at playing tennis.He is fed up with waiting for the bus.

Use -ing

• In –ing clauses(i.e., when a clause beginning with an –ing verb is the subject of another sentence):

[Eating out] is expensive.[Going to the dentist] is never a good

experience.

Use -ing

• After some verbs:

• Enjoy, hate, finish, like*, love*, mind, practise, spend, stop*, suggest, phrasal verbs such as go on, give up...

Like, love, hate

• These verbs accept both to + inifinitive or the gerund, with slightly different emphases:

• I like dancing. (general)• I liked to dance with you at the party. (specific)

• I love swimming. (general)• I love to swim under the moonlight,

surrounded by schools of fluorescent fish. (specific)

Verbs that accept both possibilities with no change in meaning

• Begin, start, prefer, continue:

I began working here in 2008. I began to work here in 2008.

• ButIt’s starting to rain. It’s starting raining. (it sounds awful)

Verbs that accept both possibilities

• Remember:

• Remember to lock the door before going to bed.

• I remember seeing Richard this morning.

Verbs that accept both possibilities

• Forget

• I forgot to lock the door and someone stole my guitar.

• I’ll never forget watching the 2002 World Cup Final.

Verbs that accept both possibilities

• Try

• Are you stressed? Try listening to heavy metal to relax a little.

• I tried to memorize all the verb patterns, but it was too difficult.

Verbs that accept both possibilities

• Need

• I need to clean my car.

• =

• My car needs cleaning.

Verbs that accept both possibilities

• Stop

• I stopped smoking.

• I stopped (working, for example) to smoke.

Make, let

• make [someone] do something• let [someone] do something

The teacher made us memorize a lot of verb patterns.

My grandmother didn’t let me eat candy before meals.