Intermediate 📐 Grammar · #276 of 305

Verb + Gerund or Infinitive: Stop, Remember, Forget

Meaning changes with the form.

Examples

  • I stopped smoking.
  • I stopped to smoke.

Key rules

  • Stop + -ing means to quit: I stopped smoking
  • Stop + to + verb means to stop in order to do: I stopped to smoke
  • Remember + -ing means recall something: I remember locking the door
  • Remember + to + verb means do not forget: Remember to lock the door

Common mistakes

  • I stopped to smoking → I stopped smoking
  • I forgot locking the door → I forgot to lock the door
💡 Tip: Gerund looks back, infinitive looks forward.
Practise this topic in the appPractise Intermediate quiz
← Certainty ScaleVerb + Gerund or Infinitive: Try, Regret, Go On →

Related Intermediate topics

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Present Perfect Continuous

have been + -ing stresses duration up to now.

Past Perfect

had + past participle for an earlier past action.

Past Perfect Continuous

had been + -ing for duration before a past moment.

Future Continuous

will be + -ing for actions in progress at a future time.

Future Perfect

will have + past participle for completion before a future time.

Future Perfect Continuous

will have been + -ing for duration up to a future point.