The Infinitive

1. The Infinitive

The verb try, stop, regret, remember, forget, mean, go on can be
followed by the gerund or the infinitive, but with a change in
meaning
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
With a change of meaning
Try
Stop
Regret
Forget/remember
Go on
Mean

2. Try

+ gerund to experiment in order to
achieve an objective.
Try going to bed earlier and see if that helps
+ infinitive to attempt a difficult action.
Jill’s been trying to get a gob since she left school, but
with no success.

3. Stop

+gerund to finish an activity
Stop talking and get on with your work!
+infinitive to interrupt one activity in
order to do another.
Roger stopped to have a cup of tea.

4. Regret

+gerund to be sorry about
an action in the past
Many people regret marrying young.
+infinitive to be sorry about
what you are going to say.
Dr. Taylor regrets to say that he is
unable to see patients without an
appointment.

5. Forget/remember

+gerund to (not) recall an action.
I distinctly remember asking them to come after
lunch.
I won’t forget seeing Christie win the gold medal
as long as I live.
+ infinitive to not do an action you must
do.
Ann remembered to lock all the doors when she went on
holiday, but she forget to close the bathroom window.

6. Go on

• +gerund to continue an action
I’ll go on loving you until I die.
• +infinitive to finish one activity and start another
After sever years of study, Andy went on to become a doctor.

7. Mean

+gerund to involve
Dieting usually means giving up sweet things.
+infinitive to be one’s intention
I mean to send you a postcard but I forgot to take my address book.

8.

The infinitive is only possible with mean in
perfect and past tenses.
The verbs of perception see, feel, hear, smell
have a different meaning when they are
followed by the infinitive (without to) or a
participle.
+ participle to experience part of an event
I noticed a man acting in a strange way.
+infinitive without to to experience the
Whole event
I heard my sister come in at 1 a.m.

9. THE END