VERB PATTERNS

Verbs followed by a Gerund

admit
advise
appreciate
avoid
can't help
complete
consider

delay
deny
detest
dislike
enjoy
escape
excuse

finish
forbid
get through
have
imagine
mind
miss

permit
postpone
practice
quit
recall
report
resent

Verbs followed by an Infinitive

resist
resume
risk
spend (time)
suggest
tolerate
waste (time)

Verbs followed by a preposition and a Gerund

admit to
approve of
argue about
believe in
care about
complain about
concentrate on
confess to

depend on
disapprove of
discourage from
dream about
feel like
forget about
insist on
object to

plan on
prevent
refrain from
succeed in
talk about
think about
worry about

agree
aim
appear
arrange
ask
attempt
be able
beg
begin
care
choose
condescend

consent
continue
dare
decide
deserve
detest
dislike
expect
fail
forget
get
happen

have
hesitate
hope
hurry
intend
leap
leave
like
long
love
mean
neglect

offer
ought
plan
prefer
prepare
proceed
promise
propose
refuse
remember
say

shoot
start
stop
strive
swear
threaten
try
use
wait
want
wish

Verbs followed by an object and an Infinitive

advise
allow
ask
beg
bring
build
buy
challenge

CHANGE IN MEANING

choose
command
dare
direct
encourage
expect
forbid
force

have
hire
instruct
invite
lead
leave
let
like

love
motivate
order
pay
permit
persuade
prepare
promise

remind
require
send
teach
tell
urge
want
warn

Remember/Forget (recordar/olvidar)

Go on (seguir, continuar)

Con los verbos remember (recordar) y forget (olvidar), el gerundio hace referencia a una
accin que ocurri ANTES QUE el hecho de recordar u olvidar.
I remember giving him the key
I will never forget going water rafting in Africa
Sin embargo, con remember y forget, el infinitivo hace referencia a una accin
queocurri DESPUES QUE surgiera el hecho de recordar u olvidar.
I remember to feed the cat
I forgot to post that letter .

La estructura go on + gerund expresa lo mismo que continue + gerund/infinitive:

He went on talking about himself, even though nobody was listening.
Sin embargo, go on + infinitive significa to start something new:
He went on to talk about his children

Regret (lamentar/se)
El verbo regret (lamentar/se) es similar. La estructura regret + gerund (ing) hace
referencia mientras que regret + infinitive se usa para presentar malas noticias (I regret to
say..., I regret to tell you..., I regret to inform you...).
I regret telling him the secret
I regret to say that I just ran over your dog

Stop (dejar de)

La estructura stop + gerund (ing) expresa que se ha interrumpido la accin mencionada
en el gerundio.

Try (tratar, intentar)

Existe una ligera diferencia entre try + infinitive y try + gerund. La estructura try
+ infinitive sugiere que la accin del infinitivo es difcil y posiblemente la persona no llegue
a realizar la accin:
Try to open the window. I can't because I'm not very strong and it has recently been
painted.
He tried to climb the cliff.
Sin embargo, try + gerund sugiere que la accin del gerundio no es compleja pero
desconocemos si la consecuencia de esa accin ser lo que buscamos o deseamos. Se
utiliza la estructura try + gerund cuando realizamos algo para descubrir cules sern las
consecuencias.
A: Phew! It's hot in here!
B: Try opening the window. Although it's probably just as hot outside!

You must stop smoking.

Sin embargo, stop + infinitive expresa que se interrumpel la actividad que se est
realizando para llevar a cabo la actividad mencionada en el infinitivo.
The window-cleaners stopped to smoke.

Need (necesitar, tener necesidad de)

Con el verbo need, el infinitivo adquiere un significado activo y el gerundio uno pasivo.
I need to talk to you significa I must talk to you.
My shoes need cleaning significa My shoes need to be cleaned.
The car needed servicing significa The car needed to be serviced.