Correct means of employing the Infinitive and the Gerund (-ing form)

None-native English learners often come across the decision of choosing between a verb in its
-ing form (working, negotiating, buying, assessing) or its infinitive form (to estimate, to increase,
to extract, to conduct).
When to use the Infinitive
As a first rule, we always use an infinitive form after these verbs:
forget, help, learn, teach, train;
choose, expect, hope, need, offer, want, would like;
agree, encourage, pretend, promise;
allow, can/cant afford, decide, manage, mean, refuse.
e.g. I forgot to pay the last bill.
Your salary does not allow you to go over your credit limit.
We encourage our patients to inform themselves with regard to the non-invasive
treatment methods available on the internet.
Aside from employing the infinitive form after certain adjectives such as:
amazed *

delighted

lucky

relieved

afraid

disappointed *

likely

sad *

anxious

determined

motivated

shocked *

ashamed

eager

pleased

stunned *

astonished *

fortunate

prepared

surprised *

careful

glad

proud

sorry *

certain

happy

ready

upset *

hesitant

reluctant

willing

content

this form is also used after the formula (too + adjective):

e.g. The sea is too cold for us to swim in it.
Is your tea too hot to drink?
The substance is too unstable for you to handle it with your bare hands.
Moreover, we also use the infinitive after adjective + enough
e.g. She was strong enough to move on.
My father is wealthy enough to buy me an apartment.
His treatment methods are potent enough to reap results.

When to use the Gerund (-ing form)

The gerund should be employed when it functions as the subject of a sentence or clause.
e.g. Swimming helps you keep in shape.
Doctors say that drinking is highly likely to cause liver failure.
Meditating is one of the best forms of psychological therapy.
We also use verbs ending in ing after a preposition.
e.g. Im looking forward to hearing from you.
She left without saying Thank You!
IMPORTANT!
Some verbs can have one meaning when they are followed by a Gerund and an entirely different
meaning when they are followed by an Infinitive.

forget
GERUND
INFINITIVE
looks back in the past
looks into the future
He'll never forget spending so much money on
Don't forget to spend money on the tickets.
his first computer.

go on
GERUND
to continue with the same thing
Go on reading the text.

INFINITIVE
to change the activity
Go on to read the text.

mean
GERUND
INFINITIVE
sth. has to be done to get a result
intend to do sth.
You have forgotten your homework again. That I meant to phone your mother, but my mobile
means phoning your mother.
didn't work.

regret
GERUND
you did sth in the past and you are not happy
about it
I regret being late for school.

INFINITIVE
to tell bad news and you are not happy about it
We regret to inform you that the flight has
beeen delayed for another two hours.

remember
GERUND
looks back in the past
I remember switching off the lights when I

INFINITIVE
looks into the future
Remember to switch off the lights when you

GERUND
looks back in the past
went on holiday.

INFINITIVE
looks into the future
go on holiday.

stop
GERUND
to stop with an activity
I stopped smoking.

INFINITIVE
to stop in order to do sth.
I stopped to smoke.

try
GERUND
to test sth.
I tried taking an aspirin but it didn't help.

INFINITIVE
to do sth. that is not easy
Try to be quiet when you come home late.

The following words are a little trickier.

like
I like reading books. = I like to read books.
There is normally no difference in meaning.
Use the Gerund when like is used in the sense of 'enjoy'.
Example: I like riding my bike.
Use the Infinitive when you do sth. in the sense of a habit.
Example: I like to do my homework in the afternoon. (I think it is best to do my
homework in the afternoon).
Mind the following examples:
I like watching films.
I would like to watch the film.

be afraid
Use the Gerund when you worry about sth.
I'm afraid of having an accident.
In other cases there is no difference in meaning whether we use Gerund or Infinitive.
I'm afraid to go by bike on this road. = I'm afraid of going by bike on this road.

need
If we use a Gerund after need, then the sentence has a passive meaning:
The window needs cleaning.

used to
The form to be used to + Gerund means that the person is familiar with sth.
He is used to smoking. (He still smokes.)
The form used to + Infinitive means that the person did sth. in the past.
He used to smoke. (He does not smoke any more.)