Grammar rule and drill

Remember, stop, try: gerund or infinitive

With these six verbs, the -ing form looks at the action itself, and to plus the verb looks at the purpose or the task still to do.

CEFR B120 questionsUpdated 5 October 2026

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Most verbs take either a gerund or an infinitive, and you learn the habit with the verb. A small group is special: remember, stop, try, forget, regret and go on accept both forms, and the meaning changes.

The pattern is worth memorising because the difference is real. "I stopped smoking" means the habit is over. "I stopped to smoke" means I paused my journey in order to have a cigarette. One letter changes the whole story.

This page takes each verb, gives both patterns with clear examples, and names the meaning in one line. The 20-question drill at the end asks you to pick the form that matches the context.

The rule

Remember: memory or task

Remember plus gerund looks back at a memory: "I remember locking the door."
Remember plus to plus verb looks forward to a task: "Remember to lock the door."
The gerund remembers an action already done; the infinitive reminds you to do it.
Compare: "I remember meeting her" is a memory, and "I remembered to meet her" is a completed task.

Stop: end or pause

Stop plus gerund ends the activity: "He stopped smoking last year."
Stop plus to plus verb pauses one action in order to do another: "He stopped to smoke."
The gerund is the thing that stops; the infinitive is the purpose of the pause.
Read the sentence: the purpose reading usually needs a journey, work or movement to pause.

Try: experiment or effort

Try plus gerund means test a method: "Try restarting the phone."
Try plus to plus verb means make an effort, often with difficulty: "I tried to lift the box, but it was too heavy."
The gerund asks what happens if we do it. The infinitive asks whether we are able to do it.
In speech, "try and" often replaces "try to": "Try and finish it tonight."

Forget: the same shape as remember

Forget plus gerund means not have a memory of doing something: "I will never forget visiting Rome."
Forget plus to plus verb means fail to do a task: "I forgot to call the dentist."
The gerund is the memory; the infinitive is the missed duty.
In the negative, "I will not forget to call" promises the task will happen.

Regret and go on

Regret plus gerund looks back with sadness: "I regret leaving the job."
Regret plus to plus verb gives bad news now: "I regret to tell you that the flight is cancelled."
Go on plus gerund means continue the same activity: "She went on talking."
Go on plus to plus verb means move to the next activity: "She went on to talk about the budget."

Examples

I remember locking the door before we left.A memory of an action, so the gerund is correct.
Remember to lock the door when you leave.A task still to do, so the infinitive is correct.
He stopped smoking five years ago.The habit itself ended, so the gerund follows stop.
He stopped to smoke outside the office.He paused in order to smoke, so the infinitive shows the purpose.
Try restarting the phone if the screen freezes.An experiment with a method takes the gerund.
I tried to lift the box, but it was too heavy.An effort with difficulty takes the infinitive.
I will never forget visiting Rome.A memory of the trip takes the gerund.
I forgot to call the dentist.A missed task takes the infinitive.
I regret leaving the job.A past decision seen with sadness takes the gerund.
She went on to explain the second part.A move to the next topic takes the infinitive.

Common mistakes

Wrong: I remember to lock the door when I was a child. Right: I remember locking the door when I was a child.: A memory of a past action takes the gerund. Remember to lock describes a task in the future.
Wrong: Remember locking the door when you leave. Right: Remember to lock the door when you leave.: A task still to do takes the infinitive.
Wrong: He stopped to smoke last year, and he feels healthier now. Right: He stopped smoking last year, and he feels healthier now.: Ending the habit takes the gerund. Stop to smoke means pause in order to smoke.
Wrong: I tried to restarting the phone. Right: I tried restarting the phone.: Try takes either the gerund or to plus the base verb, never to plus the -ing form.
Wrong: She went on talking about the budget, meaning she moved to a new topic. Right: She went on to talk about the budget.: Moving to the next activity takes go on plus to. Go on talking means keep talking about the same thing.

Questions learners ask

Is there one rule that covers all six verbs?

The closest thing to a rule is this: the gerund points at the action itself, and to plus the verb points at a task or purpose. Remember and forget look either back at a memory or forward to a duty. Stop and go on either end or continue an activity. Try is experiment or effort.

Do native speakers always follow these patterns?

In careful and written English, yes. In fast speech you may hear small variations, especially with try and, which replaces try to. For exams and clear writing, use the patterns on this page.

How do I practise the difference?

Write pairs of sentences with the same verb and both forms, then label each one memory, task, end, purpose, experiment or effort. The act of labelling fixes the meaning better than repeating the forms alone.