B2 · Upper intermediate

Verbs that change meaning: -ing or to: stop, remember, forget, try, regret, go on, mean, need, want

A few verbs can be followed by either -ing or to + base verb, and the meaning is different. This page shows the difference for each verb.

The idea

For the verbs below, choosing -ing or to + base verb changes the meaning.

Verb+ -ing+ to + base verb
stopthe action endsstop in order to do something
tryexperimentattempt something difficult
rememberremember a past eventremember a job and do it
forgetforget a past eventforget a job
go oncontinue the same actionmove to the next action
meaninvolve, result inintend
regretfeel sorry about a past actsorry to give bad news
needpassive meaning: the car needs washingactive: I need to wash the car; passive: it needs to be washed
wantpassive meaning (informal, especially British English): the garden wants weedingdesire: I want to wash the car

Stop

  • She stopped crying. she was crying, and then she stopped
  • We stopped to buy water. we stopped in order to buy water

Try

  • I tried searching the web. as an experiment, to see what happens
  • I tried to call Ana, but her phone was off. an attempt that might fail

Remember and forget

  • I remember locking the door. a memory of the event
  • Did you remember to lock the door? did you do the job you needed to do
  • I forgot to lock the door. I did not do the job
  • She forgot meeting him at the party last year. she had no memory of it

Go on

  • He went on singing for hours. he continued
  • She won the award and then went on to sing a folk song. the next thing she did

Mean

  • Living in Madrid means paying high rent. it involves this
  • I didn't mean to hurt you. I did not intend it

Regret

  • I regret leaving school so early. I am sorry about what I did
  • We regret to tell you that the shop is closed. formal: we are sorry about the news we are giving

Need and want

  • The car needs washing. it needs to be washed: the -ing form has a passive meaning
  • I need to wash the car. it is necessary for me to wash it
  • The garden wants weeding. informal English, especially British: it needs weeding
  • I want to wash the car. desire: I would like to do it

Watch out

✗I stopped to smoke last year. (meaning: I gave it up)

✓I stopped smoking last year.

If the activity ends, use -ing.

✗Remember posting the letter tomorrow. (meaning: don't forget to do it)

✓Remember to post the letter tomorrow.

Remember + to + base verb for a job that is still to be done. Remember + -ing looks back at a past event: I remember posting it yesterday.

✗I forgot locking the door. (meaning: I did not lock it)

✓I forgot to lock the door.

If the job was not done, use to + base verb.

What comes next

See Verb + -ing: enjoy, stop, avoid, Verb + to-infinitive: want, decide, forget and Verb + object + to-infinitive: tell, want, allow.

Practice

Eight questions. Choose one answer for each.