Which One: Gerund or infinitive?

Most verbs in English always take either the gerund or the infinitive. You need to learn which one is correct, and then always use that form. Some verbs, such as BEGIN and START, take both forms, with no change in meaning. These two verbs, REMEMBER and FORGET, belong to the group of verbs that can be followed by a gerund or an infinitive, but the meaning changes. You need to make sure you use the correct structure or you will end up saying something that you do not mean!

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Take a look at these examples, where the verbs are followed by the INFINITIVE:

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1. I forgot to take my front door key this morning and now I am locked out of my house.

2. I didn’t remember to take my key this morning and now I am locked out of my house. (note: in examples 1 and 2, the infinitive is ‘to take’.)

3. “Did you remember to water the plants before going on holiday? “

“No, I forgot to water them! They will be dead by the time I get home again!” (note: in example 3, the infinitive is ‘to water’.)

4. Fortunately, I remembered to pack an umbrella because it is raining now. (note: in example 4, the infinitive is ‘to pack’.)

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In examples 1 – 4, the actions in yellow highlight happened first, and the actions in green highlight happened second. So the order is:

.….1…. ….2….

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So the action in the INFINITIVE happens AFTER the act of remembering or forgetting.

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Now let’s look at how to use the verbs followed by the GERUND:

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5. I remember playing in the park with my sister when I was a child.(note: here, the gerund is ‘playing’.)

6. I had forgotten visiting that town until I saw the photos of me there!(note: here, the gerund is ‘visiting’.)

7. I don’t remember telling you that was I planning to leave my job, so how did you know? (note: here, the gerund is ‘telling’.)

8. I’ll never forget sitting in the garden that day and listening to the birds singing. (note: here, the gerunds are ‘sitting’ and ‘listening’.)

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In examples 5 – 8, the actions in yellow highlight happened first, and the actions in green highlight happened second. So the order is:

.….2…. ….1….

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So the action in the GERUND happens BEFORE the act of remembering or forgetting.

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Here are some common mistakes using these verbs – and I hope you will remember never to make these mistakes again!

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1. I forgot taking my sun cream to the beach, so now I am sunburnt!(note: this is wrong, because first I forgot and then I did not take my sun cream to the beach. That is why I am sunburnt.) The correct sentence is:

I forgot to take my sun cream to the beach, so now I am sunburnt.

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2. I remember to eat fish and chips quite often when I was in Britain.(note: this is wrong, because first I ate fish and chips and then later, I remembered the fish and chips.) So the correct sentence is:

.I remember eating fish and chips quite often when I was in Britain.

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Now, try to write your own sentences using REMEMBER and FORGET, sometimes with the gerund and sometimes with the infinitive. Make sure these sentences are true to your own life because this will help you to remember them better.

Source : DailyStep

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