SPM English Verb Patterns: Gerund vs Infinitive Guide

What Are Verb Patterns?

In English, when one verb follows another, the second verb takes a specific form. It’s either a gerund (verb + -ing) or an infinitive (to + verb). You can’t just pick whichever feels right — each verb demands a specific pattern.

• “I enjoy swimming.” (gerund) ✓
• “I enjoy to swim.” (infinitive) ✗
• “I want to leave.” (infinitive) ✓
• “I want leaving.” (gerund) ✗

This is tested in SPM English in two ways:

1. Paper 1 grammar/cloze questions: You must choose the correct form
2. Essay writing: Wrong verb patterns make your writing sound unnatural and lose you marks for language accuracy

Verbs Followed by Gerund Only (-ing)

These verbs must be followed by the -ing form. Never use an infinitive after them.

Verb	Example
enjoy	”I enjoy reading novels before bed.”
avoid	”She avoids eating spicy food.”
suggest	”He suggested going to the library.”
consider	”We should consider moving to a bigger house.”
mind	”Do you mind waiting for a moment?“
practise	”She practises playing the piano daily.”
finish	”Have you finished writing your essay?“
keep	”He keeps forgetting his homework.”
admit	”She admitted copying from her friend.”
deny	”He denied stealing the money.”
risk	”Don’t risk driving in the storm.”
imagine	”Can you imagine living in London?“
miss	”I miss talking to my grandmother.”
postpone	”They postponed holding the event.”
give up	”She gave up trying to fix the computer.”

Memory trick: Many of these verbs describe reactions to actions already happening or being considered. “Enjoy, miss, keep, finish” — the action is already in progress or in your mind.

Verbs Followed by Infinitive Only (to + verb)

These verbs must be followed by “to + verb.” Never use a gerund after them.

Verb	Example
want	”I want to become a doctor.”
decide	”She decided to study abroad.”
hope	”We hope to visit Japan next year.”
plan	”They plan to build a new school.”
agree	”He agreed to help with the project.”
refuse	”She refused to answer the question.”
promise	”I promise to call you tomorrow.”
offer	”He offered to carry her bags.”
learn	”She is learning to drive.”
afford	”We can’t afford to buy a new car.”
manage	”He managed to pass the exam.”
seem	”She seems to understand the topic.”
pretend	”He pretended to be asleep.”
expect	”I expect to finish by Friday.”
choose	”She chose to remain silent.”

Memory trick: Many of these verbs describe intentions, plans, or future-oriented actions. “Want, hope, plan, decide” — the action hasn’t happened yet.

Verbs That Take Both — With Different Meanings

These are the trickiest verbs in SPM English because the meaning changes depending on whether you use the gerund or infinitive.

Stop

• stop + gerund = quit doing the action
  • “He stopped smoking.” (He quit smoking.)
• stop + infinitive = pause in order to do something
  • “He stopped to smoke.” (He paused what he was doing so he could smoke.)

Remember

• remember + gerund = recall a past action
  • “I remember locking the door.” (I recall that I locked it.)
• remember + infinitive = not forget to do a future action
  • “Remember to lock the door.” (Don’t forget to lock it.)

Forget

• forget + gerund = not recall a past action
  • “I’ll never forget meeting the Prime Minister.” (The memory stays with me.)
• forget + infinitive = fail to do something
  • “I forgot to meet him at the airport.” (I didn’t go to the airport.)

Try

• try + gerund = experiment with a method
  • “Try adding more salt.” (Experiment with this approach.)
• try + infinitive = attempt something difficult
  • “I tried to open the door, but it was locked.” (I attempted but failed.)

Regret

• regret + gerund = feel sorry about a past action
  • “I regret telling her the secret.” (I wish I hadn’t told her.)
• regret + infinitive = feel sorry about what you’re about to say (formal)
  • “We regret to inform you that your application was unsuccessful.”

Common SPM Errors

Here are the mistakes I see most often in my students’ work:

Error 1: Using infinitive after “enjoy”

• ✗ “I enjoy to play badminton.”
• ✓ “I enjoy playing badminton.”

Error 2: Using gerund after “want”

• ✗ “I want going to the mall.”
• ✓ “I want to go to the mall.”

Error 3: Using gerund after “decide”

• ✗ “She decided studying medicine.”
• ✓ “She decided to study medicine.”

Error 4: Confusing “stop to do” and “stop doing”

• “The teacher stopped talking.” (The teacher became silent.)
• “The teacher stopped to talk to a parent.” (The teacher paused her walk to have a conversation.)

Error 5: Using wrong form after prepositions After prepositions (in, on, at, about, for, without, by, before, after), ALWAYS use the gerund.

• ✗ “She is interested in to learn English.”
• ✓ “She is interested in learning English.”
• ✗ “Thank you for to help me.”
• ✓ “Thank you for helping me.”

Practice Exercises

Fill in the blanks with the correct form (gerund or infinitive):

1. She enjoys _______ (read) mystery novels.
2. They decided _______ (postpone) the trip.
3. I can’t afford _______ (buy) a new phone.
4. He avoids _______ (eat) fast food.
5. We hope _______ (travel) to Penang next month.
6. She admitted _______ (cheat) in the test.
7. Do you mind _______ (close) the window?
8. I remember _______ (visit) this temple as a child. (recalling a past event)
9. Remember _______ (bring) your dictionary tomorrow. (don’t forget)
10. He stopped _______ (check) his phone during the exam. (he quit doing it)

Answers

1. reading
2. to postpone
3. to buy
4. eating
5. to travel
6. cheating
7. closing
8. visiting (recalling a memory)
9. to bring (a reminder for the future)
10. checking (he stopped the action of checking)

Quick Reference Rule

When you’re unsure during the exam, ask yourself:

• Is the action already happening or already experienced? → Use gerund (enjoy doing, finish doing, keep doing)
• Is the action planned, intended, or in the future? → Use infinitive (want to do, plan to do, decide to do)
• Is there a preposition before the verb? → Always gerund (interested in doing, good at doing)

This rule covers about 80% of cases. For the rest, you need to memorise the specific verb patterns — especially the ones that change meaning.

For more grammar topics, check out our guides on active and passive voice and commonly confused words. If you want a complete review of grammar and sentence structure, we have a detailed topic page.

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