English Grammar Lab

← B1

Verb patterns with -ing and to

You will be able to Use common verb patterns followed by gerunds or infinitives.

Explanation

Some verbs, such as enjoy and avoid, are followed by -ing. Others, such as want and decide, are followed by to and the base verb.

Examples

Detailed course

Understand the grammar point

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Detailed explanation

This lesson focuses on verb patterns with -ing and to. The structure helps learners organise connected speech and writing, and it should always be interpreted as part of a complete message rather than as an isolated formula. Before selecting a form, identify the subject, time reference, clause relationship, and the information that receives emphasis.

Formation is central. Learn the pattern with each main verb. Enjoy, avoid, finish, and suggest commonly take -ing, while want, decide, hope, and plan commonly take to plus the base verb. Build the sentence in stages: identify the grammatical subject, choose the auxiliary or main verb form, and complete the clause in normal English word order. In negatives and questions, check whether the structure supplies its own auxiliary or requires another one.

The pattern can help users explain reasons and results, report experience and information, and choose between related grammar patterns. These purposes may overlap, so context decides which interpretation is natural. Time expressions, determiners, linking words, and punctuation often provide evidence for the correct choice.

A useful contrast prevents overgeneralisation. Some verbs accept both patterns with little change, while others such as stop, remember, and try change meaning. Ask how the nearest alternative would change time, certainty, focus, politeness, or register. A grammatically possible sentence may still communicate the wrong relationship if that contrast is ignored.

The guided examples are complete messages. Notice how the target structure agrees with its subject and how the surrounding vocabulary makes the intended meaning clear. When producing a new example, preserve the relationship between form and meaning while changing the people, place, and lexical details.

A reliable self-check is to paraphrase the sentence in simpler language. If the paraphrase changes the time relationship, degree of certainty, or focus, review the original form. Compare the sentence with the common mistakes and explain why the corrected version is preferable.

In connected speech and writing, the structure also contributes to cohesion. It guides the reader through background information, main events, causes, qualifications, and results. Clause order and connector choice can therefore affect interpretation even when every individual word is correct.

How to form it

Learn the pattern with each main verb. Enjoy, avoid, finish, and suggest commonly take -ing, while want, decide, hope, and plan commonly take to plus the base verb.

Use the structure to organise connected speech and writing.

Use the structure to explain reasons and results.

Use the structure to report experience and information.

Use the structure to choose between related grammar patterns.

Some verbs accept both patterns with little change, while others such as stop, remember, and try change meaning.

Guided examples

I enjoy reading biographies about explorers.

Enjoy is followed by the -ing form reading, not a to-infinitive.

Our group decided to research a local scientist.

Decide is followed by to plus the base verb research.

We avoided copying information from unreliable websites.

Avoid is followed by the -ing form copying, not a to-infinitive.

Mina hopes to interview a university researcher.

Hope is followed by to plus the base verb interview.

The teacher suggested creating a shared timeline.

Suggest is followed by the -ing form creating, not a to-infinitive.

I remembered to save the final document.

Remember is followed by to plus the base verb here, meaning the speaker did not forget.

Common mistakes

Not: I enjoy to read biographies about explorers.

Use: I enjoy reading biographies about explorers.

Enjoy is followed by the -ing form reading, not a to-infinitive.

Not: Our group decided researching a local scientist.

Use: Our group decided to research a local scientist.

Decide is followed by to plus the base verb, not the -ing form.

Not: We avoided to copy information from unreliable websites.

Use: We avoided copying information from unreliable websites.

Avoid is followed by the -ing form copying, not a to-infinitive.

Not: Mina hopes interviewing a university researcher.

Use: Mina hopes to interview a university researcher.

Hope is followed by to plus the base verb, not the -ing form.

Before you practise

  • Identify the communicative purpose.
  • Check the subject and required verb or auxiliary.
  • Confirm the time reference and clause order.
  • Compare the sentence with the nearest alternative.
  • Read the complete sentence and verify the meaning.

Reading text

Choosing a Research Project

About 268 words

Mariam, Leo, and their teacher gathered at a classroom after school to choose a small transport research project. The main difficulty was clear: the first idea is too large for one week. They spread bus timetables, route maps, and interview notes across the table and agreed to work through the facts one by one. Mariam enjoys interviewing neighbours about transport. That first detail changed the mood in the room because it gave the group something concrete to discuss. Leo hopes to study bus prices next week. After that, the group compared names, times, and places instead of guessing. The group decided to compare two routes. A short disagreement followed, but it helped them notice a missing detail. Their teacher suggested keeping the question small. When the final note was added, the plan felt realistic and easy to explain. Before they left a classroom after school, the result was clear: the group chooses a simple comparison. Mariam, Leo, and their teacher return to bus timetables, route maps, and interview notes because each item helps with the task. The notes show why the first idea is too large for one week. The group checks the time, the place, and the next decision before moving on. No one rushes, because a small error would change the outcome. The work stays connected to a classroom after school, where the problem first became visible. By the end, the result is clear: the group chooses a simple comparison. Later, the written record helps the group explain the decision without adding new claims. The strongest clue comes from the materials, not from anyone's memory alone.

Reading comprehension

  1. Who is involved in the reading?

    Show answer

    Mariam, Leo, and their teacher

  2. Where does the reading take place?

    Show answer

    a classroom after school

  3. What task are the people trying to complete?

    Show answer

    choose a small transport research project

  4. What problem makes the task less simple?

    Show answer

    the first idea is too large for one week

  5. How does the reading end?

    Show answer

    the group chooses a simple comparison

Grammar in the text

  1. Mariam enjoys interviewing neighbours about transport.

    Enjoy is followed by the -ing form interviewing.

  2. Leo hopes to study bus prices next week.

    Hope is followed by to plus the base verb study.

  3. The group decided to compare two routes.

    Decide is followed by to plus the base verb compare.

  4. Their teacher suggested keeping the question small.

    Suggest is followed by the -ing form keeping, not a to-infinitive.

Key point

Use this pattern when the meaning needs it in the reading: verb + -ing or verb + to-infinitive. In short, some verbs are followed by -ing forms and others by to + verb. Example: "Mariam enjoys interviewing neighbours about transport."

Practice

  1. Complete the sentence from the same situation: "Mariam enjoys ____ neighbours about transport."

    Show answer

    Mariam enjoys interviewing neighbours about transport.

  2. Complete the sentence from the same situation: "Leo hopes ____ study bus prices next week."

    Show answer

    Leo hopes to study bus prices next week.

  3. Complete the sentence from the same situation: "The group ____ to compare two routes."

    Show answer

    The group decided to compare two routes.

  4. Complete the sentence from the same situation: "____ teacher suggested keeping the question small."

    Show answer

    Their teacher suggested keeping the question small.

Listening practice

Watch a TEDx talk

“TED's secret to great public speaking” — Chris Anderson (TED). Listen for clear, natural English and pick up new vocabulary while you review this grammar point.

Check your understanding

According to Chris Anderson, what is the one underlying thing that all great talks have in common?

Check your understanding

What does Anderson warn speakers against doing on the TED stage?

Practice

Choose the correct answer. I enjoy ___ in the evening.

Practice

Choose the correct answer. She wants ___ medicine.

Practice

Choose the correct answer. They avoided ___ about the problem.

Written practice

Produce the answer yourself. Capitalisation and final punctuation do not affect validation, but the grammar and word order must be correct.

Sentence correction

Written practice

Correct the sentence.

She wants studying medicine.