Stop, Remember, and Try: Gerund vs. Infinitive Meaning Changes
In English, certain verbs can be followed by either a gerund (-ing form) or an infinitive (to + verb), but the meaning changes dramatically depending on which you choose. The verbs stop, remember, and try are classic examples of this phenomenon, and mastering them is essential for clear communication.
Stop + gerund means to quit doing something (e.g., "She stopped smoking" = she quit the habit), while stop + infinitive means to pause in order to do something (e.g., "She stopped to smoke" = she paused her activity to have a cigarette). Similarly, remember + gerund refers to recalling a past action (e.g., "I remember locking the door" = I have a memory of doing it), whereas remember + infinitive means not forgetting to do something in the future (e.g., "Remember to lock the door" = don't forget to do it).
The verb try follows a similar pattern: try + gerund suggests experimenting with something as a possible solution (e.g., "Try restarting the computer"), while try + infinitive emphasizes making an effort or attempt to do something difficult (e.g., "I tried to open the jar but couldn't"). Understanding these distinctions will help you express yourself more precisely and avoid confusing your listener or reader. Try the quiz to check your knowledge!
Correct Answers
Choose the correct option to complete the sentence.
Context: You're on a long drive and suddenly notice a beautiful sunset.
We stopped ___ the sunset before continuing our journey.
The correct answer is to watch.
Stop + to-infinitive means "pause another action in order to do something." Here, you paused driving to watch the sunset. If you said "stopped watching," it would mean you quit watching something you were already doing.
Choose the correct option to complete the sentence.
Context: Your roommate left a note on the fridge this morning.
Please remember ___ the electricity bill today — it's due at midnight!
The correct answer is to pay.
Remember + to-infinitive means "don't forget to do something" (a future task). The bill hasn't been paid yet, so this is a reminder about a duty. "Remember paying" would mean recalling a past payment you already made.
Choose the correct option to complete the sentence.
Context: Your phone has been running slowly all week.
My phone was so slow, so I tried ___ all the unused apps. It worked!
The correct answer is deleting.
Try + gerund means "experiment with a method to see if it works." You tested deleting apps as a solution — and it helped! "Try to delete" would mean you attempted to delete but found it difficult.
Spot the mistake! Which sentence correctly describes a past memory?
Context: You're telling a friend about someone you met years ago.
The correct answer is I remember meeting her at the summer festival in 2019.
Remember + gerund means "recall a past experience." Since you're talking about something that already happened in 2019, you need the gerund form. "Remember to meet" would mean "don't forget to meet her" — a future task, not a memory!
The correct answers are I stopped checking my phone every five minutes and I stopped to check my phone when it rang.
Stop + gerund (-ing) means "end/quit the activity." Stop + to-infinitive means "pause another action in order to do something." The wrong options mix up these meanings!
The correct answers are I remember visiting the Eiffel Tower when I was twelve and Remember to visit the pharmacy on your way home!
Remember + gerund (-ing) = recall a past memory. Remember + to-infinitive = don't forget a future task. The sentence "I remember to visit..." is wrong because past memory requires the gerund!
The correct answers are I tried restarting the computer, but it didn't help and I tried to turn it off, but the button was stuck.
Try + gerund (-ing) = experiment with a method to see if it works. Try + to-infinitive = attempt / make an effort (often implying difficulty). When you successfully restart but it doesn't solve the problem, use the gerund. When you can't even complete the action, use the infinitive!
The correct answers are I remember to meet her at the café last summer and The wifi wasn't working, so I tried to restart the router. It worked perfectly after that!
The first error: Past memory requires remember + gerund → "I remember meeting her..." The second error: Since restarting worked as a solution, it's an experiment, so it should be try + gerund → "I tried restarting the router." The other sentences are correct!
The correct answers are to take and taking.
First blank: Stop + to-infinitive = pause one action in order to do something else. You paused studying to take a break. Second blank: Stop + gerund (-ing) = end/quit the activity. You quit the note-taking because of the cramp.
The correct answers are turning and to install.
First blank: Try + gerund (-ing) = experiment with a method to see if it works. You tested the restart method. Second blank: Try + to-infinitive = attempt / make an effort. You made an effort but couldn't succeed.
The correct answers are to send and visiting.
First blank: Remember + to-infinitive = don't forget a future duty/plan. The message is something you need to do tomorrow. Second blank: Remember + gerund (-ing) = recall a past experience/memory. You're thinking back to childhood visits.
The correct answers are meeting and to meet.
First blank: Remember + gerund (-ing) = recall a past experience. Meeting her last summer is a memory, so we need "remember meeting." Second blank: Remember + to-infinitive = don't forget a future plan/duty. The airport pickup is something you need to do tomorrow.
Drag the correct forms to complete these mini-stories about daily life.
Story 1: My phone kept buzzing during my workout. I stopped to check my messages, then went back to exercising.
Story 2: I used to bite my nails constantly, but last month I finally stopped biting them!
Story 3: Before bed, I always remember to set my alarm—I can't afford to oversleep again.
The correct answer is to check.
Stop + to-infinitive = pause another action in order to do something. You paused your workout to check your phone.
The correct answer is biting.
Stop + gerund (-ing form) = end/quit the activity. You quit the habit of biting your nails.
The correct answer is to set.
Remember + to-infinitive = don't forget a future task. You make sure not to forget setting the alarm before sleep.
Drag the correct forms to complete these scenarios. Think about whether each situation involves a past memory, an experiment, or an attempt!
Scenario 1: My laptop was running slowly, so I tried restarting it to see if that would help.
Scenario 2: I tried to open the jar, but the lid was stuck tight—I just wasn't strong enough!
Scenario 3: Do you remember meeting her at the conference last year? She had bright purple hair!
The correct answer is restarting.
Try + gerund (-ing form) = experiment with a method to see if it works. You tested restarting as a possible solution.
The correct answer is to open.
Try + to-infinitive = attempt / make an effort. You made an effort but couldn't succeed.
The correct answer is meeting.
Remember + gerund (-ing form) = recall a past experience. You're asking about a memory from last year.
🔍 Spot the mistake! One sentence below has an error. Drag the correct forms to fix all the sentences.
Sentence 1: "I remember meeting my best friend for the first time—we were both five years old."
Sentence 2: The wifi wasn't working, so I tried unplugging the router and plugging it back in.
Sentence 3: On my walk home, I stopped to buy some snacks at the corner shop.
The correct answer is meeting.
Remember + gerund (-ing form) = recall a past experience. This is a childhood memory, not a future task. The common mistake "I remember to meet her last summer" uses the wrong form—past memories need the gerund!
The correct answer is unplugging.
Try + gerund (-ing form) = experiment with a method. You tested unplugging as a troubleshooting technique.
The correct answer is to buy.
Stop + to-infinitive = pause another action in order to do something. You paused your walk for the purpose of buying snacks.
Gerund
If you've ever said I enjoy to read or good at to swim and wondered why it sounded wrong, you've met the gerund. English is fussy about which structures take -ing and which take to + verb, and getting this wrong is one of the most common giveaways that someone learned grammar from a list rather than from real usage.
A gerund is the -ing form of a verb acting as a noun — reading, swimming, being late. After many common verbs (enjoy, avoid, finish) and after every preposition, English demands the gerund, never the infinitive.
Infinitive
If you've ever written I enjoy to swim or He let me to go and only later learned why both are wrong — you've hit the infinitive's main puzzle. English is fussy: some verbs demand the to-infinitive, some demand the bare infinitive, some demand the gerund, and a few accept multiple options with different meanings (remember to lock vs remember locking).
The infinitive is the basic form of a verb, used non-finitely. The to-infinitive (to go) follows verbs like want, decide, plan; the bare infinitive (go) follows modal verbs (can, will) and causatives (Let him go).
Verb
If grammar feels overwhelming, the fix is almost always to focus on verbs first. They carry the action, the time, the mood, and the voice — a single verb form decides whether your sentence reads as past or present, fact or hypothetical, active or passive. Get verbs solid and the rest of grammar suddenly looks much smaller.
A verb expresses action, state, or occurrence — the engine of every English sentence. Most verbs have five forms (base, -s, past tense, past participle, -ing); be has eight; modal verbs have fewer. Verbs carry tense, aspect, mood, and voice.
B1 | Intermediate
If you can hold a conversation about your weekend, explain why you're late, and follow a short news story without panicking — but still feel lost in fast or technical English — you're probably operating at B1. Knowing this matters: study material at the wrong level either bores you or burns you out, and B1 is the typical target for travel, casual work, and most everyday social English.
B1 is the intermediate level in the CEFR framework, where you handle everyday English independently and start combining ideas with complex sentences, passive voice, and modal verbs.
Difficulty: Medium
If easy questions feel too obvious but hard questions leave you guessing, you're probably ready for Medium — the level where most real learning happens. It pushes just enough to expose the rules you don't quite have yet, without burying you in edge cases. This is where steady fluency is built, one well-aimed challenge at a time.
The Medium difficulty tag marks middle-range challenges — typically A2 to B1. One rule per question, realistic distractors, and contexts that require active thought rather than instant recognition.