Memory and Sequence: Remember and Forget

The verbs remember and forget change meaning based on the timeline of events. The choice between a gerund and an infinitive tells us whether the memory happened before or after the action.

Use the to-infinitive for actions you must remember to do in the future (or had to do in the past). The remembering happens first, and the action happens second. It is about obligation or completing a task.

• "I must remember to lock the door." (First I remember, then I lock it.)

Use the gerund (-ing) for looking back at past memories. The action happened first, and the remembering happens second.

• "I clearly remember locking the door." (First I locked it, now I have a memory of doing it.)

✅ I will never forget seeing the ocean for the first time. ❌ I will never forget to see the ocean for the first time.

The incorrect sentence implies you have a task on your to-do list called "see the ocean," which completely ruins the emotional meaning of recalling a past experience.

Interruptions vs. Quitting: Stop

The verb stop is one of the most important verbs to get right, because mixing up the forms can result in saying the exact opposite of what you mean.

Use stop + gerund when you quit doing an action or give up a habit. Use stop + to-infinitive when you interrupt what you are currently doing in order to do something else.

✅ My doctor told me I need to stop eating junk food. ❌ My doctor told me I need to stop to eat junk food.

In the incorrect sentence, you are telling people that your doctor ordered you to pause your daily activities specifically to consume junk food!

Experiments vs. Effort: Try

When you face a problem, you might try different things to solve it. The form you choose tells the listener whether the action itself was physically difficult, or if it was just an experiment.

Use try + to-infinitive when the action requires physical or mental effort. You might fail to complete the action.

• "I tried to push the heavy car, but it wouldn't move."

Use try + gerund when the action is easy to do, but you are doing it as an experiment to see if it solves a separate problem.

• "If your computer is frozen, try restarting it." (Restarting isn't difficult; you are testing it as a solution).

Bad News vs. Past Mistakes: Regret

Regret follows a similar pattern to remember and forget.

Use regret + to-infinitive in formal situations to deliver bad news. You will almost always see this with verbs like say, tell, or inform.

• "We regret to inform you that the flight is canceled."

Use regret + gerund to express sorrow or guilt over a mistake you made in the past.

• "I deeply regret accepting that terrible job offer."

A Common Mistake to Avoid

Learners frequently use the infinitive form when talking about fond memories or life experiences, directly translating from their native language where a standard infinitive is used.

When you want to share a story from your past, always use the gerund with remember and forget.

✅ I remember tripping over my own feet in the school play. ❌ I remember to trip over my own feet in the school play.

Using the infinitive here sounds like "tripping over your feet" was a deliberate chore you had to complete, rather than an embarrassing memory you are recalling!