Gerunds & Infinitives - Business English
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When one verb follows another, English usually forces a choice: the second verb appears either as a gerund (the -ing form) or as an infinitive (to + base verb). The pattern is fixed by the first verb, so the safest approach is to learn verbs in groups. Some verbs take a gerund: "We finished reviewing the contract." Verbs like enjoy, avoid, consider, suggest and recommend behave this way. Others take an infinitive: "I decided to accept their offer." Verbs like want, plan, agree, hope and offer follow this pattern. After prepositions, always use a gerund: "She is responsible for managing the team" and "Thank you for joining the call." A useful rule of thumb: if you can put a preposition before the verb, you need the -ing form. A small group (start, begin, continue, like, prefer) takes either form with little change in meaning. A trickier group changes meaning: "I stopped to check my email" (you paused in order to check it) versus "I stopped checking my email" (you no longer check it); "remember to send" (a task ahead) versus "remember sending" (a memory of the past). The most common pitfall is defaulting to the infinitive after every verb, which produces errors such as "I suggest to meet on Tuesday", it should be "I suggest meeting on Tuesday." When unsure, check whether the verb belongs to a gerund group, an infinitive group, or the meaning-changing set.
Let's practise. Type each answer and press Enter, I'll check it with you.
- We are looking forward to (meet) the new clients next week.
- He decided (postpone) the meeting until Friday.
- I suggest (review) the quarterly report before the presentation.
- They managed (finish) the project ahead of schedule.
- She avoids (answer) emails during her lunch break.
- Our manager wants (discuss) the budget issues today.
- Do you mind (wait) a few minutes for the CEO?
- We need (hire) more developers for this software project.
- He admitted (make) a mistake in the financial forecast.
- The team agreed (work) overtime to meet the deadline.
- I enjoy (collaborate) with different departments.
- She refused (accept) the terms of the new contract.
- They practiced (give) their sales pitch several times.
- Would you like (join) us for the networking event?
- He keeps (interrupt) me while I am presenting.
- We plan (expand) our operations into Europe next year.
- The client denied (receive) the invoice.
- I hope (see) you at the conference in Berlin.
- She finished (prepare) the slides for the meeting.
- They offered (help) us with the technical transition.
- It is difficult (organize) a global meeting across time zones.
- We should consider (invest) in new marketing tools.
- He promised (send) the updated files by noon.
- I cannot afford (lose) this important contract.
- They discussed (launch) the product in September.
Common questions
How do I know whether to use a gerund or an infinitive after a verb?
The first verb decides. Learn verbs in groups: enjoy, avoid, consider, suggest and recommend take the gerund ("I avoid scheduling calls before nine"); want, decide, plan, agree and offer take the infinitive ("We agreed to extend the deadline"). There is no shortcut rule that covers them all, so memorise the common verbs and confirm any you are unsure about.
What is the difference between "remember to do" and "remember doing"?
"Remember to do" points forward to a task: "Please remember to copy me on the reply" (do it). "Remember doing" points back to a memory: "I remember sending that file last week" (it already happened). The same split applies to stop, forget and regret. "I stopped to read it" means you paused in order to read; "I stopped reading it" means you quit.
Which form do I use after a preposition, for example after "interested in" or "good at"?
Always use the gerund (-ing) after a preposition. Say "I am interested in joining the project," "She is good at negotiating," and "Thank you for waiting." A common mistake is the infinitive, as in "interested to join" or "good at to negotiate", both are wrong. If a verb directly follows in, at, for, of, about, on or by, put it in the -ing form.