Remember, Forget, Stop & Try: -ing vs To + Infinitive

Level B2 · Verb Patterns

Remember, forget, stop, and try can all be followed by either an -ing form or a to-infinitive — but unlike verbs where both patterns mean roughly the same thing, these four genuinely change meaning depending on which one you use. I remember locking the door (a memory of something already done) is a different claim from Remember to lock the door (an instruction about something not yet done) — swapping the pattern doesn't just sound different, it says something different.

Each verb pairs a completed/existing-activity meaning with -ing and a forward-looking/purpose meaning with to + infinitive:

• remember + -ing = a memory of something already done, looking back: I remember locking the door. remember + to + infinitive = not forgetting an upcoming duty, looking forward: Remember to lock the door.
• forget + -ing = to have no memory of something that happened (often used with never, in the negative): I'll never forget seeing the Northern Lights. forget + to + infinitive = to fail to do something you were supposed to do: I forgot to lock the door.
• stop + -ing = to end an activity that was in progress — the -ing is the activity being stopped: He stopped smoking. stop + to + infinitive = to pause one activity in order to do something else — the infinitive is the new purpose, not what's ending: He stopped to smoke.
• try + -ing = to experiment with an action to see what happens: Try restarting the computer. try + to + infinitive = to make a genuine effort at something difficult, which may or may not succeed: I tried to open the jar, but I couldn't.

The most common mistake is treating these four like verbs where the two patterns are interchangeable — swapping remember/forget + -ing for + to + infinitive (or the reverse) doesn't just sound less natural, it describes a different situation: remembering to send an email (a future intention) is not the same claim as remembering sending an email (a memory of something already done). A second, especially common mistake is using stop + to + infinitive when the intended meaning is quitting an activity — He stopped to smoke does not mean he quit smoking; it means he paused to have a cigarette, the opposite of what's usually intended.

Look for remember, forget, stop, or try directly followed by a verb, then check what the sentence is really describing: a memory of something already completed favors -ing (remember, forget); an upcoming, not-yet-done duty favors to + infinitive (remember, forget). An activity being ended favors -ing (stop); a new purpose for pausing favors to + infinitive (stop). An experiment or method favors -ing (try); a genuine effort at something difficult favors to + infinitive (try).

Practice

Remember & Forget: -ing or To? · Stop & Try, Plus Mixed Practice