With certain verbs (remember, forget, stop, try, regret, mean), the choice between infinitive and gerund COMPLETELY CHANGES the meaning of the sentence.
INFINITIVE (TO + VERB) with dual-meaning verbs: expresses a FUTURE, PROSPECTIVE, or YET TO BE PERFORMED action at the reference moment. "I remembered to call her" = I remembered I HAD TO call her (future action at the moment of remembering: first remembered, then called). "She stopped to drink some water" = she stopped (what she was doing) IN ORDER TO drink water (a new prospective action: stopped with a purpose). "I tried to open the door" = I attempted (as a goal) to open the door (maybe I did not succeed). "I regret to inform you that..." = I am sorry to inform you of something I am about to say.
Please remember to send the revised contract to the client before the end of business today — they need it to sign off by Thursday.
She stopped to read the notification that appeared on her screen — it was an urgent message from the project lead about a critical system failure.
I regret to inform you that the position you applied for has been filled by an internal candidate — we appreciate your interest in our organization.
GERUND (-ING) with dual-meaning verbs: expresses a PAST, HABITUAL, or ALREADY PERFORMED action at the reference moment. "I remembered calling her" = I remember HAVING CALLED her (the memory is of an already-occurred action: the call already happened, and now I remember that fact). "She stopped drinking coffee" = she stopped the habit of drinking coffee. "I tried exercising every morning" = I tried the experience of exercising (experiment, not impossible goal). "I regret saying that to him" = I regret HAVING SAID that (regret about something that already happened). The key: gerund = action ALREADY occurred or in progress.
I remember attending that industry conference three years ago — the keynote speaker made a point about disruption that still feels relevant today.
The company stopped offering free shipping last year after the logistics costs became unsustainable at the current scale.
She regrets accepting the role without negotiating the terms more carefully — the initial enthusiasm clouded her judgment at the time.
Common mistake
The four most important meaning-changing pairs: (1) REMEMBER TO DO (remember you must do something still to come) vs REMEMBER DOING (remember having done something already done). (2) FORGET TO DO (forget to do something, so you did not do it) vs FORGET DOING (forget you did something, but you did do it). (3) STOP TO DO (stop in order to do a new action) vs STOP DOING (stop a habitual or ongoing action). (4) REGRET TO DO (regret about something you are about to say/do) vs REGRET DOING (regret something you already did). Most common error: "I stopped to smoke" = I stopped (something else) in order to have a cigarette. "I stopped smoking" = I quit smoking (the habit).
Trick to remember it
The TIME RULE: INFINITIVE = action YET TO OCCUR at the reference moment (future, prospective). GERUND = action ALREADY OCCURRED or in progress at the reference moment (past, habitual). Metaphor: INFINITIVE points toward the FUTURE (arrows going forward). GERUND points toward the PAST or ONGOING PRESENT (arrows coming from behind or currently happening). Test: "I remember ___ her." Add "because I must do it" vs "because I already did it." If "I must do it" makes sense = TO DO. If "I already did it" makes sense = DOING. "I remember TO call her" (I must call her — future action). "I remember CALLING her" (I already called her — past action).
Quick rule
Remember: REMEMBER TO DO = remember you must do it (you do it after). REMEMBER DOING = remember having done it (it already happened). STOP TO DO = pause in order to do something new. STOP DOING = cease a habit/action. REGRET TO DO = regret what you are about to say. REGRET DOING = regret what you already did.
Did you know?
Verbs that change meaning between infinitive and gerund are technically called "verbs with aspectual complements" — the choice of complement (infinitive vs gerund) changes the TEMPORAL ASPECT of the action (whether it looks toward the future or the past). Linguists like Randolph Quirk in his monumental "Comprehensive Grammar of the English Language" (1985) systematically documented these pairs and classified them as one of the most sophisticated systems in English grammar. Interestingly, Spanish does not have this system — in Spanish, both uses of "recuerdo llamarla" are expressed with the same infinitive, and context must clarify whether it refers to something to be done or already done. This asymmetry makes the distinction especially difficult for Spanish speakers, who must learn to encode temporally the information that Spanish leaves to context.
Exercise 1 · Pick the right one
Please remember _____ the signed NDA to the legal team before Tuesday — they cannot proceed with the due diligence without it.
Exercise 2 · Pick the right one
She clearly regrets _____ that comment during the meeting — her expression changed completely the moment she realized how it had landed.
Exercise 3 · Form the word
Remember: REMEMBER TO DO = remember you must do it (you do it after). REMEMBER DOING = remember having done it (it already happened). STOP TO DO = pause in order to do something new. STOP DOING = cease a habit/action. REGRET TO DO = regret what you are about to say. REGRET DOING = regret what you already did.
The four most important meaning-changing pairs: (1) REMEMBER TO DO (remember you must do something still to come) vs REMEMBER DOING (remember having done something already done). (2) FORGET TO DO (forget to do something, so you did not do it) vs FORGET DOING (forget you did something, but you did do it). (3) STOP TO DO (stop in order to do a new action) vs STOP DOING (stop a habitual or ongoing action). (4) REGRET TO DO (regret about something you are about to say/do) vs REGRET DOING (regret something you already did). Most common error: "I stopped to smoke" = I stopped (something else) in order to have a cigarette. "I stopped smoking" = I quit smoking (the habit).
The TIME RULE: INFINITIVE = action YET TO OCCUR at the reference moment (future, prospective). GERUND = action ALREADY OCCURRED or in progress at the reference moment (past, habitual). Metaphor: INFINITIVE points toward the FUTURE (arrows going forward). GERUND points toward the PAST or ONGOING PRESENT (arrows coming from behind or currently happening). Test: "I remember ___ her." Add "because I must do it" vs "because I already did it." If "I must do it" makes sense = TO DO. If "I already did it" makes sense = DOING. "I remember TO call her" (I must call her — future action). "I remember CALLING her" (I already called her — past action).
Bryan López
Founder of SpeakUP Academy