Verb + -ing or Verb + to (Introduction)
When one verb follows another, the first verb decides the shape of the second. Verbs like enjoy, finish and avoid are followed by the -ing form; verbs like want, decide and hope are followed by to + base verb: I enjoy swimming, but I want to swim.
Level: A2. Sooner or later you want to put two verbs together: I enjoy… something, I want… something. English makes you choose: the second verb becomes either the -ing form or to + verb. The first verb decides which — and this lesson gives you the most useful lists to start from.
The rule
When a verb is followed by another verb, the second one is not in its plain form. It takes one of two shapes:
- the -ing form (also called the gerund): swimming, eating, going;
- the to-infinitive: to swim, to eat, to go.
Which shape you use depends entirely on the first verb. Some verbs are always followed by -ing, and some are always followed by to. There is no spelling trick to tell them apart — you learn them in groups.
Two short lists cover most everyday cases.
Verbs usually followed by -ing: enjoy, finish, avoid, mind, suggest, practise, keep (on), imagine, miss, give up.
Verbs usually followed by to + verb: want, need, decide, hope, plan, promise, offer, learn, would like, expect, agree.
So you say I enjoy cooking but I want to cook. Mixing them up (I enjoy to cook, I want cooking) is the classic beginner error, and it is worth drilling until the right shape feels automatic.
The two patterns
| First verb | Second verb shape | Example |
|---|---|---|
| enjoy, finish, avoid, mind | -ing (gerund) | I enjoy reading. |
| want, need, decide, hope | to + base verb | I want to read. |
| like, start, begin, continue | either, same meaning | I like reading / I like to read. |
Common verbs in each group
| Followed by -ing | Followed by to + verb |
|---|---|
| enjoy | want |
| finish | need |
| avoid | decide |
| mind | hope |
| suggest | plan |
| practise | promise |
| keep (on) | offer |
| imagine | learn |
| miss | would like |
| give up | expect |
Example sentences
- I enjoy swimming in the sea.enjoy + -ing.
- I want to swim this afternoon.want + to + verb.
- She finished reading the book.finish + -ing.
- We decided to stay at home.decide + to + verb.
- He avoids eating too much sugar.avoid + -ing.
- They hope to visit Japan next year.hope + to + verb.
- Do you mind waiting a few minutes?mind + -ing.
- I need to call my mother.need + to + verb.
- She suggested going to the cinema.suggest + -ing.
- We plan to travel in summer.plan + to + verb.
- He keeps forgetting his keys.keep + -ing (a repeated action).
- I promise to help you tomorrow.promise + to + verb.
- They practise speaking English every day.practise + -ing.
- She learned to drive last year.learn + to + verb.
- I miss living by the beach.miss + -ing.
- He offered to carry my bags.offer + to + verb.
- Imagine winning the lottery!imagine + -ing.
- We expect to arrive at six.expect + to + verb.
- I like cooking at the weekend.like can take -ing...
- I like to cook at the weekend....or to + verb, with the same meaning.
Common mistakes
- ❌ I enjoy to swim. → ✅ I enjoy swimming. Enjoy is always followed by the -ing form.
- ❌ I want swimming. → ✅ I want to swim. Want is always followed by to + verb.
- ❌ She finished to read the book. → ✅ She finished reading the book. Finish takes -ing.
- ❌ We decided staying home. → ✅ We decided to stay home. Decide takes to + verb.
- ❌ Do you mind to wait? → ✅ Do you mind waiting? Mind takes -ing.
- ❌ He suggested to go out. → ✅ He suggested going out. Suggest takes -ing.
A short conversation
A: What do you want to do this weekend? B: I’d like to relax. I enjoy staying home and reading. A: We could go hiking. Do you mind walking a lot? B: Not at all — I need to get some exercise anyway.
Usage notes
- Prepositions force -ing. After a preposition, a verb always takes -ing: good at cooking, interested in learning, tired of waiting, before leaving. This is a reliable rule, unlike the two verb lists.
- The trap of “to”. Most of the time to is followed by the base verb (want to go). But in the fixed phrases look forward to and be used to, the to is a preposition, so the next verb takes -ing: I look forward to meeting you, She is used to working late.
- -ing as a subject. The -ing form can also begin a sentence as the subject: Swimming is good for you, Smoking is bad for your health.
- Negatives. To make the second verb negative, put not in front of it: He decided not to go; I enjoy not having a plan.
Compared with…
- This is the introduction. The full picture — more verb lists, to vs -ing after adjectives and nouns, and the finer points — is covered in the complete guide: Gerunds and Infinitives (Full Guide).
- A few verbs (remember, stop, try, forget) change meaning depending on the shape you choose: stop smoking is not stop to smoke. See Verb Patterns that Change Meaning.
- You already met this pattern with feelings: Like, Love, Hate + -ing and the polite Would Like.
Quick recap before you practise.
Practice
Verb + -ing or to practice
Try each one, then press Check. No sign-up, nothing is sent anywhere — it all runs in your browser.
Hint: decide + to
Show answer
to stay — Decide is followed by to + base verb: to stay.
4 Put the words in order to make a correct sentence.
Show answer
She finished reading the book — Finish + -ing: finished reading.
5 Match each verb to the shape that follows it.
- enjoy
- want
- avoid
- decide
Show answer
- enjoy → -ing
- want → to + verb
- avoid → -ing
- decide → to + verb
Enjoy and avoid take -ing; want and decide take to + verb.
Quiz
Verb + -ing or to quiz
12 questions · pick an answer and you'll see straight away if it's right.
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playing — Enjoy is followed by the -ing form: playing.
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to buy — Decide is followed by to + verb: to buy.
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opening — Mind is followed by the -ing form: opening.
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to start — Hope is followed by to + verb: to start.
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finish — Finish takes -ing; the others take to + verb.
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I want to swim. — Want is followed by to + base verb: to swim.
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eating — Avoid is followed by the -ing form: eating.
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to arrive — Promise is followed by to + verb: to arrive.
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cooking — A verb after a preposition takes the -ing form: cooking.
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meeting — In 'look forward to', the 'to' is a preposition, so the verb takes -ing: meeting.
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He suggested to go out. — Suggest takes -ing: 'He suggested going out'.
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like — Like accepts either: 'I like cooking' or 'I like to cook'.
Recap cheat-sheet
| First verb | Then use | Example |
|---|---|---|
| enjoy, finish, avoid, mind | -ing | I enjoy reading. |
| want, need, decide, hope | to + verb | I want to read. |
| after a preposition | -ing | good at cooking |
| like, start, begin | either | I like to read / reading |
Next
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All English grammar topics
Every grammar point in order, from your first sentence to advanced structures. Pick one and go straight to it. New lessons go live every day, so topics marked Coming soon fill in over the next weeks.
Grammar path
A1 30 topics · 30 ready
- 01 Verb 'To Be' in the Present (am, is, are)
- 02 Subject Pronouns: I, You, He, She, It, We, They
- 03 Present Simple: Affirmative and the -s Ending
- 04 Present Simple: Negatives and Questions (do/does)
- 05 Articles: a / an and When to Use Each
- 06 The Definite Article 'The': When to Use It
- 07 Zero Article: When to Use No Article
- 08 Plural Nouns: Regular and Irregular Forms
- 09 This, That, These, Those (Demonstratives)
- 10 Possessive Adjectives: my, your, his, her
- 11 Possessive 's and s' (Showing Belonging)
- 12 There Is / There Are (Saying What Exists)
- 13 Have Got: Talking About Possession
- 14 Can and Can't for Ability
- 15 Present Continuous (am/is/are + -ing)
- 16 Imperatives: Giving Orders and Instructions
- 17 Adjectives: Position and Basic Use
- 18 Prepositions of Place: in, on, at
- 19 Prepositions of Time: in, on, at
- 20 Question Words: What, Where, When, Who, Why, How
- 21 How Much vs How Many
- 22 Countable and Uncountable Nouns
- 23 Some and Any: Which One to Use
- 24 Object Pronouns: me, you, him, her, us, them
- 25 Adverbs of Frequency and Their Position
- 26 Like, Love, Hate + -ing (Expressing Preferences)
- 27 Would Like: Polite Wants and Offers
- 28 Making Requests: Can, Could, May I
- 29 Past Simple of 'To Be' (was / were)
- 30 Let's and Shall We: Making Suggestions
A2 25 topics · 25 ready
- 31 Past Simple: Regular Verbs and -ed Spelling
- 32 Past Simple: Irregular Verbs (go, see, have)
- 33 Past Simple: Negatives and Questions (did)
- 34 Comparative Adjectives (bigger, more expensive)
- 35 Superlative Adjectives (the biggest, the most)
- 36 Going To: Plans and Predictions
- 37 Will: Predictions, Decisions and Offers
- 38 Present Continuous for Future Arrangements
- 39 Present Perfect for Experience (ever / never)
- 40 Present Perfect with just, already, yet
- 41 Present Perfect vs Past Simple
- 42 Have To and Don't Have To (Obligation)
- 43 Should and Shouldn't for Advice
- 44 Could: Past Ability and Polite Use
- 45 Much, Many, A Lot Of
- 46 A Few, A Little, Few, Little
- 47 Adverbs of Manner (quickly, well, hard)
- 48 Verb + -ing or Verb + to (Introduction) You are here
- 49 Zero Conditional (Facts and Rules)
- 50 First Conditional (Real Future Possibility)
- 51 Prepositions of Movement (to, into, through)
- 52 Possessive Pronouns: mine, yours, hers
- 53 Past Continuous (was/were + -ing)
- 54 Too and Enough (Degree)
- 55 Order of Adjectives Before a Noun
B1 27 topics · 27 ready
- 56 Past Continuous vs Past Simple
- 57 Used To and Would for Past Habits
- 58 Present Perfect Continuous (have been -ing)
- 59 Present Perfect: Simple vs Continuous
- 60 Past Perfect (had + past participle)
- 61 Second Conditional (Unreal Present/Future)
- 62 Third Conditional (Unreal Past)
- 63 Reported Speech: Statements (Backshift)
- 64 Reported Questions
- 65 Reported Commands and Requests
- 66 Passive Voice: Present and Past Simple
- 67 Must and Mustn't (Strong Obligation)
- 68 May, Might, Could for Possibility
- 69 Defining Relative Clauses (who, which, that)
- 70 Non-Defining Relative Clauses (with commas)
- 71 Gerunds and Infinitives: Full Verb Patterns
- 72 Verbs Where -ing vs to Changes Meaning
- 73 Future Continuous (will be -ing)
- 74 So and Such (Emphasis)
- 75 As...As Comparisons (equality)
- 76 Question Tags (isn't it? do you?)
- 77 Phrasal Verbs: Separable and Inseparable
- 78 Linking Words: because, so, although, but
- 79 Infinitive of Purpose (to / in order to)
- 80 Indirect Questions (Can you tell me...)
- 81 Make, Let, Allow, Help (Causatives Intro)
- 82 Be Used To and Get Used To (+ -ing)
B2 25 topics · 25 ready
- 83 Narrative Tenses for Storytelling
- 84 Past Perfect Continuous (had been -ing)
- 85 Mixed Conditionals
- 86 Wish and If Only (Regrets and Wishes)
- 87 Wish/If Only + would (Complaints)
- 88 Passive Voice: All Tenses and Modals
- 89 Reporting Passive (It is said that / is said to)
- 90 Causative: Have/Get Something Done
- 91 Reduced Relative Clauses (Participles)
- 92 Modals of Deduction: Present and Past
- 93 Needn't Have vs Didn't Need To
- 94 Future Perfect (will have done)
- 95 Participle Clauses (-ing / -ed / having done)
- 96 Advanced Comparatives (far/much + er, the more)
- 97 Conditional Alternatives: unless, as long as, provided
- 98 Advanced Determiners: each, every, either, neither
- 99 Intensifiers and Adverbs of Degree
- 100 Advanced Contrast: despite, in spite of, however
- 101 Advanced Linkers: therefore, moreover, consequently
- 102 Advanced Article Use (generalisations, names)
- 103 Verb + Preposition and Adjective + Preposition
- 104 Relative Clauses: whose, where, when, quantifier + whom
- 105 Subject-Verb Agreement: Tricky Cases
- 106 Emphatic Do (I do like it)
- 107 Would for Past Habits (Formal Narrative)
C1 18 topics · 18 ready
- 108 Inversion with Negative Adverbials
- 109 Inversion in Conditionals (Had I known)
- 110 Cleft Sentences (It was... / What I need is...)
- 111 Fronting and Emphasis (Word Order)
- 112 Subjunctive and Mandative (I suggest he be)
- 113 Ellipsis and Substitution (so, do, one)
- 114 Hedging and Cautious Language
- 115 Nominalisation (Academic Noun Style)
- 116 Advanced Discourse Markers (Spoken & Written)
- 117 Advanced Passive (passive + infinitive, get-passive)
- 118 Advanced Comparative Structures (no sooner...than)
- 119 Future in the Past (was going to / would)
- 120 Advanced Modals (may well, might as well, would rather)
- 121 Advanced Reported Speech (Reporting Verbs + Patterns)
- 122 Advanced and Idiomatic Phrasal Verbs
- 123 Collocation and Colligation (Natural Combinations)
- 124 Advanced Concession (much as, whatever, however + adj)
- 125 Absolute and Non-Finite Clauses (Formal)