Dica do dia: Gerunds and Infinitives

Gerunds and Infinitives

Some verbs are followed by a gerund (-ing).

The players couldn't risk losing.
The striker practiced shooting every day.

Some verbs are followed by the infinitive (to + base form of verb).

They wanted to win more than the other team.
He decided to shoot for goal from twenty yards out.

Some verbs can be followed by either a gerund or an infinitive with no change in meaning.

He loves watching basketball on TV.
He loves to watch basketball on TV.

However, the meaning changes when some verbs are followed by either a gerund or an infinitive. Por exemplo:

They stopped to talk about last night's game.
(They stopped what they were doing and started talking about the game. )

They stopped talking about last night's game.
(They had been talking about the game, but then they stopped. )

He remembered packing his uniform on the weekend.
(This is something he remembers he used to do regularly, but not any more. )

He remembered to pack his uniform on the weekend.
(This is something he didn't forget to do. )