Study materials
Two sentences, both correct, and the same verb in each. Somehow the form is different.
I want to go home.
I enjoy going home.
In Ukrainian the difference is barely audible. And the main point is that the speaker does not choose the form. The word standing in front dictates it. So verbs are worth learning together with whatever they pull along behind them.
The word in front dictates the form
The most common verbs fall into two groups. The first brings to with it, the second the ing form.
| They take to | They take ing |
|---|---|
| want, need, decide | enjoy, finish, avoid |
| hope, promise, learn | mind, suggest, practise |
| would like, forget, try | keep, imagine, spend time |
She decided to move to Lviv.
We finished cleaning at nine.
He avoids driving at night.
The lists look frightening only on paper. In speech they are learned in pairs: decide to do, enjoy doing. Exactly the way you learned go to work and listen to music.
After a preposition it is always ing
Here is a rule with no exceptions, and it is the one to take on board first. If a preposition stands in front of the verb, the form can only be ing.
She's good at cooking.
I'm interested in learning Spanish.
Thank you for coming.
Turn off the light before leaving.
A preposition is easy to spot: after, before, without, about, in, at, for. Once you see one next to an action, put ing there and stop thinking.
The infinitive answers "what for"
The form with to has one more job, quite separate from the lists. It explains the purpose of an action.
I went out to buy milk.
She called to say thank you.
The same form follows adjectives when you are judging the action itself.
It's nice to meet you.
This text is difficult to read.
The verbs that do not mind
There is a group where both forms are correct and the meaning is the same. These are the verbs about tastes and about starting.
I like reading before bed.
I like to read before bed.
Love, hate, prefer, start and begin behave the same way. Here you can simply take whichever form came to mind first.
The mistakes everyone makes
The first is putting to after a verb from the second group.
I enjoy to read. → I enjoy reading.
The second is putting an infinitive after a preposition.
She's good at to cook. → She's good at cooking.
The third is adding to after a modal.
She can to swim. → She can swim.
All three are caught by one glance to the left. What stands in front of the action: a verb from the lists, a preposition, or a modal? The answer to that question is the choice of form.
Try it right now
Make three sentences in English about this evening: what you want, what you enjoy, and what you avoid.
Then add a fourth one starting with After. If the ing went in automatically, the rule is already working.