The infinitive group is the mirror image of the gerund group. "She decided to leave" is correct, and "she decided leaving" is wrong. The verb decides which pattern follows, and the pattern has to be learned with the verb.
The infinitive is to plus the base verb. Most of these verbs take it directly: decide to go, hope to see, promise to call. Another group takes a person first: ask me to wait, want you to listen, remind him to bring.
This page covers the core infinitive verbs, the object pattern, the bare infinitive after make and let, and the choice between the two patterns. The 20-question drill explains the structure of every answer.
The rule
The infinitive after the verb
- The pattern is verb plus to plus base verb: "She decided to leave."
- The to belongs to the second verb, not the first.
- These verbs do not take -ing: "She decided leaving" is wrong.
- Learn the verbs as a group and repeat the pattern aloud.
The core infinitive group
- Decide, plan and arrange: "We arranged to meet at six."
- Hope, expect and intend: "I hope to see you soon."
- Promise, agree and offer: "He promised to call."
- Want, need and would like: "I want to learn."
Verb plus person plus infinitive
- Ask, tell and advise take a person first: "She asked me to wait."
- Want and need also take a person: "I want you to listen."
- Remind, warn and encourage: "He reminded me to bring the keys."
- The negative infinitive after these verbs is not to, as in "warned us not to go".
The bare infinitive after make, let and help
- Make and let take the base verb with no to: "She made me laugh."
- In the passive, make takes to: "I was made to wait."
- Help takes both forms: "She helped me carry the bags."
- Hear and see take the bare infinitive for a complete action: "I saw him leave."
Infinitive or gerund?
- Some verbs take both with little change: "like to swim" and "like swimming".
- Remember, stop and try change meaning with the pattern.
- After prepositions, always use the gerund, not the infinitive.
- After adjectives such as happy and easy, the infinitive is usual: "I am happy to help."
Examples
- She decided to leave early.Decide takes the infinitive directly.
- We arranged to meet at six.Arrange takes the infinitive for a plan.
- I hope to see you soon.Hope takes the infinitive for a future wish.
- He promised to call.Promise takes the infinitive for a commitment.
- She asked me to wait.Ask takes a person plus the infinitive.
- I want you to listen.Want takes a person plus the infinitive.
- He reminded me to bring the keys.Remind takes a person plus the infinitive.
- She made me laugh.Make takes the bare infinitive without to.
- They let us stay for another night.Let takes the bare infinitive without to.
- I am happy to help.An adjective takes the infinitive.
Common mistakes
- Wrong: She decided leaving. Right: She decided to leave.
- Decide belongs to the infinitive group.
- Wrong: I hope seeing you soon. Right: I hope to see you soon.
- Hope takes the infinitive, not the gerund.
- Wrong: He promised calling. Right: He promised to call.
- Promise takes the infinitive for a future action.
- Wrong: She made me to laugh. Right: She made me laugh.
- Make takes the bare infinitive without to.
- Wrong: I am interested to learn Arabic. Right: I am interested in learning Arabic.
- After a preposition such as in, the gerund is required.
Practice drill
Answer all 20 questions. Each answer is marked at once, and the rule is explained under the question.
She decided ___ early.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: A. to leave Decide takes the infinitive to leave.
We arranged ___ at six.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: B. to meet Arrange takes the infinitive to meet for a plan.
I hope ___ you soon.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: C. to see Hope takes the infinitive to see.
He promised ___ at eight.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: D. to call Promise takes the infinitive to call.
She asked me ___ outside.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: A. to wait Ask takes a person plus the infinitive to wait.
I want you ___ carefully.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: B. to listen Want takes a person plus the infinitive to listen.
He reminded me ___ the keys.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: C. to bring Remind takes a person plus the infinitive to bring.
She made me ___.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: D. laugh Make takes the bare infinitive laugh, with no to.
They let us ___ another night.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: A. stay Let takes the bare infinitive stay, with no to.
I am happy ___.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: B. to help An adjective such as happy takes the infinitive to help.
We plan ___ a new website.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: C. to build Plan takes the infinitive to build.
The teacher advised us ___ every day.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: D. to practise Advise takes a person plus the infinitive to practise.
He agreed ___ with the plan.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: A. to go Agree takes the infinitive to go.
She offered ___ us home.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: B. to drive Offer takes the infinitive to drive.
Do you expect ___ the exam?
Show answer and explanation
Answer: C. to pass Expect takes the infinitive to pass.
I would like ___ a coffee.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: D. to have Would like takes the infinitive to have.
They warned us ___ near the cliffs.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: A. not to go The negative infinitive is not to go, with not before to.
My parents encouraged me ___ medicine.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: B. to study Encourage takes a person plus the infinitive to study.
I forgot ___ the door.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: C. to lock Forget plus the infinitive means the task was not done.
She needs ___ some rest.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: D. to get Need takes the infinitive to get.
Drill complete
You answered every question.
Next topic: Present perfect with today, this week and this yearTake the level test
Questions learners ask
Which verbs take an infinitive?
The large group includes decide, hope, promise, agree, offer, plan, want, need, expect, arrange and would like. Some need a person first: ask, tell, advise, want, remind and warn. There is no meaning rule, so the pattern is learned with each verb, just like the gerund group.
What is the difference between "make someone do" and "make someone to do"?
"Make someone do" is the correct active pattern: "She made me laugh." Make takes the bare infinitive, with no to. In the passive, to returns: "I was made to wait." Let behaves like make in the active: "They let us stay."
Can a verb take both an infinitive and a gerund?
Yes. Like, love, hate and prefer take both with almost no change: "I like to swim" and "I like swimming." Remember, stop, try and go on take both with a clear change of meaning. The safe approach is to learn the meaning of each pattern with an example.
More grammar topics
Present perfect with today, this week and this year
Unfinished time takes the present perfect: today, this week and this year are still open. Finished time takes the past simple: yesterday, last week and in 2019.
Past perfect continuous: had been doing
Had been plus -ing describes an activity that was in progress before another past moment. It stresses the duration, not the finished result.
Too much vs too many: countable and uncountable
Too much takes uncountable nouns such as water and time. Too many takes countable plural nouns such as books and people. Enough goes after an adjective and before a noun.
Take the free A1 to C2 level test to find your starting point.