You already know that some verbs are followed by -ing and others by to + verb — see Gerunds & infinitives (verb patterns) for the core lists and the four meaning-changing verbs remember, forget, stop, try. This article builds on that: gerunds doing a noun's job in a sentence, a few more verbs where the choice changes the meaning, the easily-confused used to family, and patterns where the second verb drops to altogether.

The gerund as a subject

A gerund isn't only something that follows another verb — it can also be the subject of a sentence, acting like a noun phrase:

  • Swimming is good exercise.
  • Learning a language takes time.
  • Smoking damages your lungs.

A to-infinitive can technically start a sentence too (To smoke is bad for you), but it sounds formal and a little old-fashioned next to the far more natural gerund subject: ✅ Smoking is bad for you.

A gerund also sits comfortably after be, describing what something is:

  • My favourite hobby is reading.
  • The hardest part was waiting.

More verbs that change meaning with -ing or to

Beyond remember, forget, stop, try, a few more common verbs shift meaning depending on what follows:

Verb + -ing + to
regret I regret telling her the truth. (I'm sorry about something I already did) We regret to inform you that your flight is cancelled. (a fixed, formal way to introduce bad news)
mean Losing this contract would mean closing the factory. (it would involve/result in this) I meant to call you yesterday, but I forgot. (I intended to)
go on She went on talking for another hour. (continued the same activity) After the introduction, he went on to explain the results. (finished one thing and moved to a new one)

The regret + to pattern is narrow — it's really only used with verbs like say, tell, inform to formally announce unwelcome news, not a general "regret doing something" meaning. Compare: ✅ I regret leaving my last job (I wish I hadn't left) vs. ✅ I regret to inform you that the position has been filled (formal bad news, not personal regret about a past action).

Go on + -ing and go on + to look similar but tell almost opposite stories: ✅ he went on complaining means he kept complaining about the same thing, while ✅ he went on to complain would mean he moved on from something else and started complaining next.

Used to vs. be used to vs. get used to

These three look almost identical but belong to different grammar altogether, and mixing them up is one of the most common advanced-level mistakes:

Form Meaning Example
used to + base verb a past habit or state, not true now (see Used to (past habits & states)) I used to live in Rome.
be used to + -ing to be accustomed/familiar with something — in any tense I*'m used to living** alone now.* / I was used to living alone by then.
get used to + -ing to become accustomed to something over time — a process I'm getting used to living alone.

The key giveaway: used to (past habit) is always followed by the base verb, while be/get used to is always followed by a noun phrase, pronoun, or -ing form (I'm used to it, I'm used to the noise, I'm used to working), because here used to is really an adjective phrase (used to = "accustomed to"), and to is a preposition, not part of an infinitive.

  • ✅ I used to work nights. (a past habit — no longer true)
  • ✅ I*'m used to working** nights now.* (it's normal for me now)
  • ❌ I'm used to work nights. → ✅ I'm used to working nights. (a preposition to needs -ing, never the base verb)

Object + bare infinitive: perception verbs, make, let, help

So far, every to + verb pattern you've seen has kept its to. A small group of verbs drops it, taking a bare infinitive (the base form with no to) after an object instead.

Perception verbs — see, watch, hear, notice, feel — take object + bare infinitive for an action viewed as a whole, complete event, and object + -ing for an action caught in progress:

  • I saw him leave the building. (viewed as one complete event — he left, that's it)
  • I saw him leaving the building. (caught in progress — maybe he was still walking out when I looked away)
  • We heard her sing the whole song. (the whole event)
  • We heard her singing as we walked past. (just a moment of it, in progress)

Make, let, and help also take an object + bare infinitive:

  • Her boss made her redo the report. (forced)
  • My parents let me stay up late. (permitted)
  • Could you help me carry these bags? (help can also take to: help me to carry, both are correct)

One important point about the passive: the bare infinitive only survives in the active voice. Both make and the perception verbs restore to once the sentence is passive: ✅ She was made to redo the report; ✅ He was seen to leave the building; ✅ She was heard to sing the song.

Common mistakes

  • To smoke is bad for you (grammatical, but formal/stiff) → more natural: ✅ Smoking is bad for you. (a gerund subject is the everyday choice)
  • ❌ I regret to leave my last job (meaning "I wish I hadn't") → ✅ I regret leaving my last job. (regret + to is only for formally announcing bad news, not personal regret about the past)
  • ❌ I'm used to work nights. → ✅ I'm used to working nights. (be used to is followed by -ing, not the base verb)
  • ❌ I saw him to leave. → ✅ I saw him leave. (perception verbs take a bare infinitive, not to)
  • ❌ My parents let me to stay up late. → ✅ My parents let me stay up late. (let takes a bare infinitive, never to)

Quick check

Complete each sentence with the correct form of the verb in brackets.

  1. I'm not used to ____ (get) up so early.
  2. We saw the thief ____ (run) all the way down the street and disappear.
  3. After years in the city, she's used to ____ (live) with the noise.
  4. He went on ____ (explain) the second point after finishing the first.
  5. My teacher let us ____ (leave) early yesterday.
Show answers
  1. getting   2. run   3. living   4. to explain   5. leave

Key takeaways

  • A gerund can be the subject of a sentence or follow be — Swimming is good exercise, not the stiffer to swim.
  • Regret, mean, go on join remember, forget, stop, try as verbs that change meaning depending on -ing or to — regret + to is narrow, used mainly for formally announcing bad news.
  • Used to + base verb is a past habit; be/get used to + -ing means be/become accustomed to something, in whatever tense the sentence needs — don't confuse the two used tos.
  • Perception verbs (see, hear, watch, notice) take object + bare infinitive for a complete action and object + -ing for one caught in progress.
  • Make, let, and help take an object + bare infinitive (no to) — though help also allows to, and make regains to in the passive.