Talk about habits and studying
I can see the difference between "stopped doing" and "stopped in order to do" — and not say the opposite of what I meant.
Declared core time. Two of the core blocks carry no figure at all, so the real lesson is longer than this sum.
Grammar
16 minIn A2 #21 you learnt two lists: some verbs are followed by the -ing form (enjoy reading, finish writing), others by to + verb (want to learn, decide to change). There were also verbs that take both forms with almost no difference: start, begin, like, love, hate — It started raining = It started to rain.
Now come verbs that can take both forms, but the meaning is different, sometimes the opposite. There are five of them: stop, remember, forget, try, regret.
The general principle. The -ing form names the action itself — something that has already happened or is already going on. to + verb looks forward: to a job that is still ahead, or to a purpose.
stop. stop + -ing means to end an action or give up a habit: He stopped smoking ten years ago. — he doesn't smoke any more. Stop talking, please. — be quiet. It's stopped raining. — the rain is over. stop + to means to stop, to break off what you are doing in order to do something else: On the way home he stopped to buy some bread. — he was walking home, and he stopped because he wanted to buy bread. Here to means "in order to" — the infinitive of purpose from A2 #21.
remember. remember + -ing means to remember something that happened: I remember locking the door. — I locked it, and now I have the memory of it. First the action, then the memory of it. remember + to means to keep a job in mind and do it, not to forget: Remember to lock the door. — the door must be locked when you go. Did you remember to buy milk? First you remembered, then you did it.
forget. forget + to means to forget to do something; the action didn't happen: I forgot to call her. — I didn't call her. Don't forget to send the email. forget + -ing almost always comes in I'll never forget… — about a strong impression: I'll never forget seeing the sea for the first time. — that first sight of the sea stays with me.
try. try + to means to make an effort; the action is difficult and may not work: I tried to open the window, but it was stuck. — I pulled hard, but it didn't open. try + -ing means to try something as a way to solve a problem, as an experiment: If the laptop is slow, try restarting it. — restart it and see if that helps. The action itself is not difficult; the question is whether it will help.
regret. regret + -ing means to be sorry about something you did: I regret selling my old car. — I sold it, and now I'm sorry. regret + to is found almost only in official messages: We regret to inform you that the flight has been cancelled. — a polite, formal way to give bad news.
Summary table:
| verb | + -ing | + to |
|---|---|---|
| stop | He stopped smoking. — gave up | He stopped to smoke. — stopped in order to smoke |
| remember | I remember locking it. — I have the memory | Remember to lock it. — don't forget to lock it |
| forget | I'll never forget meeting her. — an impression | I forgot to call her. — I didn't call |
| try | Try restarting it. — try this way | I tried to open it. — made an effort |
| regret | I regret saying that. — sorry I said it | We regret to inform you… — an official message |
Compare — one action and two orders of events:
| I remember posting the letter. | first I posted it, now I remember doing it |
| I remembered to post the letter. | first I remembered, then I posted it |
The negative goes before the -ing form or before to: I regret not learning to swim. — I never learnt, and I'm sorry. Try not to worry. — make an effort not to worry.
How to choose by the meaning. What you want to say usually gives the clue:
| what you mean | in English |
|---|---|
| gave up, no longer do, ended | stop + -ing |
| stopped in order to; took a break in order to | stop + to |
| the memory of something I did | remember + -ing |
| don't forget; didn't forget to do | remember + to, don't forget + to |
| forgot to do; it didn't happen | forget + to |
| a moment I'll always keep in my memory | never forget + -ing |
| made an effort, did my best | try + to |
| try (as a way to solve a problem) | try + -ing |
| sorry about something I did | regret + -ing |
If you are not sure, ask yourself: has the action already happened, or is it still ahead? Already happened — -ing, still ahead — to. The only case where this question doesn't help is try: there the choice depends on whether the action itself is difficult (to) or the only question is whether it will help (-ing).
Don't say this. ✗ I remember to lock the door yesterday → ✓ I remember locking the door yesterday. About a past action that you remember — only -ing.
Check yourself. What does She stopped to talk to me mean? Your friend is going to the shop: how do you tell them that the bread is a job they must keep in mind? What is the advice in Try switching it off and on again?
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Common learner errors
written for your language"Gave up smoking" with to
He stopped to smoke means that he stopped in order to smoke. To say that he gave up, you need ✓ He stopped smoking. French arrêter de fumer, Spanish dejar de fumar, Italian smettere di fumare and German aufhören zu rauchen use an infinitive, and it comes into English as to. Here this habit turns the meaning into its opposite.
remember to about the past
✗ I remember to meet him in Paris last year
✓ I remember meeting him in Paris last year
French je me souviens de l'avoir rencontré and German ich erinnere mich, ihn getroffen zu haben express a memory with an infinitive too, so to seems right. In English the choice of form is the choice of meaning: a memory — -ing, a job — to.
regret + to about something done
✗ I regret to sell my car
✓ I regret selling my car
French je regrette de l'avoir vendue and Spanish me arrepiento de haberlo vendido use an infinitive here. But you regret something that is already done — so -ing.
"Made an effort" and "tried as a way" get mixed up
I tried calling her means you tried calling her as one of several ways, for example to find her. If you want to say that you made an effort and failed, the usual form is ✓ I tried to call her, but she didn't answer. French essayer de and German versuchen zu cover both meanings with one form. In English the difference is in the form.
Pronunciation
4 minThe two forms differ in the unstressed ending:
| stopped smoking | /stɒpt ˈsməʊkɪŋ/ — the -ing at the end carries the meaning |
| stopped to smoke | /stɒpt tə ˈsməʊk/ — a weak to |
In stopped to the two /t/ sounds join into one long one: the tongue holds, and after the pause you hear /tə/. Don't swallow this weak to: without it, "stopped in order to smoke" sounds like "gave up smoking".
-ing is pronounced /ɪŋ/, with no /ɡ/ at the end: smoking /ˈsməʊkɪŋ/, not "smoking-g".
Stress: remember /rɪˈmembə/, regret /rɪˈɡret/, forget /fəˈɡet/ — on the second syllable; the first one is short and unstressed.
Text
5 minWhen I was at university, I smoked, I ate badly and I never did any sport. Then, at twenty-five, I decided to change everything.
First, I stopped smoking. It was hard. For months, every time I walked past a newsagent's, I wanted to stop to buy cigarettes. I tried to give up three times before it finally worked. What helped in the end? A friend told me to try chewing gum — and it worked.
Then I started learning Spanish. I tried learning with an app, but I often forgot to open it. So I tried going to evening classes instead, and that was much better. I still remember sitting in that cold classroom on Tuesday nights, trying to understand the teacher.
I'm not perfect. I sometimes forget to do my homework, and last week I forgot to take my book to class. But I don't regret starting. I'll never forget having my first real conversation in Spanish, in a little café in Seville.
My only regret? I regret giving up the piano at twelve. Maybe I'll try to start again next year.
Exercises
32 min1. Put the verb in brackets into the right form:
- He stopped (smoke) ten years ago
- On the way home I stopped (buy) some bread
- Please remember (lock) the door
- I clearly remember (lock) it — I'm sure
- I forgot (call) my mum yesterday
- I'll never forget (see) the Northern Lights
- I tried (open) the jar, but the lid was too tight
- If you can't sleep, try (read) a boring book
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2. Matching.
- He stopped to smoke.
- He stopped smoking.
- I remember posting it.
- I remembered to post it.
- I tried to call her.
- I tried calling her.
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3. Correct the sentence
- He stopped to smoke last year. (he gave up smoking)
- I remember to meet him in Paris. (I have a memory of that meeting)
- Did you remember buying milk? (the milk was a job: did you buy it, or did you forget?)
- She stopped talking to her neighbour. (she stopped in order to talk)
- Try to switch it off and on again. (try it as a way to fix it)
- I forgot that I had sent the email. (the email was never sent)
- I'll never forget to swim with dolphins. (a great experience)
- We regret informing you that the shop is closed. (an official message)
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4. Rewrite with the verb in brackets.
- He doesn't smoke any more. (stop)
- I locked the door. I can remember it clearly. (remember)
- Don't forget: send me the address. (remember)
- He was driving, and then he parked to answer the phone. (stop)
- I didn't post the letter. I forgot. (forget)
- I'm sorry that I didn't learn to swim. (regret)
- Drink more water — maybe it will help. (try)
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5. Say it in English.
Each line describes a situation in simple words. Say it with the forms of this lesson. 1) You used to eat sugar. Now you don't eat it any more. 2) You were driving somewhere. Halfway there, you parked because you wanted to have lunch. 3) Your friend is the last to leave the room. Tell him that the light mustn't stay on. 4) You still have a clear memory of the day when you and your partner first met. Tell your partner. 5) You wanted her to understand something. You explained it again and again, but she wasn't listening. 6) You sold your car. Now you are sorry about it.
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6. Answer about yourself
in full sentences. The answers below are an example. 1) What have you stopped doing, and why? 2) What do you often forget to do? 3) What will you never forget seeing?
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Summary
Covered
- five verbs whose form changes the meaning — stop
- remember
- forget
- try
- regret; the principle "-ing is the action itself
- to is what lies ahead"; the negative not before -ing and to
Next — lesson 22: ask someone else to do it, or do it yourself.
End of the core
The lesson counts as done once the exercises are done. Everything after this is optional.
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Vocabulary for your deck
14 words- regret /rɪˈɡret/ to be sorry about something you did
- give up /ˌɡɪv ˈʌp/ to stop doing something you did regularly (a habit, a hobby)
- smoke /sməʊk/ to have a cigarette
- cigarette /ˌsɪɡəˈret/ a thin paper tube of tobacco that people smoke
- newsagent's /ˈnjuːzeɪdʒənts/ a shop that sells newspapers, magazines and sweets
- chewing gum /ˈtʃuːɪŋ ɡʌm/ a sweet that you chew for a long time but don't swallow
- classroom /ˈklɑːsruːm/ a room where lessons take place
- homework /ˈhəʊmwɜːk/ work that a teacher gives you to do at home
- conversation /ˌkɒnvəˈseɪʃn/ a talk between two or more people
- restart /ˌriːˈstɑːt/ to switch a computer or a phone off and on again
- jar /dʒɑː/ a glass container with a lid, for jam, honey and so on
- lid /lɪd/ the top that closes a box, a jar or a pot
- tight /taɪt/ fixed firmly and difficult to move or open
- inform /ɪnˈfɔːm/ to tell someone something officially
Writing
Five or six sentences about a habit that you have given up or are trying to give up, and about what helped. At least three verbs from the lesson.
Example
Two years ago I stopped eating sweets. I tried to stop many times before, but it never lasted. Then a friend told me to try eating fruit instead, and it worked. I still remember buying my last chocolate bar. I don't regret giving up sweets, but I sometimes forget to buy fruit, and then it's hard.
Checklist
Practise this lesson in the other sections
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